identification formica spiecies

Help with identifying the species your ants

Moderator: ooper01

kabouthor
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:21 pm

identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70721Post kabouthor
Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:47 pm

I live in Belgium and a week ago (25 may) I caught an ant queen. Which I believed to formica sanguinea at the time. So I gave her some host workers (formica fusca), but she killed them. She still has a head on her leg, but doesn't seem to be hindered by it. Just now I found anthills, which I believe to be formica polyctena and this makes me doubt make identification. Can you help me find out what species I have and how to start a colony?
https://gyazo.com/ea79d5df545117d96190e40193d21ae2
https://gyazo.com/d172fa5702b83b28c3fdc20fce79808b

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70751Post Hawkeye
Tue Jun 02, 2020 4:36 am

Could she be Formica candida? The black body and red legs fit the picture.

kabouthor
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:21 pm

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70755Post kabouthor
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:00 am

Hawkeye wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 4:36 am
Could she be Formica candida? The black body and red legs fit the picture.
In reality she looks more reddish than in the picture and I live in Belgium not in Tawain. So I doubt it is Formica candida.

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70756Post Hawkeye
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:06 am

Those ants have been introduced into Belgium too, though they originate in Asia. Have you got better pictures?

kabouthor
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:21 pm

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70757Post kabouthor
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:10 am

Hawkeye wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:06 am
Those ants have been introduced into Belgium too, though they originate in Asia. Have you got better pictures?
This is the best I can do.
https://gyazo.com/fdeb014550332f7f27af53584ffd9a25
https://gyazo.com/91a522d03356daae939bdb074b981519
https://gyazo.com/6df0876858998ca4eb773f27a91fa73f

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70759Post Hawkeye
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:36 am

It's hard to make out details. Would you say she looks like this?
Image

kabouthor
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:21 pm

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70760Post kabouthor
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:51 am

Her abdomen is smaller and completely black. Her thorax is higher above the ground. also her thorax is red, until her wingscars above the wing scar she is black. Same applies for her head, the bottom is red and top is black.
I think this not her, since her posture is different. I would compare her posture to formica polyctena.

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70761Post Hawkeye
Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:47 am

kabouthor wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:51 am
Her abdomen is smaller and completely black. Her thorax is higher above the ground. also her thorax is red, until her wingscars above the wing scar she is black. Same applies for her head, the bottom is red and top is black.
I think this not her, since her posture is different. I would compare her posture to formica polyctena.
I might be wrong, but it sounds like you're describing a Formica rufa queen?
Image

kabouthor
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:21 pm

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70763Post kabouthor
Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:53 am

the difference between rufa and polyctena is that rufa has small hair visible with the eye, polyctena hairs are not visible without zoom in. since you are dutch: rufa = behaarde bosmier en polyctena = kale bosmier.

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: identification formica spiecies

Post: # 70764Post Hawkeye
Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:50 am

kabouthor wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:53 am
the difference between rufa and polyctena is that rufa has small hair visible with the eye, polyctena hairs are not visible without zoom in. since you are dutch: rufa = behaarde bosmier en polyctena = kale bosmier.
Hahaha heeft een kaboutertje dat verteld? Ik weet wat het verschil is, maar omdat ik het niet goed kan zien op je foto's moest ik afgaan op je omschrijving. Als het geen rufa is, waar denk je zelf dan aan?

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests