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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Ants (Formicidae) » Myrmicinae
Photo#35196
Fire Ants?
Copyright © 2005 Jason Widlacki

Fire Ants?
Newport News, Virginia, USA
October 15, 2005
Can anyone tell me what kind of ants these are? I believe they are a species of fire ant because they have 2 nodes between the thorax and abdomen. I didn't take any measurements, but the granules of sugar they are feeding on can provide some degree of scale. Any help with ID is appreciated!
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Contributed by Jason Widlacki on 21 October, 2005 - 4:23pm
Last updated 26 October, 2005 - 5:48pm

Right tribe (Solenopsidini)
Because these black dwarfs not only have two nodes, but lack spines on the propodeum too. A suitable candidate would be the so-called "little black Ant" (Monomorium minutum), but I have no positive evidence for this at this level of magnification. More "material" is still needed!
… Richard Vernier, 29 March, 2006 - 8:24am login or register to post comments

Right subfamily:-)
You certainly are in the right subfamily (Myrmicinae), but you'd probably need much more magnification to determine a genus. Still a great image, and perhaps an ant expert can be more specific.
… Eric R. Eaton, 21 October, 2005 - 4:31pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Thanks Eric. Since they are so small, it's nearly impossible to identify them by just looking at them out in the yard without a magnifying glass (I didn't even consider the possibility they might be fire ants until looking at the pics and magnifying them several times). Are the two nodes between the thorax and abdomen generally an indicator of genus solenopsis, or do they occur in a variety of other species? I will try to get a closer picture as soon as the weather cooperates here.
… Jason Widlacki, 21 October, 2005 - 9:49pm login or register to post comments

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