6 replies to this topic

[rptraut]

I found these ants on June 2, 2023 when they moved into a flowerpot in my workshop.  They look a lot like the Tetramorium ants that I have, but they're much larger.  They range up to 4-5 mm while my others are 3-4 mm long.  Not only are they longer, these ants are much more robust and just generally bigger.  Is there such a wide variation in the sizes of Tetramorium ants or are they something different?  Thank you in advance for your answers to these questions.

RPT

 

 

 

 

 

[Virginian_ants]

It's almost surly tetramorium. The first workers (nanitics) are much smaller than the rest so they could be moving from nanitics to full sized ants. Where are you located? It's easier to ID that way.

Edited by Virginian_ants, June 6 2023 - 4:40 AM.

[rptraut]

I’m in Ontario Canada. I have two Tetramorium colonies, one I’ve had for two seasons, the other for three seasons, so I’m not comparing them to nanitics. The reason I ask the question is because of the huge difference in size between them and the ants pictured above. Is there normally that much size variation?
RPT

[AntsCali098]

It loos like Tetramorium immigrans to me. I have a T.immigrans colony with workers that size, I think they are usually 3-5mm.

Edited by AntsCali098, June 6 2023 - 9:21 AM.

[BCAntKeeper]

In some species worker size will gradually increase as the colony matures. I have observed this myself with Tetramorium immigrans.

[rptraut]

Thanks for your replies.  Below is a photo of the two sizes of Tetramorium ants.  The squares are 2.5 mm x 2.5 mm.  The smaller ant is from an established colony and is typical of the size of all the ants in my two older colonies.  The larger XL version is from the new colony.  I think it's a young colony, perhaps second season.  I got the queen and about 30 workers out of the flowerpot they were living in and all the workers are consistently this XL size.   Maybe a subspecies - Tetramorium immigrans XL or is this typical of the variation in size between colonies?

RPT

 

 

[Ants_Dakota]

Thanks for your replies. Below is a photo of the two sizes of Tetramorium ants. The squares are 2.5 mm x 2.5 mm. The smaller ant is from an established colony and is typical of the size of all the ants in my two older colonies. The larger XL version is from the new colony. I think it's a young colony, perhaps second season. I got the queen and about 30 workers out of the flowerpot they were living in and all the workers are consistently this XL size. Maybe a subspecies - Tetramorium immigrans XL or is this typical of the variation in size between colonies?
RPT


IMG_3333.JPG

I have observed similar size variation in formica as well. It just depends on how much food is fed to the larvae.