4 replies to this topic

[Subverted]

It was drizzling and misting almost the whole time I was out there but a lot of stuff was still active.
 
First up:
Habitat of collection: Under a rock in scrub
Length (from head to gaster): 5mm to 10mm?
Color, hue, pattern and texture: workers/majors have reddish pronotum and legs but otherwise black.
Distinguishing characteristics: queens entire mesosoma is reddish.
 
Colony in its new home:

Queen:

 
Camponotus?
Habitat of collection: Under a rock in oak woodland.
Length (from head to gaster): 6mm to 10mm?
Color, hue, pattern and texture:  Black heads and gaster, red mesosoma and legs. Queens are black with red legs.
Nest description: Under rocks, in my experience always with two queens
 

(I can work on getting better photos, these arent the best)
 
Tapinoma sessile?
Habitat of collection: Under a rock.
Length (from head to gaster): 5mm?
Color, hue, pattern and texture: red mandibles, black everywhere else.
Distinguishing characteristics: velvety look to back of the gaster
 

Edited by Subverted, April 25 2015 - 12:34 PM.

[dspdrew]

Where were these found?

[Subverted]

Off of Ortega highway in a couple spots.

[Jonathan21700]

The first two are some sort of Camponotus and the 3 one is probably Tapinoma.

[dspdrew]

Ohhh, I know the area very well.
 
The first is some sort of Camponotus from the Myrmentoma subgenus, probably C. clarithorax, or C. essigi.
 
The second looks like C. anthrax, also a Camponotus from the Myrmentoma subgenus.
 
Like Jonathan21700 said, the last I think is probably Tapinoma sessile. Are you sure these are 5mm? If they're really 5mm I would say they sure look like Liometopum luctuosum, but I have never seen those out there before.