Agressive Black Ant - Formica

owwwwwwwwwww

that hurts! it hurts just to look at it..

… Edna Woodward, 11 August, 2013 - 1:26pm

Yes

It was actually pretty scary. I had to shed most of my clothes and shake them out. I was jumping around and everything. I agree that it felt like stings but there were no welts left on my skin.

… Mardon Erbland, 11 August, 2013 - 2:01pm

ahaha i know that feeling

mine were in a box of old books in a shed, I was tossing stuff out to wagon to go on a burnpile..and all of a sudden they had me..i don't recall any welts its been about 30 years now but the pain was awful, and theres something so fearful about how they hang on, and just wont let go..now I would not have been able to take a picture..oh no..i don't know how you stood it..incidently I googled ants that sting..its some or maybe all myrmecine..they sting and bite.http://scienceblogs.com/photosynthesis/2009/05/09/why-do-only-some-ants-sting/ is really interesting..

… Edna Woodward, 11 August, 2013 - 3:25pm

Moved

Moved from Ants.

… Mardon Erbland, 10 August, 2013 - 5:32pm

Formica fusca group. Thanks for including the note about the "sandy ant hill" -- that makes me think this is a F. podzolica.

… Brendon E. Boudinot, 10 August, 2013 - 2:31pm

i have an ant question

do they have stingers? it looks like they are stinging as well as biting and when I got in a nest of those red and black woodants some years ago it sure felt like a sting! well it felt like many stings. I think the most horrible thing about it was that you had to practically smash their heads to make them let go. that was a nightmare.

… Edna Woodward, 11 August, 2013 - 1:30pm

Formica belong to a lineage of ants (the subfamily Formicinae) which have lost their stinger; these ants spray acid from their venom glands instead. Big aggressive Formica may be able to break your skin (if you give them enough time and/or get enough on you over and over again), in which case their acid (which is one carbon less than vinegar) can pack a nice stinging sensation.

… Brendon E. Boudinot, 11 August, 2013 - 4:21pm

Is F. Glacialis also possible?

Would it help if I were to go back and take a photo of the nest to add here?

… Mardon Erbland, 10 August, 2013 - 5:30pm

A diagnostic photo..

Another useful photo would show a dorsal view of all four gaster tergites, to see the density of pubescence. This would help distinguish between F. glacialis & F. podzolica.

… James C. Trager, 11 August, 2013 - 4:16pm

gaster tergites photo

Here is a dorsal view of the gaster tergites on a different ant which I photographed from the same ant hill. Does this help?

F. glacialis or F. podzolica Maybe ? - Formica

… Mardon Erbland, 12 August, 2013 - 4:52pm

Quite possibly! I would want to see what James Trager says (I am far more familiar with western US ants).

… Brendon E. Boudinot, 10 August, 2013 - 5:33pm

Nest Photos

I've added a couple photos of the nest. I laid a pair of sunglass on the ground to help give an idea of scale. The nest occupies an area of about 10 feet by 4 feet and has 5 semi-distinct mounds within that area. If I were to collect a specimen from the nest would there be anywhere to send it to get a positive ID? Would all the ants in this nesting area be of the same species?

… Mardon Erbland, 11 August, 2013 - 12:04pm