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Ant ID - Brazilian species


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#1 Offline josemaria - Posted February 19 2020 - 5:36 AM

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Hi, everyone!

I've just found "Formiculture" while I was doing my research on ant keeping.

First of all, in order to detail my ID request, I can say I'm from Northeast Brazil, but nowhere near the Amazon rainforest. In fact, I live closer to Caatinga, an endemic biome similar to the african Savannah, with semi-arid climate.

So, last Friday, after a much anticipated rain, I found groups of ants gathering in every corner of our garage. At first I thought they were regular workers, but taking a closer look I considered that maybe they could be queens. Since I was hoping to start a colony for a long time, I collected a few of them in an improvised "tube" with cotton and water - it isn't easy to find the appropriated tube setup here.

I know I probably shouldn't have placed more than one queen there, but because I found them in groups I thought that maybe it could be a multiple-queen species of ant.

Ok, after 3 days of waiting, I took the tube out of the dark to check on my ants, and there I found out that some eggs had been already laid. I was surprised with how fast it was, but then I started worrying about my multiple-queen experiment.

It seems the 3 queens are laying eggs together, and they are taking care of the eggs collectively too, so I don't think I can simply take them out of there.

I have a few pictures of them here and I'd appreciate if you guys could help me identify those ants so I could know what to expect of this colony (I hope the answer isn't a civil war when the workers are born haha). Some friends of mine said it could be Crematogaster, but they aren't sure.

How I found the queens:






Tube with 3 queens and the eggs (I know the photo is terrible, but for some reason my camera wouldn't focus on the ants):



Thank you very much!
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#2 Offline josemaria - Posted February 19 2020 - 5:39 AM

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Hey, I've just seen the instructions on how the topic should be opened, but I cannot edit the title. I found the in Escada, a city of the state of Pernambuco, in Brazil.

#3 Offline NickAnter - Posted February 19 2020 - 5:46 AM

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They are a species of Crematogaster. You need to put them under a microcope to get down to species.
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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). 


#4 Offline josemaria - Posted February 19 2020 - 6:05 AM

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They are a species of Crematogaster. You need to put them under a microcope to get down to species.


Thank you! Do you think that it could work with 3 queens?

#5 Offline NickAnter - Posted February 19 2020 - 6:11 AM

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Well, they are evidently of the same species, so you could just put one under to tell. And you could take pictures of them through the microscope so we can ID them, and you don't have to search through keys on Crematogaster species.
  • Martialis likes this

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). 


#6 Offline Martialis - Posted February 19 2020 - 6:17 AM

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Definitely a Crematogaster.


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#7 Offline Martialis - Posted February 19 2020 - 6:21 AM

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Thank you! Do you think that it could work with 3 queens?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe. I wouldn't keep them all together, though.

 

I think it's possible you caught them before they'd flown, and they might not be fertilized. I;m far from certain about that, though.


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#8 Offline Broncos - Posted February 19 2020 - 6:26 AM

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Crematogaster sp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Currently Keeping:

Pogonomyrmex Californicus Bicolor & Concolor

Pogonomyrmex Subnitidius

Camponotus Sansabeanus

Youtube:https://www.youtube....-ants-tutorials


#9 Offline ponerinecat - Posted February 19 2020 - 7:56 PM

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Crematogaster, polygyny does occur but it may be risky.






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