Pogonomyrmex?

Help with identifying the species your ants

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AlphaHive
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:35 pm
Location: Oklahoma City

Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51256Post AlphaHive
Sat Sep 22, 2018 7:31 pm

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/273966495791448064/493210125444579338/20180922_181002.jpg

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/273966495791448064/493211002788118533/20180922_181023.jpg

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/273966495791448064/493211046073466881/20180922_180922.jpg

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/273966495791448064/493211087139897354/20180922_181017.jpg

The queen was caught in Oklahoma City on May 24. The ants are jumpy and not aggressive from what I have seen. They don't like honey which is weird (or I find it weird LOL). Their numbers aren't exploding like what you would see in Solenopsis Invicta and they seem too small for Camponotus. Their numbers are around 25-30 right now. I kept them in the test tube and just pushed a small piece of a drinking straw through the cotton and I placed the food by it. I found it too hard the keep them contained in the test tube when feeding. I did get a major which is in the pictures :) Those are normal meal worms and not super worms. The queen is just a little bigger than the major. Can't get a picture of her without all the ants scattering and hiding including her. I need to find out what they are so I am able to know which AC Hybrid nest I need to buy.

Thank you for your time and I hope I am right :)
AlphaHive (rookie ant keeper)

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StormDancer
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:57 am
Location: Southeastern New Mexico

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51340Post StormDancer
Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:49 am

Is that a major worker in the photo on the right bottom corner? If so I don't believe they are pogonomymex because pogos aren't polymorphic as far as I know.
Learn to dance in the rain, because after there are queens to find!

TheRealAntMan
Posts: 620
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51386Post TheRealAntMan
Mon Sep 24, 2018 5:49 pm

StormDancer wrote:
Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:49 am
Is that a major worker in the photo on the right bottom corner? If so I don't believe they are pogonomymex because pogos aren't polymorphic as far as I know.
Actually some species of Pogonomyrmex (like Pogonomyrmex Badius and the Pogonomyrmex social parasites) are polymorphic. However from the angles and lack of measurements it would be hard to know if they were Pogonomyrmex or not.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

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StormDancer
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:57 am
Location: Southeastern New Mexico

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51424Post StormDancer
Tue Sep 25, 2018 7:22 am

Hm, I did not know that. Thank you for the information. I doubt that is what these ants are though. Pogonomyrmex badius isn't found in Oklahoma and they aren't social parasites because the queen likely founded on her own.
Learn to dance in the rain, because after there are queens to find!

TheRealAntMan
Posts: 620
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51431Post TheRealAntMan
Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:26 am

StormDancer wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 7:22 am
Hm, I did not know that. Thank you for the information. I doubt that is what these ants are though. Pogonomyrmex badius isn't found in Oklahoma and they aren't social parasites because the queen likely founded on her own.
Pogonomyrmex Badius is the only Pogonomyrmex found east of the Mississippi river. I was not implying that Pogonomyrmex Badius or AlphaHive's ants are social parasites.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

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StormDancer
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:57 am
Location: Southeastern New Mexico

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51434Post StormDancer
Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:48 am

I wasn't saying you were. Simply saying they probably aren't p. badius and they probably aren't parasites. Not that you said they were either of those or that you said p. badius were parasites.
Learn to dance in the rain, because after there are queens to find!

AlphaHive
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:35 pm
Location: Oklahoma City

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 51860Post AlphaHive
Wed Oct 03, 2018 9:16 pm

The queen is about 9 to 10 mm in length. The major that is in the pictures is around 5mm and the workers are between 2 to 3 mm. I still can't get a clear picture of her yet. I am trying though :) . I bought some really small test tubes so maybe i can catch her without harming her so i can get some clear pictures.

EDIT

Oh and i found that i have 7 majors now and the workers have not stung me nor the food items i give them. They still don't like honey but they will sip from it but that is about it. They don't seem to like sugar water either. Kind of confused now. I might try some fish food next and maybe some normal sugar. With the latest videos i might even try some eggs lol.

AlphaHive
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:35 pm
Location: Oklahoma City

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 53438Post AlphaHive
Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:59 pm

Ok so after a ton of research and buying a few things I found out that I have a Pheidole ant queen. There are 12 known species in Oklahoma so I still have some work to do to find out what one I have. Going to buy the full Lasius setup at the end of this month if it is goes on sale that would be fantastic :) Searching for other things that they feed on right now, upgraded to super meal worms to help with their appetite. 20+ soldiers (majors) still hoping to see if they get super majors (if this species has them). After I get them moved to their new setup the pictures will be much easier to take and hopefully be clear. They are still very active right now and I wonder when they will start to slow down. I hope they go into hibernation at the end of this month since their setup is rather small right now and it would make it easy to keep them cold enough.

Using the top and back portion of my refrigerator to keep the nest warm. Not too hot and not too cold. It seems to work really well if this helps anyone.

PTasker15
Posts: 309
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:41 am
Location: Houston,TX

Re: Pogonomyrmex?

Post: # 53515Post PTasker15
Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:44 am

Pheidole cockerreli
Keeping ants for 6 years now.

Current Species: Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus decipiens,Camponotus snellingi Solenopsis invicta,Nylanderia sp,Brachmyrmex patagonicus,Pheidole obscurothorax,Pheidole moerens,Pachycondyla harpax

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