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April 7 2021, Southwest Michigan


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13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline GhostMouse - Posted April 9 2021 - 11:19 AM

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Apologies that I cannot provide some of the information, but this is actually a wild colony that lives in my front yard rather than a queen I've collected. I found this species coming out of a small hole underneath a flat decorative stone (I routinely lift the stones for a moment to see what cool stuff is underneath). I've never seen ants like them! Not black, not even red, but yellow, and a somewhat unusual shape compared to the pavement and field ants I'm used to seeing. 

 

1. Location (on a map) of collection: SW Michigan USA, Kalamazoo county
2. Date of collection: 7 April 2021 (not collected, just photographed)
3. Habitat of collection: relatively packed earth, one small exit hole visible but presumably there are others, observed hole and ants under a flat rock in the soil going in and out of the hole
4. Length (from head to gaster): Could not measure but guesstimate is about a quarter-inch long, they are larger than pavement ants but smaller than field ants, kinda squat little friends with a sorta blocky triangle shape going instead of the skinny sphere thing the field ladies exhibit, or the tiny speck look the pavement friends have going
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: a rich yellow with perhaps a bit of an orange or tan undertone. Did not touch but look quite smooth. Did not see under magnification, unsure if hairy on closer inspection.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: unusual (for my yard) color, kind of squat shape 
7. Distinguishing behavior: do not see them in the grass/moss or on the driveway often (maybe once in a great while) the way I do the field ants, mostly only observed under this stone
8. Nest description: hole in packed but not hard earth underneath a flat stone

9. Nuptial flight time and date: no earthly idea

 

They're really cute little dudes! I wish I could find a queen. 

 

20210406_115145.jpg



#2 Offline Chickalo - Posted April 9 2021 - 11:20 AM

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Aww I love Lasius!  Probably Lasius brevicornis, nearticus, etc


シグナチャーです。예.

 


#3 Offline VoidElecent - Posted April 9 2021 - 11:21 AM

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You've found a subterranean Lasius species. Could be L. nearcticus or a social parasite. Weird question—but did you happen to smell them? If they smelled like citronella, they are likely L. claviger, L. aphidicola, or something related!


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#4 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 9 2021 - 11:21 AM

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Looks parasitic at first glance to me. Not sure though, I would need closer pictures.

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 GhostMouse - Posted April 9 2021 - 11:22 AM

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Ahhh thank you! Now that I have a genus I can look for more info about them. Appreciate it! They're really unique looking! I think they are very cute.



#6 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 9 2021 - 11:26 AM

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If they smelled like citrus it narrows it down to L. claviger, L. murphyi, L. interjectus,and any other Acanthomyops species. L. aphidicola is Chthonolasius, and they(to my knowledge) do not have a citrus smell, and nor do any of their subgenus.
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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). 


#7 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:03 PM

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Nice to see another member from MI. You will find a lot of Lasius that look like this here. Lasius in general are probably the most abundant in Michigan. You can find colonies pretty much everywhere here.



#8 Offline GhostMouse - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:03 PM

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I went out and captured a worker in a small clear plastic tube I had for some closer observation/photos. Could not get a good pic under magnification, she spent the entirety of her incarceration dashing about in a panic, as you might expect. Did the best I good to get some clearer photos but they're mostly trash. I'll upload the best ones later in case it helps narrow things, I'm really curious now. Tried to sniff, but I managed to spill lemon scented hand soap down my front this morning and it's been all I can smell all day so I've no idea on that front. I found the following visual guide, from what I can tell these ladies have kinda chonky heads, but all that rules out is latipes and neoniger that seem more narrow toward the mandibles, the rest are fatheads like she was lol. https://www.antweb.o...tes&images=true

 

Let her back to the colony and she immediately scrambled underground to report her alien abduction to the queen, lol


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#9 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:07 PM

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I think you have to squish them to smell them. It's kind of a morbid way to identify an ant.



#10 Offline GhostMouse - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:20 PM

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Awww, seems a tiny bit mean to squish one just to ID, they aren't doing any harm. I'm thinking maybe they are nearcticus, based on a checklist that talks about habitat and behavior (describes their habitat), the photos on the page I linked, and info and photos on AntWiki. I wouldn't say it's a positive ID for sure because WOW do these guys all look similar, but I'm leaning that way. 



#11 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:23 PM

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I do not think you have to necessarily squish them to smell it. Not sure, I have never come upon parasitic Lasius.


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). 


#12 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:47 PM

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I do not think you have to necessarily squish them to smell it. Not sure, I have never come upon parasitic Lasius.

I don’t know either, I just heard it from someone else.

Edited by Kaelwizard, April 9 2021 - 12:47 PM.


#13 Offline GhostMouse - Posted April 9 2021 - 1:37 PM

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Even if that's the usual method, I'm willing to bet that if you put enough of them in a container, you can smell them without squishing. Like other buggos-- think how bad a bin of crickets stinks! But I think I'm finished harassing these ladies, at least for a day or two lol.

 

Maybe if I do grab up a lil pile of them it'll be easier to get a photo that shows at least one head clearly. I'm just fascinated that Lasius are so common, I've been paying attention to critters since I was little and am mostly familiar with various dark colored field and carpenter ants (and of course, the tiny pavement ants). How could I have gone so long not finding them? I grub under every stone and log for salamanders, they are my holy grail creature to spot, haha! Oh well, I see them now anyway... I'm really keen to find another queen of some type this year and try ant keeping again after my first one passed. Maybe I can find one of these! I bet they are fun to watch. 


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#14 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 9 2021 - 1:50 PM

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Maybe I was wrong about them being so common. I just happen to see them everywhere.




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