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Orange County Temnothorax? ID 10/16/2020


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9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline TestSubjectOne - Posted October 16 2020 - 10:55 AM

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1. Location Collected: Orange County, CA

2. Date Collected: Around 9/1/2020

3. Habitat Collected: Coastal sage shrub

4. Length: 1/8 inch

5. Coloration: Dark reddish

6. Distinctive Characteristics: Her egg is large compared to her body. Her gaster is swollen with honey.

7. Distinctive Behaviors: She was found over a month ago as a dealate but hasn't laid eggs until today and only has one. She is slow and doesn't react much to being disturbed.

9. Time Found: Found at 8:30 at night on the ground, likely flew earlier

 

10. Pictures:

IMG 20201016 111905
IMG 20201016 112204
IMG 20201016 111855
IMG 20201016 112110

Edited by TestSubjectOne, October 16 2020 - 10:56 AM.

TestSubjectOne's Experiences in Antkeeping General Journal

 

Currently Keeping:

- Veromessor pergandei (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Novomessor cockerelli (1 queen, 200 workers)

- Myrmecocystus mexicanus (1 queen, 100 workers)

- Brachymyrmex patagonicus (3 queens?, 2,000 workers? & alates)

- Crematogaster sp. (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Liometopum occidentale (1 queen, 800 workers)

- Camponotus absqualator (1 queen, 130 workers)


#2 Offline Manitobant - Posted October 16 2020 - 10:56 AM

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Looks like temnothorax to me.
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#3 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 16 2020 - 11:20 AM

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that is one huge egg!


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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)


#4 Offline NickAnter - Posted October 16 2020 - 12:11 PM

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Looks like it. I found a decapitated one in my front yard a couple weeks ago.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#5 Offline M_Ants - Posted October 16 2020 - 12:39 PM

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I want it!!!!


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Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

https://www.youtube....FG7utFVBA/about


#6 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted October 16 2020 - 12:41 PM

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Imma second Temnothorax.


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#7 Offline Manitobant - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:44 PM

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The huge egg and only a single egg could be a sign of a male and therefore infertility, although you can never be sure.

#8 Offline TestSubjectOne - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:51 PM

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The huge egg and only a single egg could be a sign of a male and therefore infertility, although you can never be sure.

That's what I'm worried about, but I found the queen wingless and wandering on the ground which is a strong sign of fertility. I hope that large eggs, small broods and delayed laying are just a Temnothorax or sp. thing.

 

Edit: Just checked on her and she ate her egg. I'm sure it wasn't a result of being photographed as she was calm through the entire experience. That explains why I've seen no brood in the past month. It seems like she's infertile after all.


Edited by TestSubjectOne, October 16 2020 - 1:59 PM.

TestSubjectOne's Experiences in Antkeeping General Journal

 

Currently Keeping:

- Veromessor pergandei (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Novomessor cockerelli (1 queen, 200 workers)

- Myrmecocystus mexicanus (1 queen, 100 workers)

- Brachymyrmex patagonicus (3 queens?, 2,000 workers? & alates)

- Crematogaster sp. (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Liometopum occidentale (1 queen, 800 workers)

- Camponotus absqualator (1 queen, 130 workers)


#9 Offline M_Ants - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:55 PM

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Mine were all infertile or died. :(


Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

https://www.youtube....FG7utFVBA/about


#10 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 17 2020 - 1:57 AM

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I'll bet it's one of these two.

 

https://www.formicul...ated-11-8-2019/

https://www.formicul...ated-11-9-2019/

 

I usually find some of these every season in the canyons around here.

 

The first one (180) I have only found a few times on my black light, with the most being 3 queens in one season if I remember right. Some of these workers have gotten so big, I'm planning to take a closer look at them again to make sure I'm not mistaken.

 

The second one (181), I find in abundance and usually see them swarming in June just before sunset. These are very tiny, even smaller than S. molesta, which also swarms at the same time, and looks very similar.

 

One way to tell the queens apart under a microscope is the hairs on the second one (181) are more sparse, thicker and shorter. They almost look as if they were trimmed.

 

 

Edit: Actually now that I think about it, if it's that dark, and you found it in September, it's probably something else.


Edited by dspdrew, October 17 2020 - 2:10 AM.

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