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Thousand Oaks, CA - 6/24/2017


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#1 Offline Tmhernandez77 - Posted June 24 2017 - 8:41 PM

Tmhernandez77

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Body:
1. Location of collection:  Concrete pad near well-tended gardens at Cal Lutheran University.  Gardens were covered in mulch, various fruit trees and lots of jasmine growing.

2. Date of collection: 6/24/2017
3. Habitat of collection: Collected in a garden, but the area is typically a very hot, dry desert.
4. Length: She moves a ton, but my best attempt at measuring her has her between 5-6 mm
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture: Generally a yellow color, head and mesosoma are slightly darker than gaster.  
6. Distinguishing characteristics: She is tiny, so I'm having difficulty getting this info.  As far as I can tell, she has a pronounced first petiolar node, with the second one being much smaller, almost transitioning right into her gaster.  
8. Nest description: Unable to find nest.
 

This was around 7:30 pm, it was cool, maybe 70 F outside, and a light, constant breeze.  I was watching the mating flight, and even captured a pair while they were mating, though I didn't get a picture before they separated.  The males were almost black, or dark brown, and maybe 75% the size of the females.  

 

Here are the best pictures I can manage, my best guess is Solenopsis molesta, but apparently its difficult to differentiate between that and Monomorium pharoaonis, so I'm asking for help.  Thanks for anything you can give me.

 

20170624 212553
20170624 212551
20170624 212549
20170624 212501
20170624 205414
20170624 205359
20170624 204948
20170624 210309
20170624 205644

Veromessor pergandei - Liometopum occidentale - Solenopsis xyloni - Unknown species


#2 Offline Tmhernandez77 - Posted June 24 2017 - 8:54 PM

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I'm actually 90% sure it's S. molesta, but please correct me if I'm wrong.  If it is indeed S. molesta, they are polygenous.  Is it safe to combine my only two queens, or should they be kept separate?  I don't have any multi-queen colonies of any species, so this would be my first.


Veromessor pergandei - Liometopum occidentale - Solenopsis xyloni - Unknown species


#3 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 24 2017 - 9:02 PM

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Definitely S. molesta. I wouldn't combine them.



#4 Offline Tmhernandez77 - Posted June 24 2017 - 9:04 PM

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Thanks Drew.

Veromessor pergandei - Liometopum occidentale - Solenopsis xyloni - Unknown species





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