Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Waterloo, Ohio - possibly Ponera or Cryptopone?


  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline madbiologist - Posted September 28 2021 - 4:58 PM

madbiologist

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 422 posts
  • LocationOhio

This specimen is approximately 3.5mm long. It was found in a forest by a small stream. It was under a rock tending to a small brood pile with a few other workers of the same coloration. No dark colored workers were visible. Bloating is likely due to ethanol.

 

Important to note the angular underside of the petiole and small but visible eyes.

 

IMG_1645.jpg

 

IMG_1653.jpg

 

IMG_1654.jpg


Edited by madbiologist, September 28 2021 - 4:59 PM.

  • futurebird and m99 like this

#2 Offline ANTS_KL - Posted September 28 2021 - 10:23 PM

ANTS_KL

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 795 posts
  • LocationMalaysia
I feel it is cryptopone. From what I remember ponera have a longer head and a slimmer body.

Sent from my CPH2201 using Tapatalk
Young ant keeper with a decent amount of knowledge on local ant species.

YouTube: https://m.youtube.co...uKsahGliSH7EqOQ (It's pretty dead. Might upload again soon, don't expect my voice to sound the same though.)

Currently kept ant species, favorites have a star in front of their names (NOT in alphabetical order, also may be outdated sometimes): Camponotus irritans inferior, Ooceraea biroi, Pheidole parva, Nylanderia sp., Paraparatrechina tapinomoides, Platythyrea sp., Anochetus sp., Colobopsis sp. (cylindrica group), Crematogaster ferrarii, Polyrhachis (Myrma) cf. pruinosa, Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) laevissima, Tapinoma sp. (formerly Zatapinoma)

Death count: Probably over a hundred individual queens and colonies by now. I cannot recall whatsoever.

#3 Offline Chickalo - Posted September 29 2021 - 4:19 AM

Chickalo

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 809 posts
  • LocationSalem, Massachusetts

That's Ponera I think cause at the bottom of the petiole is a translucent window.

 

I don't have the New England book with me so I got AntWiki:

 

 

The mandibles are triangular and with numerous small teeth along their inner margins. The forward sections of the frontal lobes and antennal sockets are very close together and are separated by at most a very narrow rearward extension of the clypeus. The node of the petiole has distinct front, top and rear faces. The underside of the petiole (subpetiolar process) with a translucent thin spot near the front and a sharp angle or pair of small teeth near the rear. The tibiae of the hind legs each have a single large, comb-like (pectinate) spur at their tips (best viewed from the front).

 

Well, there's your window:

Screenshot 2021-09-29 8.30.55 AM.png


Edited by Chickalo, September 29 2021 - 4:32 AM.

  • James C. Trager, Aaron567, Antkeeper01 and 1 other like this

シグナチャーです。예.

 


#4 Offline Aaron567 - Posted September 29 2021 - 1:52 PM

Aaron567

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,005 posts
  • LocationPensacola, FL

Agreed with the above post; it's definitely Ponera, looks just like P. pennsylvanica but light colored for some reason. Maybe you stumbled upon a satellite nest that happened to only have callow workers at that moment? In any case, it seems like they can get pretty orange in some populations.


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

#5 Offline PetsNotPests - Posted September 29 2021 - 3:30 PM

PetsNotPests

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 418 posts
  • LocationSouthern LA County, California

Agreed with the above post; it's definitely Ponera, looks just like P. pennsylvanica but light colored for some reason. Maybe you stumbled upon a satellite nest that happened to only have callow workers at that moment? In any case, it seems like they can get pretty orange in some populations.

I second this. A lighter caste of worker is actually quite common in this genera. And considering that P. pennsylvanica are the only DOCUMENTED sp. of Ponera in Ohio, I'd say we have a match. 


Ants are Pets, not Pests. 

 

-Camponotus sansabeanus

-Camponotus US-CA02

-Camponotus vicinus

-Formica podzolica

-Monomorium spp.

-Pogonomyrmex californicus

-Solenopsis spp. 

 


#6 Offline Chickalo - Posted September 30 2021 - 4:22 AM

Chickalo

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 809 posts
  • LocationSalem, Massachusetts

Oh shi*t i was actually right for once


  • TennesseeAnts and Antkeeper01 like this

シグナチャーです。예.

 


#7 Offline James C. Trager - Posted March 7 2022 - 9:42 AM

James C. Trager

    Expert

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 374 posts

From there in far southern Ohio, and with that pale color in both queen and workers, could be Ponera exotica.


Edited by James C. Trager, March 7 2022 - 9:42 AM.

  • nurbs and Antkeeper01 like this

#8 Offline madbiologist - Posted April 1 2022 - 6:16 PM

madbiologist

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 422 posts
  • LocationOhio

From there in far southern Ohio, and with that pale color in both queen and workers, could be Ponera exotica.

 

Thanks for the tip, I wasn't aware there were other Ponera found within the US! I'll make sure to compare it to images of P. pennsylvanica once I reach that specimen. I did not collect the specimen myself, so I cannot confirm the coloration of the queen or other workers, but the collector has told me that the colony/group of workers it was collected from all had the same coloration.


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

#9 Offline NicholasP - Posted April 2 2022 - 11:33 AM

NicholasP

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 763 posts
  • LocationGrand Rapids, Michigan

 

From there in far southern Ohio, and with that pale color in both queen and workers, could be Ponera exotica.

 

Thanks for the tip, I wasn't aware there were other Ponera found within the US! I'll make sure to compare it to images of P. pennsylvanica once I reach that specimen. I did not collect the specimen myself, so I cannot confirm the coloration of the queen or other workers, but the collector has told me that the colony/group of workers it was collected from all had the same coloration.

 

It's also possible it's Hypoponera opacior since they can be found across the southern and mid part of Ohio.


Edited by NicholasP, April 2 2022 - 11:34 AM.


#10 Offline OiledOlives - Posted April 2 2022 - 12:10 PM

OiledOlives

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 657 posts
  • LocationVirginia

P. exotica can easily be differentiated by their size (2mm long workers).


  • madbiologist likes this




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users