Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (antdude) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:50:51 GMT

Closed. Please use http://antfarm.yuku.com/topic/7397 thread for the updated post.

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (antdude) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:22:49 GMT

John, hello and welcome to the message board. Please post a new thread about your ID. I am going to close this thread.

"What reason, like the careful ant, draws laboriously together, the wind of accident sometimes collects in a moment." --Friedrich von Schiller

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (MrILoveTheAnts) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:14:51 GMT

I have found Velvet ants living in sandy pine forests, as well muddy oak and other tree areas.
images.google.com/images?...art=0&sa=N

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (johnj63) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:01:35 GMT

Hi, i am trying to find out what kind of ant i found in my backyard. I am new to this site so i hope i am sending this to the right location. I live about 20 miles from St Louis, Mo. I found an ant that is 3/4 of an inch long and 1/4 inch wide at its thickest point. Its head was red and its back end was red with a black stripe and seamed to have a very hard shell on both red parts, although the red part looked like a fur. I did read about a wingless wasp called a velvet any, but it seemed...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (johnj63) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:49:56 GMT

Hi, i am new to this site so i hope i am posting this in the correct area. I found an ant in my backyard and it is nothing like i have ever seen, so i want to find out what it is. I live about 20 miles outside St Louis, Mo. The ant was just over 3/4 inch long and just about 1/4 inch wide at its thickest point. The Head was red on top and back end was red as well with a black stipe through it. I read something about a velvet ant that is really a wasp but it said they lived in deserts. I took a...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Harpegnathos) — Tue, 08 May 2007 10:03:57 GMT

Ant456934,

You should do what Antdude recommended to fascinatedbyants75: Start a new thread. Since he is The Overlord, his recommendations are practically like commands, even though he is too polite to say so. If you start a new thread, you aren't cluttering this thread and your identification request will get more attention.

But if you really want to know what kind of ant you might have, you also need to look closely and tell how many nodes between the middle and rear...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Ant456934) — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:06:08 GMT

FIRST-East Providence,Rhode Island

SECOND-Used dirt and sand for nest,burrowed underground,under rocks.It lives in my lawn

THIRD-Black

FOURTH-havent looked close enough

FIFTH-

SIXTH-

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (antdude) — Fri, 05 May 2006 10:15:22 GMT

fascinatedbyants75: I'd recommend you make a new thread in anting forum.

"What reason, like the careful ant, draws laboriously together, the wind of accident sometimes collects in a moment." --Friedrich von Schiller

...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Unregistered(d)) — Fri, 05 May 2006 09:54:30 GMT

The ant I would like identified is in Lake County ( don't know if that matters or not!) it is a larger black ant. Where I find it's nest was under a bush in the front yard, near the driveway. The sidewalk was done in "placed" terracotta colored bricks and the ants have made their home in-between these cracks.
I put down food (farina dry cereal, and I noticed the smaller black ants (workers? younger ants?) would pick up the food and go back and forth to the hole.
But the large...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Teleutotje) — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 04:22:43 GMT

A very nice cartoon published in " Notes from Underground " , Number 5 , p. 02 , in 1990 ! An ant that wants to know witch species it belongs to !

Teleutotje
" Tell-oo-toat-yeh " ( Dr Ant )

" I am who I am , I think...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Zanti Agent) — Fri, 27 Dec 2002 14:20:50 GMT

Keep asking the questions. You are well beyond the novice level in my opinion. By the way, I really like the quote you are using as your signature. Is it an Anttps52 original?

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (anttps52) — Wed, 25 Dec 2002 12:26:20 GMT

Just finished reading through Reference Message Forum about the web based ID for ants. Noticed last posts back in August. Was wondering what came of the idea? Is it progressing? Very interesting concept and a great idea. It is quite baffling in the beginning. And it gives me an idea of how I must sound to some of you when asking questions you've probably heard a million times. So I'd like to say to all

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (MrAnt) — Tue, 20 Aug 2002 16:59:13 GMT
A quick note.

Moro.. I just finished creating a full index of your guide. You really did a good amount of work. I think I can clean up the subfamily guide significantly though. (I have a feeling I can get it all cleanly on a single page).

I still really have to sit down and decide how I want to construct that subfamily guide page from what you've done. So be patient.

I think I just wanted to come back and say that while the organization TOTALLY put me off I think...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (MrAnt) — Tue, 20 Aug 2002 10:58:13 GMT
This is mostly for Morosophomyrmex but some other general comments.

Regarding photos I agree if we can all team up on that it would be very helpful.

I agree completely on useful, accessible, but technically accurate.

Also your echoing my own additions to the questions list. So we are also in agreement there.

With regards...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Morosophomyrmex) — Mon, 19 Aug 2002 08:11:58 GMT
I agree, Dr. Ant and tetramorium - first figuring out morphological terms and what things are supposed to look like is really tough, especially if you do not have access to any already identified ants (that's a big reason why I tried getting some images up of midwestern ants - for ant enthusiasts that don't have access to large insect collections). A particular group I remember being confused about was the Formica pallidefulva group - I wasn't sure just how long those scapes had to be, but...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (tetramorium) — Sat, 17 Aug 2002 22:20:26 GMT
I just stumbled across this thread, it seems like a great idea, and I would be pleased to help in any way that I can (photos, web space, etc).

Re: "first steps are the most difficult and baffling" - as one who is still going through those first steps, I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. The first ant I keyed out successfully was M. pergandei, and it was really hard. Changes to the genus, keys using relative terms ("more hirsute", that sort of thing) etc all...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Morosophomyrmex) — Sat, 17 Aug 2002 18:51:27 GMT
Mr. Ant - sure you can use stuff from my page. I'll write more later.

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (MrAnt) — Sat, 17 Aug 2002 09:35:46 GMT
Moro.. Well then I guess I can simplify this dicussion rather dramatically. First my question would be whether I could get permission to nab a copy of that guide (all of it including images) and reorganize it completely.

Since if indeed the keys to all the subfamilies of at least the midwest are there what I'll do with it should give me enough to do a good first shot at a improved version. This could be the next phase of what you have already started and what we are trying to get at...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Dr Ant) — Fri, 16 Aug 2002 18:17:46 GMT
Mr Ant:

I learned ant ID by doing it (and am *still* learning!). The first steps are the most difficult and baffling, but get some ants, a magnifying apparatus, and approriate reegional keys and dive in, and eventually one gets the hang of it. I wouldn't say it ever gets easy, as very careful observation and careful attention to selecting among the choices in the key will always be required. Visiting a good reference collection, such as the one at UM Ann Arbor helps a lot, but best to...

Re: For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Morosophomyrmex) — Fri, 16 Aug 2002 13:18:58 GMT
Dr. Ant - ah thanks for pointing that out. I'm not sure where I got 'alitrunk' from..maybe H&W?

I think everyone starts with subfamily id. The most straightforward characters are used in the key to subfamilies from my site.

I really like the 20 questions type key, but the problem I keep thinking about is that if we try using this key for too many species (i.e. more than the 10-20 most common species), I think we're going to have to end up using really obcscure...

For an ant identification, read this first before asking.

feeds@yuku.com (Dr Ant) — Sat, 24 Mar 2001 09:34:13 GMT
I started to write this to Federico regarding his new ant colony, but decided it would better be a new thread for all with similar questions to read:

One cannot begin to identify the species of ants in your new colony without more information. Ideally, it would be good to post all of the following.

FIRST-Where collected? Country and nearest city or town on map, elevation if in a very mountainous area such as the Rockies, Alps, Himalayas, Andes.

SECOND-Habitat of...