Chiricahua Mtns 2014

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Chiricahua Mtns Road Trip Spring 2014: Ant Species (2)

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Little Dragoon Mtns (Texas Canyon)

Aphaenogaster albisetosa (probably)

Aphaenogaster albisetosa: These ants are very similar in general appearance to the long legged ant (A. cockerelli) in the Superstitions and Sedona. They are much more aggressive than A. cockerelli and bite without hesitation. This is especially true when I place my hand in their nest! A. cockerelli do not seem threatened with my behavior and literally eat Nature Valley Granola out of my hand.

Distinguishing Between Aphaenogaster cockerelli & A. albisetosa

According to antweb.org, "Aphaenogaster albisetosa can be distinguished from all other Aphaenogaster in New Mexico, except A. cockerelli, by the elongate body, long legs and well-developed spines on the propodeum. Most workers can be distinguished from the closely related A. cockerelli as it has a less elongate head. Specimens of these two species are often difficult to separate." I am not sure from the previous statement which species has the less elongate head. In my limited experience with these species, A. cockerelli has a slightly more elongate head. According to Creighton's key (1950), the head (excluding mandibles) of A. cockerelli is 1 1/3 as long as broad, compared with the head (excluding mandibles) of A. albisetosa which is slightly longer than broad. If I read this correctly, the head of A. cockerelli is slightly more elongate. The ant on my finger in the following Image #1 from the Superstition Mtns appears to be Aphaenogaster cockerelli. The ants from this nest were very docile and showed no tendency to bite. Ants from the Little Dragoon Mtns & Chiricahua National Monument (Image #2) were very aggressive and attacked my hand, especially biting in between my fingers. Their heads appear slightly less elongate than the ant on my finger and I think they are A. albisetosa. The ant on my finger also compares rather well with the colony of A. cockerelli at the Living Desert in Palm Desert, California verified by Dr. Nico Franz, Curator of Entomology, Arizona State University. My behavioral criteria for separating these two species may be completely bogus (unscientific).

Image 1 (Aphaeogaster cockerelli)

Image 2 (Aphaeogaster albisetosa)

Aphaenogaster albisetosa: These ants are very similar in general appearance to long-legged ants (A. cockerelli) in the Superstitions and Sedona. They appear to be more aggressive than A. cockerelli and bite without hesitation. This is especially true when I place my hand near their nest! Although their heads are elongate, they appear slightly less elongate than the ant on my finger in Image #1.

Captive colony of long-legged ants (Aphaenogaster cockerelli) at The Living Desert exhibit in Palm Desert, California. Note the slightly more elongate head characteristic of this species. This colony came from Dr. Nico Franz, Curator of Entomology, Arizona State University.

There appears to be a difference in head shape (excluding mandibles) that is consistant with Creighton's key to Aphaenogaster (1950). I have not seen any reference describing a difference in their aggressiveness behavior.

Bonita Canyon (Chiricahua National Monument)

Aphaenogaster albisetosa (probably)

Aphaenogaster albisetosa: These ants are very similar in general appearance to long-legged ants (A. cockerelli) in the Superstitions and Sedona. They are much more aggressive than A. cockerelli and bite without hesitation. This is especially true when I place my hand near their nest! They have a large, deep nest entrance, and are sometimes called funnel ants because their entrance is like a funnel-shaped pitfall trap.

Cave Creek Canyon (Chiricahua Mtns)

Native Fire Ants Solenopsis On Milkweed Flowers

Native fire ant major & minor workers (Solenopsis xyloni--formerly S.maniosa) on the flowers of a milkweed called antelope horns (Asclepias asperula). According to James Trager, the binomial S. maniosa may be revived with new DNA research.