Venomous Ants of Saudi Arabia

Help with identifying the species your ants

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iniazy
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:06 am
Location: Saudi Arabia

Venomous Ants of Saudi Arabia

Post: # 55063Post iniazy
Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:19 am

I have grown all my life fearing those ants for their painful sting. I live in Saudi Arabia, and I know many people, my Mom amongst them, who are very allergic to those ants' sting, they need to be hospitalized immediately should they ever get stung by one. They are very slow crawlers, very vicious, and can't climb walls. They often invade homes. I got stung by them so many times. The sting is very painful, but not unbearable for an adult, as long as he is not allergic. I've had my children get stung by them as well, not a fun experience. The pain pulsing can last three days. They can sting even when they're killed. I've accidentally rubbed one once on my leg and got sting even though it was shredded with my rubbing. They tend to give multiple stings once they latch on.

My Mom has done some research, and she seems to have thought they are called "Najran Fire Ants", Najran being a small city in the south of Saudi Arabia. They are much larger than the red commonly known fire ants, and their sting is very different. Some people who have been stung by fire ants in the US say this one's sting is nastier. Some think the fire ant is nastier. All agree that they have a very different kind of pain. I've never been stung by a red fire ant before, so I can't tell.

Here' the video. Please let me know if you can ID them.



Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwtp3mSIyQ4
Last edited by iniazy on Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

iniazy
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:06 am
Location: Saudi Arabia

Re: Venomous Ants of Saudi Arabia

Post: # 55064Post iniazy
Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:22 am

Interestingly, I've seen them commit suicide once. I caught a group of them and kept them in a small plastic cup. Some of them started stinging themselves in the head to death, which was a very weird behavior indeed.

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moodery
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:32 pm
Location: Atlanta

Re: Venomous Ants of Saudi Arabia

Post: # 55094Post moodery
Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:36 pm

It may be Pachycondyla sennaarensis
keeping
1x Solenopsis molesta i think 10-20 workers
1x Camponotus pennsylvanicus/formosensis 2 worker
1x Formica pallidefulva 7 workers

CreeperUniverse
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:22 am
Location: New York, NY

Re: Venomous Ants of Saudi Arabia

Post: # 55097Post CreeperUniverse
Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:00 pm

They're probably having a nuptial flight which is why they're very active. I'm currently trying to ID them right now.
It would also be helpful if you have any images of them. Capturing and photographing workers, drones, and alates is a good idea.
Last edited by CreeperUniverse on Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Check out my YouTube channel, Arman's Ants.
https://***/armansants
Also feel free to check out the Discord server, Ant-Keeping & Ethology:
https://discord.me/ants

CreeperUniverse
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:22 am
Location: New York, NY

Re: Venomous Ants of Saudi Arabia

Post: # 55098Post CreeperUniverse
Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:04 pm

Here's a list of genera I think they might be, I'll edit it as I go:

-******
-Leptogenys
-Oxyopomyrmex
-Platythyrea
Check out my YouTube channel, Arman's Ants.
https://***/armansants
Also feel free to check out the Discord server, Ant-Keeping & Ethology:
https://discord.me/ants

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