Observações de flippie1971

The minors of C braunsi (see other post for Majors). The description in ants of SA p54 for this species is perfect. I found these minors slowly meandering up and down a tree trunk at the edge of Eastern coastal belt forest. Not only did they look like Cataulacus as suggested in Ants of SA but they occurred with Cataulcus on the same trunk. These minors were about the same size as the Cataulacus measuring in the 4-5mm range. The minors have slightly narrower heads than the majors that are not as heavily pitted and the anterior edge of the pronotum is very acute. The block-like propodeal hump / saddle is quite something!

The majors of C braunsi. The description in ants of SA p54 is perfect. I found both the majors posted here and the minors (next post) at two different locations meandering up established tree trunks. Not only did they look like Cataulacus but on both occasions occurred with Cataulcus on the same trunk. The majors were slightly larger than the Cataulacus measuring around 5-6mm. The majors have stouter heads which are heavily pitted and they are larger than the minors.

This small, very striated black Polyrhachis (a very groovy ant... ) was found in Eastern coastal belt forest. Measures 6.8 - 7mm. Appears to be arboreal. I found 2 nests on the trunks (large branch in one case) of 2 different large, established trees. Both nests had a short, tubular nest entrance fashioned from grass/fibers somehow meshed together (see photos). The one nest was under bark and moss and the other extended into a superficial envelope - like pouch made against the side of the tree which was smooth without a thick bark. I have correlated with Antwiki and Antweb and it is an excellent match. Ants of SA p95.

Visiting a sand forest in the Hluhluwe area. I was very surprised to see this Tsetse fly in the kitchen. Caught it for some close up photography. Haven't seen any other around here but I see there are a number of iNat observations for the Tsetse fly from this region. Not sure which species this is but I see there is a key on the net. Will have a look at that.

Visiting the beautiful Hluhluwe area. The African Stink ant is common here and I have photographed them here before. There are large numbers of nest openings all along the dirt roads in the small park we are visiting. The nest entrance holes are re-opened by the ants every day as people and vehicles use the roads daily. Tedious, but the life of ants that nest on roads, I suppose. A number of dead ants are also seen along the road every day. I have collected one and did a portrait photo back at the bungalo. The ant looks more grey under the diffused light than its appearance with the naked eye (appears black).

These ~5-6mm (some a little smaller) beetles have previously been found in my garden and identified as a potential invasive species of some importance see here https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11317923
I have now rediscovered them in the garden today (on a garden wall) and collected specimens so that a positive ID can hopefully be made.

Edit: 2 High resolution images added (first 2 images) of one of the dead specimens collected at the time of making this obs. Other photos are of live specimens taken in the field.

Orange coloured sugar ants found under a rock. The nest entrance was below the rock with a number of shallow channels visible outside the entrance hole where the ants were moving in (the intact rock would form the roof of these. The ants initially stood dead still for probably 2 minutes before slowly reanimating and then disappeared into the nest. They would then periodically reappear one at a time to investigate the situation. Size varied in the 7-10mm range I would guess. Feeble moustache visible and the majors not as robust at those of C mystaceus. Large eye set behind the midline. So, pretty sure they are C cuneiscapus rather than C mystaceus. See Ants of SA p52 vs p62.

Size just shy of 3mm. Fits the description in Ants of SA p142 to a tee. These ants are quite distinctive to my eyes. Apart from the general colour description given in Ants of SA, their heads appear broad and oversized with a prominent occipital indentation and quite prominent pilosity. I then looked for the tridentate mandibles which are clearly visible in at least pictures 1 and 7. According to Ants of SA this is the only tridentate Monomorium in the region.

Found these 2 Messor-like ants under a rock. A young queen and single worker. The worker is small measuring just shy of 5mm I would guess. The queen measures in the 12-15mm range. Double noded petiole with no propodeal spines I can see. Very large eyes and the worker's eyes are very bulging - see image 3. Does not fit any of our Messors. Not quite sure where to place them. .. Any ideas Peter?

A dark brown / black and yellow Camponotus queen collected from leaf litter in an old milkwood forest at Grootbos nature reserve. Length measured at 13mm. I'm thinking one of C dicksoni or C bianconii. Not C bertolonii which is clearly a different ant, see here (the linked queen ant was found in a C bertolonii nest and its identification is therefore certain in my view): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26183901.
Would have to investigate further to progress. Any ideas @peterslingsby ?

Tetramorium with droopy gaster, reddish tint in colour (although more brown and less red than the Welgemoed clan), long spines and very distinctive petiolar node. Measured 2.9-3mm @ 5x magnification. Quite widespread clearly having been found in Welgemoed, Gansbaai and Hluhluwe!

Truly minute brown ants. Found nesting under a rock. The first image shows an ant at the nest entrance. Hourglass shaped mesosoma with petiolar scale visible (in at least 2 images) and 5 gastral tergites clearly seen - so not Tapinoma or Technomyrmex. Photographed at 5X magnification so I could accurately measure them: 1.3mm. The size, shiny brown colour and eye size and shape otherwise would fit with P puncta - so I will go with that.

Beautiful light chestnut brown to almost peach head and mesosoma on these Camponotus ants that otherwise look like C maculatus so I have gone with that - although this colouring is not something I have seen before. The largest majors were probably around 15mm and the smallest minors about 7mm.

Tetramorium ants collected at Grootbos nature reserve. Much darker and blacker - less red than the variety in my garden in Welgemoed.. Measure just over 3mm which is also a little smaller than the Welgemoed ants. The long spines, very prominent scrobes, mesosomal sculpture and erect hairs covering large parts of the ant, fit very well.