Wayne's Word Index Noteworthy Plants Trivia Lemnaceae Biology 101 Botany Scenic Wildflowers Trains Spiders & Insects Search  Zoom In Large Monitors:  PCs Type Control +  MACs Type Command +   Latest Wayne's Word Updates     Facebook Trivia  Arizona Road Trip Jan-Feb 2018 Part 5     Home       Part 1       Part 2       Part 3       Part 4       Part 5       Part 6       Part 7       Part 8       Part 9       Part 10        See Ant Images Taken Jan & Feb Of 2017!       Ant Images From Jan & Feb Of 2016!   Ant Images (1) West Side Of Superstition Mountains Myrmicinae: Cf. Tetramorium hispidum AntWiki has a nice summary of the genus Tetramorium, including distribution maps and links to keys of species throughout the world. The genus is distributed worldwide with its diversity approaching 600 species. The Afrotropical region holds the largest number of forms with more than 220 described species. Members of this genus can be found in many habitats from humid rainforests to arid savannahs and deserts and in different strata from the ground and leaf litter layer to the high forest canopy. Setting ant pitfall trips under palo verde trees west of the Superstitions. I marked the traps with red flags & waypoints on my Free GPS App for iPhone. If it leads me to within 30 ft I can spot the red flags. This is a marvelous App that also gives latitude & longitude in decimals. In my 1st pitfall trap I found a hispid (covered with stiff hairs) little ant (Tetramorium hispidum) that was new to me! This image was from a live ant. The next image of a deceased ant shows the parallel ridges (rugae) and short, stiff (hispid) hairs more clearly. Note: I also found a Tetramorium last fall in downtown Toronto: (Scroll Down) A deceased Tetramorium hispidum showing parallel ridges (rugae), 2 sharp propodeal spines, and short, stiff (hispid) hairs more clearly. Another Tetramorium Last October (2017) In Downtown Toronto Pavement Ant (Tetramorium caespitum): A colony of this small, slow-moving European species was living in a walkway planter at the approximate position of red arrow in downtown Toronto. It has a 12-segmented antenna with 3-segmented club, 2 propodial spines, and 2 petiole nodes. It is definitely a species that can survive very cold winters with permafrost. I also found it in 2015 near the metropolis of Sparks, Nevada. Image of city taken from top floor of skyscaper in downtown Toronto.   See Images From Eastern Canada (Sept-Oct 2017)   Big-Headed Ants (Pheidole) In our southwest desert, tiny Pheidole ants have major workers to defend their nest against army ant raids. The major worker has an enormous head in proportion to its body. Some species actually block the nest entrance with their heads! Big-Headed Ants (Pheidole) Near Willcox, Arizona The heads of major workers are quite reddish. The minor workers are only 2 mm in length, compared with a local San Marcos species (P. vistana) with minor workers up to 4.0 mm long. Big-Headed Ants In The Superstition Mtns This may be the same species found near Willcox, Arizona. Riparian Preserve At Gilbert Water Ranch Myrmicinae: Another Big-Headed Ant ( Pheidole) In The Superstitions Gently holding a major worker who was not happy. Both majors and minors were reddish-brown (with darker gaster) and larger than previous Pheidole found in Superstitions. Previous collection had tiny black workers 2 mm long. When I first encountered their nest I thought they were fire ants (Solenopsis); however, they have a 3-segmented antennal club and do not sting. They also give off an odor I have previously detected in Pheidole. This species appears to be in the Fallax Group, along wth P. vistana on Owens Peak and Daley Ranch (San Diego County). It is similar to P. desertorum. This species appears to be in the Fallax Group, along wth P. vistana on Owens Peak and Daley Ranch (San Diego County). In fact, the minors have a very long scape and elongated head like P. vistana. It is similar to P. desertorum. GPS coordinates taken with iPhone: N. 33.39447, W. 111.50935. Pheidole At Lower Salt River This appears to be the same species as in previous image from the Superstitions. Both majors and minors were reddish-brown (with darker gaster) and larger than previous Pheidole. As in the previous image, when I first encountered their swarming nest under a rock I thought they were fire ants (Solenopsis); however, they had a 3-segmented antennal club and did not sting. They also gave off an odor I have previously detected in Pheidole. This species appears to be in the Fallax Group, along wth P. vistana on Owens Peak and Daley Ranch (San Diego County). It is similar to P. desertorum. Pheidole At Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. Minute, shiny black Pheidole colony under a rock in Queen Creek. including queen, major workers & minor workers. The minor workers are about 2.0 mm in length. Formicinae: Field Ant Formica In The Superstitions Field ant major and minor workers (Formica sp.) in the Superstitions. This species moves in a jerky motion and does not trail. At first I thought it might be a Myrmecocystus, but it showed no interest in my Werther's butterscotch candy, its maxillary palps weren't long enough, and its nest entrance was unlike those of Myrmecocystus. With over 100 North American species, Formica species can be extremely difficult to identify. Desert field ants F. perpilosa and F. wheeleri have been reported for Willcox, Arizona. Field ant (Formica sp.) in the Superstitions. Its nest is in porphyritic andesite with crystals of plagioclase feldspar. This igneous rock was extruded from ancient volcanoes that formed the Superstition Mountains. It is common in the alluvial areas on the west side of the Superstitions. Some references refer to the alluvial rocks as mostly welded tuff, dacite and decomposed granite. All images on this page copyright © W.P. Armstrong