31 replies to this topic

[drtrmiller]

Males fly, as suggested, because it's good for dispersing genes. Males of some night-flying species may appear at lights.
 

The spots on the queen's mesosoma are not wing vestiges. In fact, they're on the propodeum which is, anatomically, an abdominal segment - No wings there.  I would also note, those are pigment spots, not striations, which are defined as fine, parallel ridges of the exoskeleton (well, except when they are divergent fine ridges, as on Tergite I of Aphaenogaster mariae).

 

Fascinating.  I found a clearer photograph, sans pigment spots.  

 

[dspdrew]

Males fly, as suggested, because it's good for dispersing genes. Males of some night-flying species may appear at lights.
 

The spots on the queen's mesosoma are not wing vestiges. In fact, they're on the propodeum which is, anatomically, an abdominal segment - No wings there.  I would also note, those are pigment spots, not striations, which are defined as fine, parallel ridges of the exoskeleton (well, except when they are divergent fine ridges, as on Tergite I of Aphaenogaster mariae).

 

I actually collected quite a few of these on my black light this summer. I haven't gotten around to pinning them up and getting pictures yet, but I'm pretty sure they're Neivamyrmex nigrescens.

[Alza]

ah, i see. thank you for that. 

[James C. Trager]

drtrmiller - That appears to be a different species. I'm not sure how constant the dark spots on the propodeum are for N. opacithorax. B.t.w., what is the source of that photo?

[drtrmiller]

drtrmiller - That appears to be a different species. I'm not sure how constant the dark spots on the propodeum are for N. opacithorax. B.t.w., what is the source of that photo?

Unless it's mis-attributed:

 

http://www.antweb.or...number=1&shot=d

Edited by drtrmiller, November 8 2014 - 12:45 PM.

[James C. Trager]

Hmm. I wonder if it's misidentified. Looks more like N. carolinensis to me. Unfortunately, Neivamyrmex is not accessible at Ant Web right now, for me to investigate.

Edited by James C. Trager, November 8 2014 - 2:52 PM.

[Gregory2455]

Hmm. I wonder if it's misidentified. Looks more like N. carolinensis to me. Unfortunately, Neivamyrmex is not accessible at Ant Web right now, for me to investigate.

How is one able to contribute to AntWeb, I imagine adding a specimen would go past someone approving it first anyway if you had those permissions, right?

[Crystals]

How would one go about reporting an incorrect specimen on Antweb?  There is one I am sure is an incorrect worker in the Formica aserva section that keeps getting me mixed up (the head on one is different in shape from the others).

[dspdrew]

Just email them. I emailed them a few times about [programming] bugs in the site, and they were able to get all of them fixed.

[James C. Trager]

There is a link beneath each specimen image designed for reporting such things. But Crystals, to which image (CASENT#) do you refer. I can check it for you, since I both know a bit about Formica and am an auxiliary editor of AntWeb.

AntWeb images are derived from specimens in reputable natural history museums. the images are taken either by Ant Web staff or by comparable staff at the museums where the specimens reside. If you donated specimens to such a collection, they could eventually be imaged. 

 

(Edit) I note that CASENT0005296 appears to lack a clypeal notch. Is that the one?

Edited by James C. Trager, November 9 2014 - 9:12 AM.

[Crystals]

There is a link beneath each specimen image designed for reporting such things. But Crystals, to which image (CASENT#) do you refer. I can check it for you, since I both know a bit about Formica and am an auxiliary editor of AntWeb.

AntWeb images are derived from specimens in reputable natural history museums. the images are taken either by Ant Web staff or by comparable staff at the museums where the specimens reside. If you donated specimens to such a collection, they could eventually be imaged. 

 

(Edit) I note that CASENT0005296 appears to lack a clypeal notch. Is that the one?

Yes that was the one, the shape of the head on top also seems a bit off (lacking the more distinct indent).  Only reason I noticed it is because wook and I were trying ID my parasitic Formica queen and that one threw us off several times - especially since it is the main image for Formica aserva.

Still never managed to exactly ID that queen, we managed to get her narrowed down to 3-4 species and then figured we had to wait for workers...

[gcsnelling]

Army ant males are actually quite strong fliers and as has been mentioned some species are frequently captured at lights. They however easily lose their wings once the find a colony to infilitrate. Nice pictures James.