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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Formicinae » Lasiini » Citronella Ants (Lasius) » Subgenus Acanthomyops (Lasius Subgenus Acanthomyops) » Smaller Yellow Ant (Lasius claviger)
Photo#584822
Ant swarm, three castes. Species? - Lasius claviger - male - female
Copyright © 2011 stan gilliam

Ant swarm, three castes. Species? - Lasius claviger - Male Female
Oak Ridge, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA
October 5, 2011
Size: see below
Yesterday about an hour before sundown, these ants were swarming out of a nest under a honeysuckle, and many were taking off toward the sun. I captured a few
and photographed them in my studio.
I think these three are queens, a male, and a worker.
The queens were about a quarter inch long.

Images of this individual: tag all
Ant swarm, three castes. Species? - Lasius claviger - male - female Ant swarm, three castes. Species? - Lasius claviger - female Ant swarm, three castes. Species? - Lasius claviger - male Ant swarm, three castes. Species? - Lasius claviger - female
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Contributed by stan gilliam on 6 October, 2011 - 7:28pm
Last updated 7 October, 2011 - 11:26am

Moved
Nice set of images, and I especially like this one with the three forms together, really showing the stark polymorphism. These are commonly known as citronella ants, Did you smell the reason why while observing them?

I'm still wairting for this one and other fall-flying ants to fly here in eastern Missouri. They're awaiting a stimulating rain, but all we've got is warm and dry.
… James C. Trager, 7 October, 2011 - 11:26am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks, James.
I've been reading about castes in The Superorganism.

As to the smell, I did not detect it during the swarm or the next day when I photographed the ants.
However, today i went out and removed leaf litter until I found a chamber and stuck my nose into it. The lemon-verbena smell was apparent but not really strong.
Then I crushed one worker between my fingers and smelled it. There was a strong acrid odor. So I guess they produce the citronella separately from the formic acid. Interesting anyway!
… stan gilliam, 7 October, 2011 - 1:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Yep, different glands.
Citronellol in glands near the head, formic acid in the abdomen.
… James C. Trager, 1 December, 2012 - 1:25pm login or register to post comments

 
Nice of you to reply to my question after more than a year.
Ants are fascinating.
As a photographer, I wish they were larger, though!
… stan gilliam, 1 December, 2012 - 3:22pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 6 October, 2011 - 7:57pm login or register to post comments

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