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Iowa 5/25/22 -- Is this thing even an ant?

Started By nofuel11 , May 25 2022 1:03 PM

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Offline nofuel11 - Posted May 25 2022 - 1:03 PM

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Uploaded pic here: http://i.imgur.com/W3JiLf5.jpg

(same pic is attached below within this post):

 

  1. Location: Iowa
  2. Date: 5/25/22
  3. Habitat: crawling on my home's exterior siding
  4. Length: barely 1/4" (pictured)
  5. Coloration: Black gaster, red brown body
  6. Distinguishing characteristics: This is where it gets weird...
    • non-antlike pointy thing on the gaster
    • non-antlike small pointy mouth, no typical big "ant jaws" are visible, not even when it ate a tiny drop of honey I provided
    • non-antlike antenna long V-shape antenna. Ant antenna usually are like a bent elbow shape.
    • non-antlike small clear wings (ant queen wings usually are larger than the body. this thing's wings are tiny, so tiny that I couldn't capture it in pics)
    • no ability to fly. The miniscule wings are too small for flight, anyway.
  7. Anything else: n/a
  8. Nest: n/a
  9. Nuptial: n/a
  10. Pic: ...attached. This thing is so small and moves so fast that it was hard to get good pics, tried my best.

Edited by nofuel11, May 25 2022 - 1:07 PM.

#2 Offline azzaaazzzz00 - Posted May 25 2022 - 1:26 PM

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I don't thinks that's a ant...looks more like some kind of wasp to me. I might be wrong though, it could just be a male ant of some sort (are there wings? I can't tell).


Edited by azzaaazzzz00, May 25 2022 - 1:26 PM.

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Been keeping ants since January of 2021

Always try new things, even if its hard, hard is not impossible. We are smart and it's good to be smart but not too smart for your own good.

#3 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 25 2022 - 1:48 PM

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Definitely not an ant.


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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). 

#4 Offline ZTYguy - Posted May 25 2022 - 3:25 PM

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That is most likely a solitary wasp.


  • nofuel11 likes this

Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.

#5 Offline gcsnelling - Posted May 25 2022 - 3:37 PM

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Gelis perhaps.  https://bugguide.net/node/view/1961317


Edited by gcsnelling, May 25 2022 - 3:38 PM.

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#6 Offline nofuel11 - Posted May 25 2022 - 6:58 PM

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Thanks everyone. I'll release it tomorrow. Newbie here and I want so badly to find an ant to start lol, will keep at it.

Also I'll invest the few bucks in some glass test tubes.... I now see why it's not protocol to use the $1 plastic tubes that Walmart sells glitter in lol ... The clarity is awful with manufacturing grooves and makes for awful pic quality.


#7 Offline nofuel11 - Posted May 25 2022 - 7:03 PM

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Holy cow y'all are good at this. That looks like exactly it- 'gelis agilis'. Thank you!


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#8 Offline Tai_pan1 - Posted May 26 2022 - 3:57 AM

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Lol, I just ordered glass test tubes last night from Amazon for the same reason.


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