Notes on some local ants

Back in California I never paid much attention at all to ants, and I spent even less time photographing them, except in instances when I was out with somebody else who was very enthusiastic about ants. But in an effort to be a more complete naturalist, I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to be more mindful of these insects, and I've been quite surprised at just how many species I've been able to find so far.

Below are all of the unique ants I've found within about 5 miles of my home, mostly from around the vicinity of the Rillito River, Pantano Wash, and the Catalina foothills in northern Tucson. Most of these observations are from the late evenings, when the nocturnal ants begin to become active but there is still enough sunlight for photos.

1. Pogonomyrmex sp. "red" group - potentially multiple spp. Common during the day
2. Pogonomyrmex rugosus - Uncommon, mostly observed in the evening
3. Novomessor sp. - Common, mostly active later in the evening
4. Veromessor pergandei - I've only found one mound belonging to this species so far
5. Myrmecocystus close to M. mendax - I've only found this species once, in the foothills
6. Myrmecocystus close to M. mimicus - Fairly common
7. Dorymyrmex "bicolor" - Very common, superficially resembling the previous sp. but larger and without ocelli
8. ?Dorymyrmex ?insanus - I'm not sure about this ID yet for this species I've only encountered once
9. Forelius sp. - Very small and probably easily overlooked, I have not encountered it often
10. Pheidole sp. - Very small and easily overlooked, uncommon
11. Brachymyrmex sp. - Common but very, very small, and never around a mound
12. Camponotus sp. - I've only found one singular ant, under a wooden board
13. Acromyrmex versicolor - I've found these only at the Tucson Botanical Gardens

Posted on 17 de março de 2018, 05:03 AM by psyllidhipster