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

Dracut, MA (5/12/17)


  • Please log in to reply
4 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted May 12 2017 - 3:11 PM

Nathant2131

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,511 posts
  • LocationDracut, Massachusetts

Just to be clear, I found a nest with many ants, and captured one major, one minor.

 

1. Location of collection: Dracut, Massachusetts (Northern Massachusetts)

 

2. Date of collection:  5/12/17
3. Habitat of collection: Beginning of a forest.
4. Length (from head to gaster): Minor: Roughly 5mm | Major: 7mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Pretty much all members of the colony were black. Some workers had a very slight tint of red in their mesosomas.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Postpetiole absent. Erect hairs present on both worker castes' gasters.
7. Distinguishing behavior: The captive minor is extremely fast. The captive major is pretty chill. Both ants didn't even attempt to cross fluon, rather than trying and failing.
8. Nest description: Underneath bark of tree. There also were tunnels drilling right into the wood itself of the tree.

 

I highly assume this to be a Camponotus Myrmentoma species, but I just wanted to make sure becuase of the odd coloring. I often see the worker's mesosomas to vary in color from black to red, but have never seen a colony in which every worker's mesosoma was black.

 

I literally bumped into a tree and it was old enough for the bark to come off, so don't assume I was destroying colonies. I do feel really sorry for them though.  :*(  :sore:  

 

Ant:

Minor:

 

COIBkgE.jpg

 

oze2rxh.jpg

 

HMXMU17.jpg

 

Major:

 

WXRjkwB.jpg

 

5geK9SX.jpg

 

HuG5dkA.jpg

 

Nest:

 

ok3qmvV.jpg

 

bI0jduL.jpg

 

fVpq9ni.jpg

 

TlxWlZE.jpg

 

QcDJaEz.jpg

 

 

 

 

 



#2 Offline Batspiderfish - Posted May 12 2017 - 3:21 PM

Batspiderfish

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,614 posts

Myrmentoma species like Camponotus nearcticus are quite variable in coloration. The ones I see in New England are pretty dark like this. All Myrmentoma spp. have a clypeal notch.


If you've enjoyed using my expertise and identifications, please do not create undue ecological risk by releasing your ants. The environment which we keep our pet insects is alien and oftentimes unsanitary, so ensure that wild populations stay safe by giving your ants the best care you can manage for the rest of their lives, as we must do with any other pet.

 

Exotic ants are for those who think that vibrant diversity is something you need to pay money to see. It is illegal to transport live ants across state lines.

 

----

Black lives still matter.


#3 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted May 12 2017 - 3:31 PM

Nathant2131

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,511 posts
  • LocationDracut, Massachusetts

Myrmentoma species like Camponotus nearcticus are quite variable in coloration.

I have noticed this. What I found interesting however was that the entire colony had black mesosomas. I would have thought that the individuals of the colony would be differently colored, and not all (more or less) the same. Fascinating! Is this some sort of genetic trait carried by the queen?

 

I'll try getting some face shots of the minor to see if there is a clypeal notch.


Edited by Nathant2131, May 12 2017 - 3:32 PM.


#4 Offline Batspiderfish - Posted May 12 2017 - 4:07 PM

Batspiderfish

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,614 posts

I think it's just our flavor of Camponotus nearcticus, like how our Formica pallidefulva are black and red, as opposed to the yellow varieties not far south of here.


  • Nathant2131 and Cindy like this

If you've enjoyed using my expertise and identifications, please do not create undue ecological risk by releasing your ants. The environment which we keep our pet insects is alien and oftentimes unsanitary, so ensure that wild populations stay safe by giving your ants the best care you can manage for the rest of their lives, as we must do with any other pet.

 

Exotic ants are for those who think that vibrant diversity is something you need to pay money to see. It is illegal to transport live ants across state lines.

 

----

Black lives still matter.


#5 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted May 12 2017 - 5:16 PM

Nathant2131

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,511 posts
  • LocationDracut, Massachusetts

My camera isn't very powerful and is without a macro lense, so this is the best shot I got after I dipped the minor in alcohol.

 

There looks to be a notch, but that might just be the nature of the photo.

 

htaCmCX.jpg

 

Still pretty sure this is Camponotus (Myrmentoma) sp. (therefore, either C. caryae or C. nearcticus)






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users