ID this 2 ants

Help with identifying the species your ants

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ScaryBuh
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Location: Portugal
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ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14346Post ScaryBuh
Wed Oct 26, 2016 7:47 pm

Hello guys, I caught a few more queens today in Portugal.
These ones seem to have their nupcial flight 2-3 weeks after the first ones I caught before.

these two ants look a bit diferent (3 pictures for each)

This one has very dark red head, is bad climber on plastic, big around 15mm

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While this other ant has
black head only the mandibles are red, is a good climber on plastic, smaller around 10mm

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Any tips what these are? I would say Messor sp. for the first one but I've been wrong before :mrgreen:

Martialis
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Location: Indiana

Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14347Post Martialis
Wed Oct 26, 2016 8:18 pm

ScaryBuh wrote:Hello guys, I caught a few more queens today in Portugal.
These ones seem to have their nupcial flight 2-3 weeks after the first ones I caught before.

these two ants look a bit diferent (3 pictures for each)

This one has very dark red head, is bad climber on plastic, big around 15mm

Image
Image
Image


While this other ant has
black head only the mandibles are red, is a good climber on plastic, smaller around 10mm

Image
Image
Image

Any tips what these are? I would say Messor sp. for the first one but I've been wrong before :mrgreen:
I'd say camponotus sp. for the first one, based on the roundness of the mesonoma and its size.
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Batspiderfish
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14348Post Batspiderfish
Wed Oct 26, 2016 8:45 pm

She has two petiole nodes, so she is myrmicine.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

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jsCoder
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14353Post jsCoder
Thu Oct 27, 2016 7:54 am

Maybe it is queen's messor sp, and first queen look like Messor barbarus. Where did you catch them (country)?

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ScaryBuh
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14356Post ScaryBuh
Thu Oct 27, 2016 12:41 pm

it says on the first line, Portugal :)

Here's the movie I made while putting them on test tubes, only that smaller one seems diferent than the rest.


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jsCoder
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14360Post jsCoder
Thu Oct 27, 2016 4:25 pm

aaa, how many queen's!! white envy :) In my opinion it is Messor sp. head how as the messor

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ScaryBuh
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14361Post ScaryBuh
Thu Oct 27, 2016 4:34 pm

I will try to enter the GAN farmer thing when some workers have born. it seems no one do it in Portugal or Spain.

Canadiananter
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14369Post Canadiananter
Fri Oct 28, 2016 2:19 am

Looks like messor sp

KAMINOAN

Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14390Post KAMINOAN
Sat Oct 29, 2016 7:28 am

Hi Friend. I'm with you in Portugal.

Those are our 2 most common Ants Genera the Messors: Barbarus and Structor

*Messor Barbarus : They tend to have Reddish Head Darker Body, sometimes they can be full slightly bigger head and larger fangs. The red head looks like a healthy signal more bright heads tend to be more "healthy", just well fed...

*Messor Structor: They tend to be fully Dark or Dark Brown in Alentejo (hot zone). Their Queen head and Fangs are smaller in compassion with the Barbarus. His Workes and Majors are smaller about 2mm difference and smaller heads/fangs, is easy noticed. side by side.

Barbarus and Structor are both full-claustral species. But Barbarus accept Polygyny with no much problems (Multiple queens 1 colony) but Structor doesn't seen to like that so keep them apart. Keep them all apart until you get a Formicarum. I'll be making some and OLX selling them next year. These 2 ants don't mind being friends in the wild and they tend to be found in my area (Alverca) with nests pretty close to each other. and nuptial fly around same time.

I cough mine after 1st October rain and by this time they are starting to look puffy, thats a good sign but not 100% sure about being fertilised until the 1st walkers xD

GL with your ants anything you need just give me a call ;)

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ScaryBuh
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Re: ID this 2 ants

Post: # 14393Post ScaryBuh
Sat Oct 29, 2016 12:08 pm

Thanks for the vast information Kaminoan!
Good to have another buddy in my country enjoying ants! :D

I always suspected they were Messor Barbarus, but wanted to be sure and that's why the identification center is all about :D
I do have 2 slightly different queens from the 20+ Messor Barbarus. Time will tell what they really are :mrgreen:

I did try to put 2 queens in the same tube setup, and my conclusion is the same of yours! They are acting all friendly towards each other and look comfortable being together. Although I keep the rest of ants alone in tube setups.

I have seen some people add some seeds in the test tube as this species normally eat seeds, but I just added a drop of honey in mines, what is better?

I'm also making some formicarums and will post information or video about them later on.

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