Ant for ID

[racketman]

I thought there were two types Red & Black and had some notion of a Wood ant. This key suggests about 60 species - can it be used to iD this one, see if you come to the same answer as me ;)

http://www.antnest.co.uk/downloads/types.pdf

http://www.pbase.com/racketman/image/77644974.jpg

mug shot

http://www.pbase.com/image/77645570.jpg

[dpastern]

Well, given the images, I came to the conclusion using that key that it's a myrmecina myrmecina.

2 waists, not black (so not a queen), it has spines on the back of the mesosoma, no spine under the 2nd waist, I can't see if it has jaws with teeth or not, but the jaw doesn't look sickle shaped to me anyways, first section isn't elongated and normal eyes, and the first section looks oblong like to me and I can see 2 tubercles above. Well, that's how I came to my conclusion!

Dave

[racketman]

thanks for effort - definitely myrmecina; I dont see myrmecina myrmecina listed but did you mean to write myrmecina rubra?

toby

[dpastern]

Page 2 Toby point 7 - where the key goes no further. Ahh, dang, I just realised the error of my ways, will continue with the key (didn't realise the first part of the key was for genera lol). Will continue with the key onto species and let you know what I come up with :) I don't have a lot of experience using keys, took me a while to get used to this one, but is good practice and I'm happy that you put that PDF file up so I can practice this :)

Dave

edit: You are correct Toby, it does seem to be myrmecina rubra, that's what I came to using that key. I enjoyed that, I had to download some stuff on ant biology to understand what the terms referred to, but was good to learn.

[racketman]

this is another red species from last year without the horned thorax:

http://www.pbase.com/racketman/image/72432504.jpg

[dpastern]

Well, using the key, I narrowed that one down to being of the Leptothorax genus, but impossible to tell further down the key as the antennae are too OOF. But - judging by the dorsal darker section on the mesosoma, I'd say it's leptothorax nylander. :)

Dave

[racketman]

you will have your work cut out in Australia where some 1300 species are described against our 60!

[dpastern]

Yup. I rarely try and ID a lot of the insects down to genus/species levels, simply too hard, and too time consuming in a lot of cases. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, I like detective work, and that's what it really is, I just find there's not enough hours in the day to do everything, without doing more!!! 1300 species...that just makes me cry lol!!!

Dave