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Camponotus sp ID > Nevada County, CA, USA > 10/26/16

camponotus carpenter ant california northern california sierra nevada

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#1 Offline fortysixandtwo - Posted October 26 2016 - 9:51 PM

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Hello, found this Camponotus queen and 5 nanitics. Trying to get a species ID. Any wisdom or insight welcome. I apologize about the photos, the plastic lid on their colony makes it difficult to get a clear shot. Gonna try and get a better one in natural light tomorrow. 

 

I think I have it narrowed down to:

 

A ) Camponotus laevigatus 

B ) Camponotus quercicola
or
C ) *maybe* Camponotus modoc

 

Location of collection: Near Tahoe National Forest outside of Nevada City, Nevada County, California, USA.

Date of collection: 10-23-16.

Habitat of Collection: Mixed coniferous forest, Sierra Nevada mountains @ ~3,000 ft elevation. Under a rock. 

Length: Total ruler guesstimate: Queen ~ 15 mm (?)

Coloration: Appear to be all shiny black: head, thorax, abdomen, legs. 

Distinguishing Characteristics: Nothing notable. The queen appears to have a slight indentation on the left side of her abdomen. Not sure what happened there. 

​Distinguishing behavior: typical carpenter ant behavior. First year queen and 5 nanitics, no brood.

Nest description: Small cavity under a rock.

 

Like I said, hard to balance lighting and glare with this mini formicarium. I'll post the best ones I can get.

 

campoqueen2.jpg

 

campoqueen1.jpg

 

dsc08188.jpg

 

dsc08189.jpg

 

dsc08205.jpg

 

dsc08215.jpg

 

Worker

 

camponanitic1.jpg


Edited by fortysixandtwo, October 26 2016 - 9:57 PM.


#2 Offline Alabama Anter - Posted October 27 2016 - 4:35 AM

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Yes we would need better lighting. I personally cannot see the red in the ants you were talking about

YJK


#3 Offline XZero38 - Posted October 27 2016 - 5:42 AM

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Yes we would need better lighting. I personally cannot see the red in the ants you were talking about

There is no mention of the color red in the post at all



#4 Offline Miles - Posted October 27 2016 - 7:00 AM

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I actually think this may be the black variety of C. vicinus.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#5 Offline T.C. - Posted October 27 2016 - 7:04 AM

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I was gonna say that's Camponotous Pennsylvanicus, but no, I think Miles guess is probably correct!


“If I am killed for simply living, let death be kinder than man.” -Althea Davis

#6 Offline Alabama Anter - Posted October 27 2016 - 12:34 PM

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Yes we would need better lighting. I personally cannot see the red in the ants you were talking about

There is no mention of the color red in the post at all
Lmfao sorry bout that

YJK


#7 Offline Canadian anter - Posted October 27 2016 - 5:08 PM

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I agree with Camponotus vicinus but CONGRATULATIONS ON IDING THE GENUS BY YOURSELF something many people still can't do
Visit us at www.canada-ant-colony.com !

#8 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 27 2016 - 5:56 PM

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I think it's probably C. vicinus too. It's definitely not C. laevigatus. I don't think 3000 feet is high enough elevation for them, and most of all, I can tell by the queen's head. C. laevigatus queens have heads quite a bit wider than their thorax.


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#9 Offline fortysixandtwo - Posted October 27 2016 - 7:46 PM

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I actually think this may be the black variety of C. vicinus.

 

 

I think it's probably C. vicinus too. It's definitely not C. laevigatus. I don't think 3000 feet is high enough elevation for them, and most of all, I can tell by the queen's head. C. laevigatus queens have heads quite a bit wider than their thorax.

 

Cool, thanks. I will still work on better pictures. I wasn't sure if there were all black C. vicious though I have seen the red and black ones here. 

 

I agree with Camponotus vicinus but CONGRATULATIONS ON IDING THE GENUS BY YOURSELF something many people still can't do

 

 

Haha thanks. I have a background in entomology so I can get most anything down to genus usually. Just always kinda struggled with ant species particularly without a microscope or ant species key. 


Edited by fortysixandtwo, October 27 2016 - 7:46 PM.






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: camponotus, carpenter ant, california, northern california, sierra nevada

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