30 replies to this topic

[Antcatcherpro3]

I'm not sure if there is already a thread for this, but I was wondering what type of ants are your favorite, least favorite ants, and why. Mine favorite are pheidole because of their big headed majors, and the fact that they live almost everywhere in the country. They are also small so a good size ant for me to keep. My least favorite ants are argentina ants.... I mean they are invasive and ( I killed a colony of them while trying to collect them so that was good) but they are everywhere. Now, what about yours? Feel free to post pics of any ants that are your favorite that you have.

[Kaelwizard]

There are a lot of threads like this, but people answer them anyway usually. My opinion seems to change every time, but I will just say anything in Ponerinae. They look the most interesting to me and I would love to study them one day. My least favorite is probably Solenopsis invicta (RIFA).

[Manitobant]

I’ll go by native canadian ants cause i have many ants that i like and don’t like


Favourite: Polyergus Mexicanus

These guys are the ultimate parasites, they look bada*s and are obligate slave makers. They steal the pupae of other ants and raise them as their slaves.


Least favourite: brachymyrmex depilis

Very tiny and very boring subterranean ants. They also need very high humidity to survive.

Edited by Manitobant, March 19 2021 - 7:28 AM.

[antsandmore]

Just like Manitobant, I'll go with the ants in California.

First, I have lots of favorite species. I like Myrmecocystus mexicanus, Pseudomyrmex apache, and Stigmatomma(any species)

and of course, my least favorite species are the argentine ants. I mean, you can give them a little respect for being able to go to many different parts of the world and take over, but in the process they have killed so many populations of native ants. Even a species like solenopsis xyloni couldn't survive them. only small ants such as temnothorax and solenopsis molesta. 

[Chickalo]

For favourite it has to be Lasius latipes since they're polygynous and parasitic.  Also their queens look amazing.

 

For least favourite it's Tetramorium immigrans since I'm pretty sure that they're killing off the natives in my town since my local ant population is, like, 90% Tetramorium

[Kaelwizard]

For favourite it has to be Lasius latipes since they're polygynous and parasitic.  Also their queens look amazing.

 

For least favourite it's Tetramorium immigrans since I'm pretty sure that they're killing off the natives in my town since my local ant population is, like, 90% Tetramorium

In my neighborhood I believe the Lasius are actually killing off the Tetramorium.

Edited by Kaelwizard, March 19 2021 - 8:24 AM.

[Chickalo]

 

For favourite it has to be Lasius latipes since they're polygynous and parasitic.  Also their queens look amazing.

 

For least favourite it's Tetramorium immigrans since I'm pretty sure that they're killing off the natives in my town since my local ant population is, like, 90% Tetramorium

In my neighborhood I believe the Lasius are actually killing of the Tetramorium.

 

Good for them, tetramorium deserved it

[Antcatcherpro3]

I have huge nests of tetramorium in my town- like hundereds of workers in each colony...but they only 3 in my whole town because other ants are killing them off.

[Kaelwizard]

I have huge nests of tetramorium in my town- like hundereds of workers in each colony...but they only 3 in my whole town because other ants are killing them off.

Just so you know, a huge colony of ants would be like 10,000. 

[Antcatcherpro3]

Well hopefully they never grow to that size. 400 hundred workers is big enough for colonys for me. I am gonna try to catch some this year. when do they fly?

[Chickalo]

Well hopefully they never grow to that size. 400 hundred workers is big enough for colonys for me. I am gonna try to catch some this year. when do they fly?

I've found them throughout late spring and summer (sometimes even early fall, but those i think were already nested ones)

[CheetoLord02]

In my state, Arizona, my favorites are Atta mexicana, Pheidole rhea, and Neivamyrmex kiwoapache or rugulosus. Least favorites... Brachymyrmex patagonicus. On a global scale though, fungus growers and army ants are easily my favorites.

Edited by CheetoLord02, May 9 2021 - 1:52 PM.

[NickAnter]

In Cali, my favorite looking ants would be Neivamyrmex swainsonii or Dolopomyrmex pilatus. The ants I would most like to keep are by far Myrmecocystus and Acromyrmex.

 

Least favorite invasive is Linepithema humile, and least favorite native is Dorymyrmex insanus.

[ANTdrew]

Favorite local ants:
Crematogaster cerasi, Nylanderia vividula

Least favorite:
Tapinoma sessile because they invade my home and even try to attack my colonies.

[Fatatoille]

It’s hard to narrow it down to a single species, but either daceton armigerum or Boltoni is the closest thing to what I would consider a perfect ant, trap jaws, look AMAZING, huge, polymorphic workers, large colonies, arboreal, and each sp. has an amazing colour scheme(though boltoni wins me over in that respect). Orectognathus and aenictus are another two interesting genera I’m very fond of, and I will always have a soft spot for any messor species (even aciculatus), regardless of how basic they appear to be. Though if I was to restrict my preferences to my own country, Lasius fulinigosus wins that competition, hands down; with their fungal carton nests, huge colonies, hyperparasitic founding and the largest Lasius workers in my country (to my knowledge). If I were to pick a least favourite species, it would have to be Lasius Flavus, honestly one of the most boring ants in existence; just honestly awful.

Edited by Fatatoille, March 19 2021 - 2:18 PM.

[MinigunL5]

In my state my favorite species are probably probably Pheidole pilifera. My least favorite from my state are probably Tetramorium immigrans because they're super common and invasive. For ants not in my state I love the genus Myrmecia. Especially the larger species like Myrmecia pyroformis and Myrmecia brevinoda. My least favorite ants are probably Solenopsis invicta because they're very damaging in some places in the US and they're [censored] versions Solenopsis geminata.

[ArmyAntz]

My overall favorite is probably Eciton, and my dream species is Carebara diversa. 

 

In my state, I'd say Pogonomyrmex. (or Neivamyrmex although I haven't managed to find them yet)

[Lillyrose]

Tapinoma sessile is becoming my least favorite. They are making me work hard lol ... but it is my own fault and I just can't bring myself to let them go.

I don't have a favorite yet, but that's cause I'm learning about them all.

[ANTS_KL]

Favorite local ants: Oecophylla smaragdina. I mean yeah they are just epic

Least favorite: Tapinoma melanocephalum or sessile. I just hate them cuz they raid my ant colonies.

Fav ants in the world: Odontomachus coquereli. Why? Because they just look cool

Least favorite: still ghost and odorous ants

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[NPLT]

Favourites:

My Country: Formica rufibarbis

The World: Any red species of Cataglyphis, they just seem like Formica on steroids and I'd love them ( if I could have a colony of them )

 

Don't Like:

My Country: Aphaenogaster subterranea, because they had the gall to die out in Poland and now I'll never be able to keep them

The World: Any invasives, except Hypoponera punctatissima ( personal bias towards Hypoponera, and Ponera in general )