9 replies to this topic

[GXF]

1. Location of collection: Richmond, BC, Canada
2. Date of collection: 2017-05-04
3. Habitat of collection: Forest
4. Length (from head to gaster): 3.5 mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Brownish black
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 11-segmented antenna with 3-segmented club; Mandible with 6 teeth.

A very tiny queen. It has 6 mandible teeth, so I think it should be Leptothorax. Leptothorax acervorum? Leptothorax muscorum?
 
 




















Habitat:

Edited by GXF, May 8 2017 - 8:49 PM.

[Martialis]

Myrmica sp.

[Aaron567]

Leptothorax muscorum seems to be the closest possiblity. 

[LC3]

Leptothorax muscorum.

[Martialis]

Somehow I misread that measurement as 6mm- whoops.

[GXF]

Leptothorax muscorum seems to be the closest possiblity.

Leptothorax muscorum.

Thank you guys. How do you tell Leptothorax acervorum and Leptothorax muscorum apart? They look quite similar to me.

[VoidElecent]

 

Leptothorax muscorum seems to be the closest possiblity.

Leptothorax muscorum.

Thank you guys. How do you tell Leptothorax acervorum and Leptothorax muscorum apart? They look quite similar to me.

 

I believe Leptothorax muscorum are generally slightly smaller, darker and more slender than Leptothorax acervorum. I think this is L. muscorum.

 

Thank you so much for publishing an actually well-formatted and proper ID thread, I just get so happy when I see these. Plus, the pictures are amazing. If you really want to compare this ant to L. muscorum and L. acervorum queens, you can access detailed images of taxonomic castes here and here, respectively.

[Aaron567]

I just said L. muscorum rather than L. acervorum because your location looks a lot more likely to have muscorum. 

[LC3]

Leptothorax muscorum is really common here in Richmond, that forest looks like an ideal habitat for them. I don't think I've ever seen any L. acervorum in Richmond.

[GXF]

Thanks everyone for the ID help. I'll wait for workers to confirm this ID again.