4 replies to this topic

[MrKotter]

My son found this queen in Gainesville, FL and she just had her first 5 nanitics today with a few more about to eclose.  Hoping someone can help us to identify? Info and picture/video links below:

 

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Gainesville, FL - https://goo.gl/maps/W8u7TcvUxZdAmsQa6

2. Date of collection: 11/04/2019

3. Habitat of collection: On college campus, sidewalk.

4. Length (from head to gaster): 4-5mm

5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Black with lighter color on legs.  No club on antennae. 

6. Distinguishing characteristics: small hairs on gaster and head

7. Distinguishing behavior: none

8. Nest description: no idea

9. Nuptial flight time and date: Assuming 11/04/2019, but only found one.  

 

[Images of ant] https://imgur.com/a/31EJeYi

 

[Video of ant] https://imgur.com/v3UUllL

 

[Ferox_Formicae]

Definitely a species of Nylanderia, likely Nylanderia vividula.

[MrKotter]

Definitely a species of Nylanderia, likely Nylanderia vividula.

Thanks for the quick response!  Looking into this, but can't find any pictures of Nylanderia vividula that resemble my queen or workers.  What characteristic led you to your conclusion?

[Ferox_Formicae]

 

Definitely a species of Nylanderia, likely Nylanderia vividula.

Thanks for the quick response!  Looking into this, but can't find any pictures of Nylanderia vividula that resemble my queen or workers.  What characteristic led you to your conclusion?

 

N. vividula was only a guess but looking at them closer, that guess seems to be wrong. They're more likely to be N. steinhelli or another closely related species. I'd need very clear close up shots from all angles of a worker in order to get a definitive ID on these.

[Aaron567]

Based on the facts that the queen was found on a sidewalk in a more disturbed area and could be as large as 5 millimeters, I would say this is likely the exotic species Nylanderia bourbonica. The native Nylanderia tend to be more elusive, not really expanding much into developed areas, and the queens of those don't really exceed around 4 millimeters. N. steinheili is the other common exotic, but it looks like those are found more along the coasts of south & central FL while bourbonica is much more widespread and has been found in the Gainesville area. Being the only Nylanderia in Florida that has an origin outside of the Americas, bourbonica is relatively more distinctive-looking from the rest.

 

If this was a native species, it would be very difficult to narrow it down to a single one because they're all so incredibly similar.