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Fairfield, ca formica

formica

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4 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Yeehana255 - Posted August 11 2022 - 11:18 AM

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Found in fairfield, ca
Definitely formica.
Caught maybe 2 months ago
She is dark/black with silver gastor
I have 2 of these colonies. This is the younger colony queen. The older one has some workers that have that reddish brown hue on their thorax. They have that twitchy movement and are fast. Was leaning towards Fusca like, Argentea, and Hewitti. They more closely resemble Hewitti because of the bulbous like gastors on works. Fast growing as well. Found them around mid day while very hot some where in low 90s.

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Only nature truly knows what is going on. We can only try to scratch the surface of her wisdom.

#2 Offline FinWins - Posted August 11 2022 - 11:49 AM

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I keep F. argentea and when exposed to light they reflect a silver hue. However your seem to be reflecting a gold/brown hue, so my guess is that they are not argentea, but they are a Formica in the fusca group.

I keep: C. modoc, C. sansabeanus  :D, C. maritimus, Formica argentea, M. mexicanus  :D, Odontomachus brunneus :D, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, 

 


#3 Offline Yeehana255 - Posted August 11 2022 - 11:57 AM

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Yeah I'm not sure if that the fluval light above the ants or the flash on my camera. The first couple pics are without a flash
Only nature truly knows what is going on. We can only try to scratch the surface of her wisdom.

#4 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 11 2022 - 2:37 PM

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We'll need microscope or extremely close and clear macro shots to ID her to species. She looks to have a brownish mesosoma, so definitely not any of the species you mentioned. This could be one of many similar looking species in the fusca group.


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 Yeehana255 - Posted August 29 2022 - 2:26 PM

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These are the best I can do thus far. I have the top of the container in an awkward spot. I just recieved a phone lens so I'm testing it out. She was actually helping the workers dig their new home. My only chance now is to wait foe the other colony to move into their new chamber and hopefully catch the queen moving. That colony has way more workers so I doubt she will help that colony as this one did

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Only nature truly knows what is going on. We can only try to scratch the surface of her wisdom.





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