Flipped over a patch of moss while watching two Solenpsis invicta majors fighting, and found this little yellow ant. I had to get a specimen home.
I had extreme difficulty going through the keys so I can be completely off. Three times I could not tell, and looked ahead to see which had closer options further up.
definitely either Formicinae or Dolcherdinae. definitely overlapped mandibles, Scapes not overly long, and covered in thick but sparse pubescence. <2mm
I am clueless really, this is a humiliating guess.
next
ant 2
another one I got lost on my keys, Camponotus? she had no antennae, just scapes, standing there vibrating, sad.
~4-5mm
ant 3
lets see, Myrmicinae, 3 antenneal club, 11 segements?, two parallel propodeum spines, looks like a normal gastor attatchment
I can knock off more than half of the genera, but fall apart.
~2mm
ant 4
either Formicinae and Dolcherdinae
If its Dolcherdinae, I'd say Linepithema humile (or I am way off)
If its Formicinae, I'd say Formica, but can believe Lasius (need a good picture of the maxilla i guess)
ant 5
This wasp
lol, sorry
ant 6
and my prize, found her in a founding chamber, freshly dug. (poor pitance for watching Forelius fly, but not catching any, but she makes me happy)
two petioles, the post petiole is definitely wider, two prodoeum teeth, three antenneal club segments, but unsure of total segments
I unfortunately do not have a good set of queen keys, Ill try going through keyants.
4mm
ant 7.
I need better images, so I don't expect anything.
(all other ants i collected today I managed to identify, thanks to the help over the last few weeks of the people on this forum, not least batfishspider and therealantman. Thank you all. )