Strange Behavior... Is it an ANT? - pictures included

[GreenTikiFire]

Hello all,

Found what seemed to be a queen ant... but it sure does behave differently than most Ants I have ever observed.
So much so it has me asking if it really is an Ant?

Found in Madison Wisconsin, USA
July 6th, 2019

[Hawkeye]

It might be another insect posing as an ant...

[GreenTikiFire]

I cant seem to photograph it, but it does look like it has a long "poker" or "straw" on it's nose like an Assasin bug does. Any ants with these types of mouthes?

[Hawkeye]

I cant seem to photograph it, but it does look like it has a long "poker" or "straw" on it's nose like an Assasin bug does. Any ants with these types of mouthes?

Don't know really, but even the body shape doesn't look right to me

[GreenTikiFire]

Cudos to "Insect Identification" on facebook for a positive ID.

Turns out this is some sort of Alydidae nymph.
According to Wikipedia

Code: Select all

"Both, nymphs and adults of some species, such as Dulichius inflatus and Hyalymenus spp. are ant mimics and live in ant nests"

Introducing a few ant mimics to a colony would be a very cool episode for Mikey, AntsCanada!
I've ran into so many Ant mimics these past few weeks while looking for queens. Spiders, Alydids, Crickets... there are so many!

[Hawkeye]

Cudos to "Insect Identification" on facebook for a positive ID.

Turns out this is some sort of Alydidae nymph.
According to Wikipedia

Code: Select all

"Both, nymphs and adults of some species, such as Dulichius inflatus and Hyalymenus spp. are ant mimics and live in ant nests"

Introducing a few ant mimics to a colony would be a very cool episode for Mikey, AntsCanada!
I've ran into so many Ant mimics these past few weeks while looking for queens. Spiders, Alydids, Crickets... there are so many!

I guess your gut feeling was right then, thinking it's no ant