Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Barfdog
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:32 pm
Location: Phoenix Arizona

Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Post: # 18658Post Barfdog
Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:20 am

Hello, thanks for the help in advance.

Caught: 3/28/17
time: Approximately 9:30pm
Region: in the desert on a trail. Looked like she was about to start digging or finding an ideal place.
Size: I apologize about the photos. I wasn't able to get a horizontal shot of her on the measuring tape because she's so thirsty. I'd say approximately 7-9mm.
Characteristics: One petiole node(From what I could tell with a magnifying glass). Silver/whitish hairs all over her gaster with two silverish/white lines across her gaster. Poor climbing ability's.

Image
Image



I'm guessing a dirt nesting camponotus sp.
Also a question, I'm using a glass test tube because my others ones aren't big enough I feel and most of my plastic ones leak water. There's an air bubble in the setup and I'm worried if this would be an issue. I also want to give her a heating cable but afraid the glass tube would be compromised and she would drown. Thanks for any input. :D
Keeper of:

One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

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Barfdog
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:32 pm
Location: Phoenix Arizona

Re: Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Post: # 18659Post Barfdog
Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:18 am

Here's a video I took of her cleaning herself.


https://vimeo.com/210558407
Keeper of:

One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

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Barfdog
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:32 pm
Location: Phoenix Arizona

Re: Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Post: # 18661Post Barfdog
Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:42 am

Barfdog wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:18 am
Here's a video I took of her cleaning herself.


https://vimeo.com/210558407
A closer look and I saw what looked like an egg on the end of her gaster? :!: :!:
Keeper of:

One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

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Barfdog
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:32 pm
Location: Phoenix Arizona

Re: Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Post: # 18662Post Barfdog
Wed Mar 29, 2017 3:52 am

I'm also now guessing somewhere along the lines of Camponotus Herculeanus or Camponotus nearcticus or something of the sort. A confirmation would still be great though.
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One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

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Batspiderfish
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Re: Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Post: # 18667Post Batspiderfish
Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:01 am

Very hard to tell from the photos, but this looks like Veromessor pergandei, which would have two petiole nodes.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

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Barfdog
Posts: 145
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Location: Phoenix Arizona

Re: Queen ant identification request Phoenix Arizona.

Post: # 18674Post Barfdog
Wed Mar 29, 2017 3:31 pm

Batspiderfish wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:01 am
Very hard to tell from the photos, but this looks like Veromessor pergandei, which would have two petiole nodes.
Thanks for the help. I'll try and get a closer look at her nodes sometime today and confirm for sure if she has two nodes. I'm also struggling to find good information about this species, specifically if they are fully claustral or not.
Keeper of:

One M1ABRAMS TANK AKA Camponotus Laevigatus Queen

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