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Mazovia, Poland 03/05/21


Best Answer NickAnter , May 3 2021 - 12:03 PM

Its a Formica in the fusca group, most likely fusca itself. Can't be 100% sure thought.

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Offline NPLT - Posted May 3 2021 - 10:11 AM

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Sorry this will not be as clean as the previous request, but I'm still ecstatic from the discovery, I've been circling that spot in my garden for quite some time now, and I finally made a discovery! So, I've been out to take some isopod pictures for a school project near a place where I know they have large populations, and, well, I stumbled onto some ants.

 

Anyway.

 

1. Location of collection: Unmanaged part of my garden.

2. Date of collection: 03/05/21
3. Habitat of collection: In soil under rotting wooden palettes, the soil was chock full of dead trees needles and pinecones, the ants were cohabitating with isopods, the wooden palettes were next to a singular tree..
4. Length: Exact measurements could not be taken ( I already disrupted their nest enough and didn't want to do it again to capture a worker ), the best I can provide is that they were roughly the same size as Formica rufibarbis
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture: Black and shiny, moderate pilosity on the thorax.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Dunno
7. Anything else distinctive: I don't think so
8. Nest description: Very shallow earth nest right under a rotting wooden palette.

 

Now prepare for some incredibly blurry ant photos 

 

Queen: 

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Worker 1.

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Worker 2.

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Worker 3.

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I am sorry they are so blurry, but they were moving so fast and not stopping for even a second ( I don't blame them ), and I managed to even see the queen of the colony running away ( she was running out of the nest, so I carefully redirected her back to the ants ).

 

If I wanted to guess, I would say this is Camponotus vagus or Camponotus fallax, if not for the fact both are quite rare in Poland.


Um, uh, Ants!

 

link to journal: https://www.formicul...lt-ant-journal/


#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 3 2021 - 10:16 AM

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Looks like Formica to me.
  • Antkeeper01 likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#3 Offline ZTYguy - Posted May 3 2021 - 10:20 AM

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looks like formica


Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#4 Offline NPLT - Posted May 3 2021 - 10:21 AM

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Looks like Formica to me.

Hmm, so either Formica cinerea, Formica fusca, or Formica lemani

 

I'll try to get better photos


Edited by NPLT, May 3 2021 - 10:22 AM.

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Um, uh, Ants!

 

link to journal: https://www.formicul...lt-ant-journal/


#5 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted May 3 2021 - 11:13 AM

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I tried to find a key on AntWiki but I think the only one for your area that would help is the cinerea group one, but that obviously doesn't include F. fusca or F. lemani.


Edited by Kaelwizard, May 3 2021 - 11:14 AM.


#6 Offline NPLT - Posted May 3 2021 - 12:01 PM

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I got some photos!

 

Worker 1

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Workers 1

rsqeiy07myw61.jpg

Worker 2

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Workers 2

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Workers 3

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Workers 4

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The photos are still a bit bad, but better than the previous one, right?


Um, uh, Ants!

 

link to journal: https://www.formicul...lt-ant-journal/


#7 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 3 2021 - 12:03 PM   Best Answer

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Its a Formica in the fusca group, most likely fusca itself. Can't be 100% sure thought.


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). 


#8 Offline NPLT - Posted May 3 2021 - 12:09 PM

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Its a Formica in the fusca group, most likely fusca itself. Can't be 100% sure thought.

Considering Formica fusca is the only one of its group in Poland, it's probably that.


Um, uh, Ants!

 

link to journal: https://www.formicul...lt-ant-journal/





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