Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Kailas
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:16 am
Location: Ottawa

Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95849Post Kailas
Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:49 pm

This is another tiny queen ant I collected today alongside some solenopsis molesta. During collection I thought they were the same, but closer inspection revealed that these ants are about 5.5mm long while the solenopsis molesta is about 4.5 to 5mm long. Also, while solenopsis molesta has an amber colored gaster, these queens have a black gaster with pronounced 'bumps'?

Here are more details:
Size: 5.5mm
When: August 18th 2022, early evening
Where: Ottawa, Ontario - on the sidewalks close to parks.
Appearance: red/dark amber head and thorax, 2 petiole nodes, and a black gaster with pronounced 'bumps'
Behaviour: Very calm on the sidewalk and equally calm in the test tube.
Picture(s): https://imgur.com/a/LhaU4rG

Thanks for your help!

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95858Post SolenopsisKeeper
Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:42 am

Kailas wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:49 pm
This is another tiny queen ant I collected today alongside some solenopsis molesta. During collection I thought they were the same, but closer inspection revealed that these ants are about 5.5mm long while the solenopsis molesta is about 4.5 to 5mm long. Also, while solenopsis molesta has an amber colored gaster, these queens have a black gaster with pronounced 'bumps'?

Here are more details:
Size: 5.5mm
When: August 18th 2022, early evening
Where: Ottawa, Ontario - on the sidewalks close to parks.
Appearance: red/dark amber head and thorax, 2 petiole nodes, and a black gaster with pronounced 'bumps'
Behaviour: Very calm on the sidewalk and equally calm in the test tube.
Picture(s): https://imgur.com/a/LhaU4rG

Thanks for your help!
Solenopsis sp., either has parasites or fertile due to physogastric gaster
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

Kailas
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:16 am
Location: Ottawa

Re: Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95875Post Kailas
Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:23 pm

Thanks for your help! I collected 5 of them, all look the same, so I wonder what are the chances of all 4 new queens looking like this due to parasitic infection (unless parasitic infections are so contagious that they could have spread to these 4 and likely more queens easily). I also found multiple solenopsis molesta queens in the same place showing no signs of infection.

So I'm leaning towards assuming they are fertile and without parasites, but isn't a physogastric gaster unusual in a new queen? Why would there be so many of them?

Sorry for all the questions, just very curious.

Also wanted to know if you believe that these queens would be polygynous. I was thinking of combining them into one colony like I did with the solenopsis molesta queens.

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95880Post SolenopsisKeeper
Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:55 pm

Kailas wrote:
Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:23 pm
Thanks for your help! I collected 5 of them, all look the same, so I wonder what are the chances of all 4 new queens looking like this due to parasitic infection (unless parasitic infections are so contagious that they could have spread to these 4 and likely more queens easily). I also found multiple solenopsis molesta queens in the same place showing no signs of infection.

So I'm leaning towards assuming they are fertile and without parasites, but isn't a physogastric gaster unusual in a new queen? Why would there be so many of them?

Sorry for all the questions, just very curious.

Also wanted to know if you believe that these queens would be polygynous. I was thinking of combining them into one colony like I did with the solenopsis molesta queens.
I wouldn’t risk polygyny as it in most ants it depends on the population, my guess is they would be plemeotrophic.

All my C. Tortoganus queens get really phyogastric as soon as I catch them. It’s not that uncommon, but I have rarely seen it in Solenopsis invicta.
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

Kailas
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:16 am
Location: Ottawa

Re: Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95894Post Kailas
Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:39 pm

Thanks, learning a lot!

Follow-up question, what does 'plemeotrophic' mean? Can't seem to find a good definition online.

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95914Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sun Aug 21, 2022 1:15 am

Kailas wrote:
Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:39 pm
Thanks, learning a lot!

Follow-up question, what does 'plemeotrophic' mean? Can't seem to find a good definition online.
It is where multiple queens will found together, but when workers arrive or as the colony gets bigger a queen will be eliminated
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

oniraigeki
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:37 pm
Location: Mississauga

Re: Tiny Queen Ant Identification Part 2

Post: # 95925Post oniraigeki
Sun Aug 21, 2022 4:01 pm

Kailas wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:49 pm
This is another tiny queen ant I collected today alongside some solenopsis molesta. During collection I thought they were the same, but closer inspection revealed that these ants are about 5.5mm long while the solenopsis molesta is about 4.5 to 5mm long. Also, while solenopsis molesta has an amber colored gaster, these queens have a black gaster with pronounced 'bumps'?

Here are more details:
Size: 5.5mm
When: August 18th 2022, early evening
Where: Ottawa, Ontario - on the sidewalks close to parks.
Appearance: red/dark amber head and thorax, 2 petiole nodes, and a black gaster with pronounced 'bumps'
Behaviour: Very calm on the sidewalk and equally calm in the test tube.
Picture(s): https://imgur.com/a/LhaU4rG

Thanks for your help!
Solenopsis Molesta

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