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Wrightwood, CA 8/1/20


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21 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Am3ricanBanana - Posted August 1 2020 - 10:52 AM

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Hey everybody, I found these beauties while playing disc golf up at a ski resort near Wrightwood. It was about 3:30pm and they were just crawling all over the place in the pine needles and on the dirt. I didn't see any actually flying and I couldn't find any nests.

 

1. Location of collection: Dry ski resort near Wrightwood CA, ~7500 ft elevation

2. Date of collection: 7/30/20 @ 3:30pm
3. Habitat of collection: Pine forest
4. Length: 11mm
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture: Black head and thorax, gaster coloration ranging from caramel with brown lines to almost fully brown

 

p3JAswrm.jpg?1EBsuyNwm.jpg?1ReqRIckm.jpg?1zNYKEUFm.jpg?1rhICf7mm.jpg?1


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#2 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 1 2020 - 11:08 AM

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Absolutely gorgeous Formica sp. Good luck with them!


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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). 


#3 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 1 2020 - 12:44 PM

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That looks more like Camponotus to me.


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#4 Offline Am3ricanBanana - Posted August 1 2020 - 12:46 PM

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I was also thinking Camponotus but I don't have much experience with them so I wasn't sure.



#5 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 1 2020 - 12:57 PM

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No Californian Camponotus this short is that bulky. Likely fusca group Formica.IDK why I said neogagtes earlier.


Edited by NickAnter, August 1 2020 - 1:09 PM.

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). 


#6 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 1 2020 - 12:58 PM

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I don't know. This doesn't look that short and bulky.

 

EBsuyNwm.jpg?1

 

It does seem strange for Camponotus to fly this late in the mountains though.


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#7 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 1 2020 - 1:04 PM

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What North American Camponotus looks remotely like that? The only thing lengthwise that matches is those of the Myrmentoma subgenus, but this is nothing like that.


Edited by NickAnter, August 1 2020 - 1:08 PM.

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). 


#8 Offline nurbs - Posted August 1 2020 - 1:15 PM

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Can you get a frontal shot of the head?


Instagram:
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California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#9 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted August 1 2020 - 1:46 PM

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Deleted

Edited by KitsAntVa, August 1 2020 - 1:48 PM.

We don’t talk about that

#10 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted August 1 2020 - 1:56 PM

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My best guess is a camponotus in the family of atriceps because it has the colors of it now I know they are not in our states but I keep finding ants that look just like camponotus atriceps in my front yard now it’s a different species but with the colors of atriceps so maybe it’s a species that flys late has a eastern United States and western United States genii and my knowledge is that they come out mostly night.
We don’t talk about that

#11 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted August 1 2020 - 2:10 PM

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Also it’s might be a western version of c. Americanus you never know and also both of these are wild guesses my first guess is probably not right but this might be all I can say correctly is raise her until she has workers then you might be able to tell.
We don’t talk about that

#12 Offline Manitobant - Posted August 1 2020 - 2:17 PM

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I think this is the same species as nurb's formica. The one he couldn't ID.
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#13 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted August 1 2020 - 5:01 PM

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I'm almost certain this is Formica subpolita



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#14 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 1 2020 - 5:05 PM

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I'm almost certain this is Formica subpolita

that's what I thought too, as they are highly variable in color. It was just I had never seen pictures of any looking like this. The most similar was an all orange one.


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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). 


#15 Offline ponerinecat - Posted August 1 2020 - 6:45 PM

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Very striking queens! I'm pretty much certain this is formica. The head is shaped like a rounded triangle, as opposed tot he blocky heads of CA camponotus.


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#16 Offline ponerinecat - Posted August 1 2020 - 6:46 PM

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Another giveaway is the petiole. Shaped like an upside down triangle. You can see that in pic #3.



#17 Offline Am3ricanBanana - Posted August 1 2020 - 6:48 PM

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Can you get a frontal shot of the head?

These are the best I could get with my phone.

9XivTXVl.jpgfWansvpl.jpg



#18 Offline ponerinecat - Posted August 1 2020 - 6:51 PM

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Yeah that nails it as formica.



#19 Offline Am3ricanBanana - Posted August 1 2020 - 6:52 PM

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Very cool, never really had Formica at the top of my list of species I want to keep but these girls are just beautiful. Can't wait to see the workers!



#20 Offline nurbs - Posted August 1 2020 - 7:15 PM

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Thanks, can you just make it brighter? Head is way too dark. We need to be able to see the base of the scapes to the clypeus.

 

Put the queen on a DARK background (you have it on white). The camera right now is trying to expose to the darkest and brightest background, if you have the background as dark as the queen it should expose better.

 

It does look like Formica, just want to be sure because the coloration is interesting.

 

 

 

Can you get a frontal shot of the head?

These are the best I could get with my phone.

9XivTXVl.jpgfWansvpl.jpg

 


Edited by nurbs, August 1 2020 - 7:19 PM.

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Instagram:
nurbsants
 
YouTube
 
California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/





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