How to Identify Ant's

[antnest8]

For a long time I have been trying to learn how to identify ant species from one another and I still don't know how to do it very well. Still, I've learned a lot and can do some Identifying, but after a long time I realized that If we compile out Identifying knowledge together we will be able to learn how to Identify ant's effectively, this thread is for ant keepers to share there knowledge and tips about ant identifying! Maybe (just maybe), if this works we can all be as good as BatSpiderFish (for the OG's out there).

[antnest8]

For my contribution I would like to talk about a very useful tip of information that I have learned is Petiole Nodes!! There are two main Sub-families of ants: Formicinae and Myrmicinae (there are several others but most of them are much more rare). The difference between the two are the Petiole Nodes or basically the segments between the mesosoma (thorax) and the metasoma (gaster). Myrmicinae has a petiole node and a postpetiole as seen in figure 1. The reason behind this is because these ants have stingers and they need the two joints to fully use their weapon of defense. Formicinae include Formica and Camponotus ants, these ant's use acid for attacking, so they don't need the extra node. Instead the ants have a single petiole and it looks spiked as in figure 2. This won't tell you the exact species but it does cut the options in half.

[antnest8]

I while ago, (I think it Was BatSpiderFish) Someone shared these websites that can be useful for ant identifying!
https://www.antweb.org/
http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/Researchtaxapages/Formicidaepages/Identification.Keys.htm#.WxW3LYoh2AY
http://www.navajonature.org/ants/navajo-ants.html
https://hol.osu.edu/
http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Species_Accounts

[antnest8]

I just found another Great Website!
http://antkey.org/en

[antnest8]

Ok so first of all I have to say that this is not from me, This is written by AlexWild, the famous Ant photographer, you can read his article here ---> http://www.myrmecos.net/2011/07/26/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-formica-and-camponotus/#:~:text=How%20to%20tell%20the%20difference%20between%20Formica%20and,have%20a%20similar%20appearance%20and%20are%20easily%20confused.

Now with that done I can explain how to tell the difference between Formica and Camponotus. This trick works around 95% of the time in as long as you are not in the tropics.

To tell the difference look at the Mesasoma (Thorax) of a worker. If the Mesasoma is shaped with one continuous curve then it's camponotus, if it is two then it is formica.



Again, this was from AlexWild, go check him out because he has some really cool ant photographs!!

[Jeff22burke]

I am new to ants can someone tell me what type this is? And if it a queen? Thanks in advance

[SolenopsisKeeper]

I am new to ants can someone tell me what type this is? And if it a queen? Thanks in advance

Please link a post in imagur in the Ant I’d section. Thanks!

[loveants1341]

i seen her in a tree i got her put her in a test tube like you do i seen her getting a drink and cleaning her Gaster do majors clean their Gaster ? also can u help me to see if its a queen or a major ? if its a major id like to get her back into the tree where i found her at thank you so much for taking your time and reading this

https://imgur.com/a/OmteSdJ

im not sure her size but i know shes bigger then workers

i found her at 10 pm on the 5th of October

i am in Kansas, usa in the town in my back yard
if anyone can help me out id love the feed back ! im pretty sure it is a queen but im not good at telling (yet) if it is it will be the first queen i got with out its wings and if it is a queen i found one more like this few days before but i let it go thinking it was a major (it could be the same ant not sure)

[rojldee89]

For a long time I have been trying to learn how to identify ant species from one another and I still don't know how to do it very well. Still, I've learned a lot and can do some Identifying, but after a long time I realized that If we compile out Identifying knowledge together we will be able to learn how to Identify ant's effectively, this thread is for ant keepers to share there knowledge and tips about ant identifying! Maybe (just maybe), if this works we can all be as good as .

[antperson24]

i seen her in a tree i got her put her in a test tube like you do i seen her getting a drink and cleaning her Gaster do majors clean their Gaster ? also can u help me to see if its a queen or a major ? if its a major id like to get her back into the tree where i found her at thank you so much for taking your time and reading this

https://imgur.com/a/OmteSdJ

im not sure her size but i know shes bigger then workers

i found her at 10 pm on the 5th of October

i am in Kansas, usa in the town in my back yard
if anyone can help me out id love the feed back ! im pretty sure it is a queen but im not good at telling (yet) if it is it will be the first queen i got with out its wings and if it is a queen i found one more like this few days before but i let it go thinking it was a major (it could be the same ant not sure)

Sorry, this is REALY late, but yes, she is a queen. I do not know the species, but she is of the genus Camponotus.