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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) » Myrmicinae » Solenopsidini » Fire Ants and Thief Ants (Solenopsis) » Fire Ants (Solenopsis Fire Ants) » Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)
Photo#688086
Ant Carrying Queen? - Solenopsis invicta
Copyright © 2012 Efram Goldberg

Ant Carrying Queen? - Solenopsis invicta
St Sebastian River State Park, Indian River County, Florida, USA
May 8, 2012
Worker carrying a queen to safety? or a war trophy?

Images of this individual: tag all
Ant Carrying Queen? - Solenopsis invicta Ant Carrying Queen? - Pogonomyrmex badius
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Contributed by Efram Goldberg on 10 August, 2012 - 10:13pm
Last updated 16 August, 2012 - 2:09pm

Moved
This picture of a paralyzed fire ant queen being carried by another ant show the fate of the vast majority of winged ants after they leave the parent nest - predation.
… James C. Trager, 16 August, 2012 - 2:09pm login or register to post comments

The winged one is a fire ant
The winged one is a fire ant Solenopsis invicta, being carried home to eat by what appears to be an Aphaenogaster species. Many just flown (recently mated) ant queens and males are nabbed by predators, including other ants.
… James C. Trager, 15 August, 2012 - 3:34pm login or register to post comments

 
added
I added a different photograph to help identify the attacker.
… Efram Goldberg, 15 August, 2012 - 6:08pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks.
The queen ID stands, but the predator, I can now see, is Pogonomyrmex badius. Fire ants, though invasive, are slowly working their way into the food chain.

I'd like to move the photo that shows the P. badius well to that species' page, and the other to the S. invicta page, okay?
… James C. Trager, 16 August, 2012 - 6:33am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Thanks for the IDs and sure put them where you think they belong.
… Efram Goldberg, 16 August, 2012 - 10:04am login or register to post comments

 
thank you
thank you, i will check to see if I have any of the worker ant. There were lots of winged ants, and I remember a paper wasp eating one of them . I go out to catalog wasps and have a hard time with ants, thanks for the help!
… Efram Goldberg, 15 August, 2012 - 5:40pm login or register to post comments

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