10 replies to this topic

[sophia23]

Hey everyone

 

Can you help me identify those ants?

 

I don't know if it helps, but I've seen at least 4 of the "big ants" (queens?) in that location, inches from each other.

 

Thank you! ❤️

Sophia

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[RushmoreAnts]

Looks like either Monomorium minimum, Monomorium ergatogyna, or Monomorium viridum. And yes, the large ants are queens.

[eea]

Monomorium ergatogyna is the only one of the three that lives that area.

Edited by eea, June 20 2025 - 5:11 PM.

[Mettcollsuss]

North American Monomorium were recently revised in a paper that came out earlier this year (Seifert, 2025). The changes made that are relevant to this discussion are 1) Monomorium minimum has been renamed Monomorium carbonarium, 2) a new species Monomorium lorenzoi was described from California (the type locality is Mission Trail Park, relatively close to Watsonville), making M. ergatogyna no longer the only Monomorium in California, 3) M. carbonarium is also reported from California, also eliminating the former idea of ergatogyna being the only Californian species. With photos of this resolution, an ID beyond the M. carbonarium complex is not possible, though ergatogyna is likely, given that the queen there appears ergatoid.

Edited by Mettcollsuss, June 21 2025 - 6:21 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

North American Monomorium were recently revised in a paper that came out earlier this year (Seifert, 2025). The changes made that are relevant to this discussion are 1) Monomorium minimum has been renamed Monomorium carbonarium, 2) a new species Monomorium lorenzoi was described from California (the type locality is Mission Trail Park, relatively close to Watsonville), making M. ergatogyna no longer the only Monomorium in California, 3) M. carbonarium is also reported from California, also eliminating the former idea of ergatogyna being the only Californian species. With photos of this resolution, an ID beyond the M. carbonarium complex is not possible, though ergatogyna is likely, given that the queen there appears ergatoid.

Fascinating! I do wonder, though, why was the name change necessary? Monomorium minimum seemed like an apt descriptor for the small species. 

[Mettcollsuss]

Fascinating! I do wonder, though, why was the name change necessary? Monomorium minimum seemed like an apt descriptor for the small species. 

 

It is an apt name, though arguably so is carbonarium, since they are jet black and shiny. The rundown of the situation is this: Monomorium carbonarium was named by Smith in 1858, off some specimens collected from Portugal. Monomorium minimum was named by Buckley in 1867, off of specimens from Texas. It has been suspected for a while now that despite being discovered there, carbonarium is not actually native to Europe, but where exactly it was from was unknown. What Seifert's new paper shows is that M. carbonarium and M. minimum are in fact one and the same, the species is native to North America but was introduced to and is an invasive in Europe. The same species was referred to by two different names, minimum in North America and carbonarium in Europe. When this sort of situation occurs, with a single species having multiple names ascribed to it, ICZN rules dictate that the oldest name is the one that gets to stay. So, the older name carbonarium has priority here, and replaces the younger minimum.

Edited by Mettcollsuss, June 21 2025 - 8:12 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

For once an American species is invasive in Europe!

[ANTdrew]

This is fascinating! I’ll have to get used to this new name.

[sophia23]

I've tried to get a higher resolution videos of the queen.

 

Does it give you any detailed information that you didn't have before?

https://youtu.be/qlX...5pyvGqiv2UIet3W

https://youtu.be/W-Z..._tntXXjOZaL1JMT

https://youtube.com/...vts83TZPmylSbAR

Thank you so much!

 

Sophia

[Mettcollsuss]

Unfortunately not. Monomorium species are, for the most part, only separable under the microscope, with measurements down to the thousandth of a millimeter.

[RushmoreAnts]

I've tried to get a higher resolution videos of the queen.

 

Does it give you any detailed information that you didn't have before?

https://youtu.be/qlX...5pyvGqiv2UIet3W

https://youtu.be/W-Z..._tntXXjOZaL1JMT

https://youtube.com/...vts83TZPmylSbAR

Thank you so much!

 

Sophia

The queen looks injured. She can't walk properly or right herself when she falls.