982 replies to this topic

[NPLT]

That's not rufibarbis. Formica rufa group is correct. If you have trouble to tell the difference, look at the size of the eyes compared to the rest of the head, Serviformica have larger eyes in relation to the head than Formica s. str.

But there's no mound, no flight this month, no nothing that would indicate they are rufa-group. They're nest looks like the most stereotypical F. rufibarbis nest there is. I will get more photos though. ( Also, I was told you could ID whetever they were rufa or not is by the length of maximillary palps, is that true? )

[Barristan]

 

That's not rufibarbis. Formica rufa group is correct. If you have trouble to tell the difference, look at the size of the eyes compared to the rest of the head, Serviformica have larger eyes in relation to the head than Formica s. str.

But there's no mound, no flight this month, no nothing that would indicate they are rufa-group. They're nest looks like the most stereotypical F. rufibarbis nest there is. I will get more photos though. ( Also, I was told you could ID whetever they were rufa or not is by the length of maximillary palps, is that true? )

 

 

Maybe it was just a small colony, I mean they found by invading an existing Serviformica nest, killing the queen and take over the workers.

But I can tell you for sure this isn't a Serviformica worker ant.

They can also forage up to 120m away from the nest, did you really check that far for any ant hill?

[NPLT]

 

 

That's not rufibarbis. Formica rufa group is correct. If you have trouble to tell the difference, look at the size of the eyes compared to the rest of the head, Serviformica have larger eyes in relation to the head than Formica s. str.

But there's no mound, no flight this month, no nothing that would indicate they are rufa-group. They're nest looks like the most stereotypical F. rufibarbis nest there is. I will get more photos though. ( Also, I was told you could ID whetever they were rufa or not is by the length of maximillary palps, is that true? )

 

 

Maybe it was just a small colony, I mean they found by invading an existing Serviformica nest, killing the queen and take over the workers.

But I can tell you for sure this isn't a Serviformica worker ant.

They can also forage up to 120m away from the nest, did you really check that far for any ant hill?

 

No, because I found their nest ( and because I was helping my dad at the time, the ants were really determined to get a bite of me since I couldn't move away ). But damn I really hoped they were Formica rufibarbis so that I could keep them, I mean, there are still definetly F. rufibarbis and F. cunicularia in other parts of my neighborhood, but I really hoped those in my garden would also be. I will still get more photos though. 

[Barristan]

You can always upload it to https://www.inaturalist.org/homeand let it ID there, a lot of very experienced ppl use that website. But I am 99,9% sure it is Formica s. str. xd

[NPLT]

You can always upload it to https://www.inaturalist.org/homeand let it ID there, a lot of very experienced ppl use that website. But I am 99,9% sure it is Formica s. str. xd

I don't think my pics are good enough for a site like inaturalist.

[Barristan]

 

You can always upload it to https://www.inaturalist.org/homeand let it ID there, a lot of very experienced ppl use that website. But I am 99,9% sure it is Formica s. str. xd

I don't think my pics are good enough for a site like inaturalist.

 

 

You don't know what stuff is posted there I guess lol

[NPLT]

 

 

You can always upload it to https://www.inaturalist.org/homeand let it ID there, a lot of very experienced ppl use that website. But I am 99,9% sure it is Formica s. str. xd

I don't think my pics are good enough for a site like inaturalist.

 

 

You don't know what stuff is posted there I guess lol

 

Every photo there looks like research-grade quality. My photos are definitely not good enough.

Edited by NPLT, May 16 2021 - 12:01 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

You can always upload it to https://www.inaturalist.org/homeand let it ID there, a lot of very experienced ppl use that website. But I am 99,9% sure it is Formica s. str. xd

I don't think my pics are good enough for a site like inaturalist.

You don't know what stuff is posted there I guess lol

Every photo there looks like research-grade quality. My photos are definetly not good enough.

I’ve seen some pretty bad stuff on there actually.

[Barristan]

Reasearch quality only means that some expert confirmed an ID, it has nothing to do with image quality. Your image is good enough to make an id, maybe not on species level but to tell if it is Formica rufa group or not.

[NPLT]

As promised, I got more pictures of the Formica from my garden.

 

Pic 1.

Pic 2.

Pic 3.

Pic 4.

Pic 5.

Pic 6.

[NickAnter]

Yeah, I'm almost positive that is rufa group.

[Barristan]

yep it is, compare that to a Formica rufibarbis/clara (rufibarbis is more common but it is hard to tell if it is rufibarbis or clara) worker ant:

 

As I said they have huge eyes compared to the size of the head in contrast to Formica rufa group.

[NPLT]

yep it is, compare that to a Formica rufibarbis/clara (rufibarbis is more common but it is hard to tell if it is rufibarbis or clara) worker ant:

 

As I said they have huge eyes compared to the size of the head in contrast to Formica rufa group.

Bummer. But even if they are not in my garden, I found a rufibarbis nest on a sidewalk just next door, so not all is lost, I can still keep my favourite, big, red, aggressive formicas.

[TennesseeAnts]

This is definitely 50 times better than the majority of the pictures on iNaturalist. 

[Barristan]

yep just submit it there.

[NPLT]

This is definitely 50 times better than the majority of the pictures on iNaturalist. 

Nah, my photos are definitely not good enough, maybe in a year or two if I keep up the consistency of taking them.

[NickAnter]

No, believe me, you rarely see photos on inat that are better than that.

[NPLT]

No, believe me, you rarely see photos on inat that are better than that.

What?! But in my photo, like, half of the ant is blurry, the composition is all bad, hell the ant is not in the center of the photo, it wasn't even done with anything professional but a cheap clip-on macro lens for a phone.

Edited by NPLT, May 17 2021 - 3:14 PM.

[NickAnter]

Yup. Its true, here are the ants of Poland on Inat:  https://www.inatural...&taxon_id=47336

[Barristan]

I mean if they don't get a black pixel they are quite happy to try to ID your ant based on your picture.