Queen Ant Identification Needed

Help with identifying the species your ants

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AntsIdaho
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 7:41 pm
Location: Bose, Idaho U.S.A.

Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99474Post AntsIdaho
Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:24 am

Size: 19.05mm
When: 4:20 pm, June 6, 2023.
Where: Near Almo, Idaho. Inside of City of Rocks
Appearance: Black color with bands around abdomen that reflect light slightly different to the rest of abdomen.
Behaviour: When I saw her she was moving erratically. After catching her she ran frantically around test tube for 10 minutes. After that she calmed down and stayed perfectly calm and still.
Picture(s): https://imgur.com/gallery/j9H2ws5
Additionally: I am not even sure if it is a queen but my best guess is a queen of Camponotus Sp. Thanks for any help!

seadawg84
Posts: 54
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:32 pm
Location: Winona Lake, Indiana, U.S.A.

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99475Post seadawg84
Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:43 am

Looks like a camponotus to me. A black carpenter ant.

AntsIdaho
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 7:41 pm
Location: Bose, Idaho U.S.A.

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99476Post AntsIdaho
Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:11 am

Can you tell what specific species of Camponotus it is?

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antperson24
Posts: 1226
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2022 4:01 pm
Location: North East Iowa

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99482Post antperson24
Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:44 am

She is not Camponotus. Nineteen millimeters sounds a bit big, but I'm still going to say Formica subsericea queen.
Why keep ants that aren't found in your yard?
There are so many fascinating ants right where you live!
I disagree with the keeping/buying of ants that aren't in your area.

Join Ants, Plants, and Myrmecology: https://discord.gg/BeQuNf8yTN

AntsIdaho
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 7:41 pm
Location: Bose, Idaho U.S.A.

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99494Post AntsIdaho
Tue Jun 06, 2023 3:28 pm

antperson24 wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:44 am
She is not Camponotus. Nineteen millimeters sounds a bit big, but I'm still going to say Formica subsericea queen.
Are you sure that Formica subsericea would be in Idaho? Any maps says it is not native.

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antperson24
Posts: 1226
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2022 4:01 pm
Location: North East Iowa

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99508Post antperson24
Wed Jun 07, 2023 9:25 am

Oh, I see that now. I would say a closely related species from the fusca group of the genus Formica.
Why keep ants that aren't found in your yard?
There are so many fascinating ants right where you live!
I disagree with the keeping/buying of ants that aren't in your area.

Join Ants, Plants, and Myrmecology: https://discord.gg/BeQuNf8yTN

AntsIdaho
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 7:41 pm
Location: Bose, Idaho U.S.A.

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99517Post AntsIdaho
Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:30 am

antperson24 wrote:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 9:25 am
Oh, I see that now. I would say a closely related species from the fusca group of the genus Formica.
I still think she is Formica Subsericea despite antmaps.org. The Idaho fish and game lists them as a native species. She just looks so much like one.

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antperson24
Posts: 1226
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2022 4:01 pm
Location: North East Iowa

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99518Post antperson24
Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:46 am

AntsIdaho wrote:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:30 am
antperson24 wrote:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 9:25 am
Oh, I see that now. I would say a closely related species from the fusca group of the genus Formica.
I still think she is Formica Subsericea despite antmaps.org. The Idaho fish and game lists them as a native species. She just looks so much like one.
I know, she looks identical to my F. subsericea queen. If a taxonomist would be able to verify, then perhaps antmaps would add them to your state.
Why keep ants that aren't found in your yard?
There are so many fascinating ants right where you live!
I disagree with the keeping/buying of ants that aren't in your area.

Join Ants, Plants, and Myrmecology: https://discord.gg/BeQuNf8yTN

AntsIdaho
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 7:41 pm
Location: Bose, Idaho U.S.A.

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99519Post AntsIdaho
Wed Jun 07, 2023 11:10 am

I know, she looks identical to my F. subsericea queen. If a taxonomist would be able to verify, then perhaps antmaps would add them to your state.
Where would I find a Taxonomist?

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antperson24
Posts: 1226
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2022 4:01 pm
Location: North East Iowa

Re: Queen Ant Identification Needed

Post: # 99520Post antperson24
Wed Jun 07, 2023 11:11 am

AntsIdaho wrote:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 11:10 am
I know, she looks identical to my F. subsericea queen. If a taxonomist would be able to verify, then perhaps antmaps would add them to your state.
Where would I find a Taxonomist?
I know one, I could ask him to look at this if you want.
Why keep ants that aren't found in your yard?
There are so many fascinating ants right where you live!
I disagree with the keeping/buying of ants that aren't in your area.

Join Ants, Plants, and Myrmecology: https://discord.gg/BeQuNf8yTN

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