Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Theantguy13

Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21621Post Theantguy13
Tue May 23, 2017 11:21 pm

Ok so my first "queen" of the season was really a male.
Anyway I finally got my first actual queen of my antkeeping hunting season.
She is 100% a Solenopsis species but I'm not sure if she is a RIFA or a southern fire ant or some other species.
Here's the link to imgur...
http://imgur.com/a/u31cY
She is 6.5 mm and found in riverside CA

I also found two workers near my house
and have no clue what species they are whatsoever.
Here are two links to imgur albums...
1.
http://imgur.com/a/xkuGO
2.
http://imgur.com/a/MUNgK

The first one is a small ant approx. 2.5 mm (it was hard to measure cuz it was tiny and fast)

The second one is around 8 to 9 mm

Both were found in riverside CA as well.

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Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21638Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 24, 2017 8:15 am

Hard to tell if the first queen is Solenopsis xyloni or Pheidole, from the pictures.

The first worker looks like Linepithema humile.

The second "worker" is a Pogonomyrmex queen.
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.

Theantguy13

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21645Post Theantguy13
Wed May 24, 2017 10:52 am

Omg rely??? R u sure the last one is a queen??!!!

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Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21647Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 24, 2017 11:37 am

Yup! She's got the mesoscutum, wing scars, and everything.
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.

Theantguy13

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21648Post Theantguy13
Wed May 24, 2017 11:40 am

YESSSSSS

Omg I thot she was a worker and was just curious what sp. lived near me cuz I just moved but OMG YES

Theantguy13

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21651Post Theantguy13
Wed May 24, 2017 12:53 pm

OMG!!!

that was so close.

So when I caught it I thought it was a worker so I didn't put it in a test tube setup. And I forgot to replace the cap with cotton and I realized this at school so I was incredibly nervous. I texted my mom with no response, and then i got to 3rd period and my nice teacher let me call her given the circumstances. Luckily she responded and she is replacing the cap as i type this, I just hope that it is still alive and didn't suffocate because I've been wanting a pogonomymex queen for my whole ant keeping career.

Wish me luck guys.

Also I will take better pictures of the solenopsis (phiedole? :D) queen later today and I also was kind of guessing that the small worker was the argentine ant. Anyway ty for the help batspiderfish

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Batspiderfish
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21655Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 24, 2017 1:10 pm

She looks like she may be one of the semi-claustral species, although I have no experience with these ants (from the opposite corner of the country). I do know that Pogonomyrmex are abysmal climers, so you could probably contain her in any smooth, vertical container. Probably wouldn't hurt to apply a barrier of some sort, though, if for no other reason than to help prevent wild ants from accessing the colony.

You may want to check out some of dspDrew's journals at Formiculture, as he's had a lot of practice with these ants.
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.

Theantguy13

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21665Post Theantguy13
Wed May 24, 2017 5:17 pm

Ok so she is fine, and also I am about to get more pics of first queen in natural light... So that should help.
Also should I post an ID request on formiculture to get a full ID?

Theantguy13

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21683Post Theantguy13
Wed May 24, 2017 11:20 pm

Finally got around to getting better pics of queen 1.
http://imgur.com/a/bkHfI

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Batspiderfish
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Queen ID and 2 workers needing an ID

Post: # 21693Post Batspiderfish
Thu May 25, 2017 8:41 am

Looks like Solenopsis xyloni to me.
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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