Interesting ant - Pseudomyrmex

Queen?

Judging from the thorax that is likely a queen ant. I don't know much about them but guesses on the genus and type of ant seem correct to me.

… MrILoveTheAnts, 13 October, 2008 - 7:40am

Could be

I don't see wing bases though (sometimes queens will have stumps left of their old wings), but your right in that it's an ant.

This is a psuedomyrmex ant, possibly gracilis.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/198998/bgpage

… Jonas Insinga, 13 October, 2008 - 7:57am

Wow I didn't realize the work

Wow I didn't realize the workers had such a thorax. I've never encountered these particular ants in person before. They would have fooled me for sure.

… MrILoveTheAnts, 13 October, 2008 - 10:56am

I love

I love the 'browse' function on Bug guide. It makes IDing easier. :D

… Jonas Insinga, 13 October, 2008 - 6:50pm

I've never seen them either, actually...

But I remember pictures well (so I know an ant when i see an ant).
Unfortunately just because I recognize something doesn't mean I can place a name on it. And then there's the issue of two completely different insects that look similar but are not the same thing (such as Glischrochilus sap beetles & the Megalogacne fungus beetles). I couldn't tell the two apart in class just from memory. -_-
In my defense I had never heard of/seen Megalogacne before & I couldn't remember the name of the sap beetle I thought it was.

… Jonas Insinga, 13 October, 2008 - 6:43pm

Not an ID, just a guess.
psuedomyrmex or twig ant. An introduced species. They have a POWERFUL sting but will only sting if trapped against your body.

… Matt Edmonds, 13 October, 2008 - 5:35am

Cool

Thanks, guys...good to know they have a powerful sting too...(worse than a honeybee or paper wasp?)

… Shane Leggio, 14 October, 2008 - 12:45am

Hi Shane,
Even though I find one walking on me almost daily (I work outside), I haven't been stung by one in almost 10 years. I just ignore them or blow them off with a puff of air. If they are under your clothes and you trap them, that's when they sting. I've learned not to do that!
I have to be careful saying how powerful their sting is because I'm a human and we tend to exagerate. Plus it's been so long since I've been stung. If I remember right, it's about the same as a wasp.

… Matt Edmonds, 14 October, 2008 - 7:11am