Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Large black ants
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 30-01-2010 01:50
#1
Hi,
I found these enormous large black ants in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania after some heavy rainfalls. In the past I had only seen the ant once or twice but after the rainfall I saw around 6-7 in a day.
The ants were solitary. They were all alone except for one fighting pair.
App 2-3cm long
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 30-01-2010 01:51
#2
A lone one
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 31-01-2010 15:28
#3
Any idea?
Posted by Kirsten Eta on 03-02-2010 23:37
#4
Hello Muhammad,
they should be from the family Lasius and look near Lasius fuliginosus, but sorry, can't give you more information.
Posted by cthirion on 03-02-2010 23:48
#5
2-3 cm long??????Lasius fuliginosus- Tchernobyl?
Posted by Paul Beuk on 03-02-2010 23:48
#6
Kirsten, these are from Africa (in case you missed that) and they certainly are not
Lasius. They are not Formicinae at all.
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 04-02-2010 14:03
#7
Paul, they are not ants?
Then what are they, I m curious
Posted by Paul Beuk on 04-02-2010 14:55
#8
You misreadthe name, they are not Formici
nae. They are Ponerinae.
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 06-02-2010 15:46
#9
Oh, crazy me;)
Any idea which genus?
Could you suggest a specialist?
These ants were very striking and I am interested in knowing about them.
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 08-02-2010 16:28
#10
paul?
Posted by Xespok on 08-02-2010 16:41
#11
Post it at www.ameisenforum.de. You will get an answer there.
Posted by Paul Beuk on 08-02-2010 23:53
#12
I received this message from Barry:
Dear Paul,
Yes, the photographs are certainly of a species of Plectroctena. I can not tell if it is P. mandibularis or P. strigosa from the photos, but it is one of those two.
Best regards
Barry
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 09-02-2010 04:19
#13
Thanks Paul.
You've been a great help.
Xespok, thanks for that other site.
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 09-02-2010 04:21
#14
Oh, one more thing.
The two ants fighting, is it common? Are the ants cannibalistic?
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 12-02-2010 16:36
#15
Paul?;)
Posted by Xespok on 12-02-2010 17:02
#16
Probably territorial rivalry. In most ant species colonies own a particular piece of habitat and they fight the members of neighboring colonies if they wander to foreign land. The recognition is based on smell. Sometimes wars between colonies erupt and one colony takes over the territory of a smaller weaker colony..
Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 12-02-2010 18:09
#17
Wow. That's amazing.
Thanks.