You did well with last night’s turtle ant challenge.
Based on the saguaro cactus, the header photo must have been taken in the Sonoran desert. Only one Cephalotes species occurs there: C. rohweri, or #2 in the list. 6 points go to Danny MacDonald for being the first to pick the correct mystery ant from the lineup. Additional points go to Zestin (2 points) and to KMS (2 points) for picking C. atratus and C. clypeatus as species that lack a discrete, differentiated soldier caste. I’m also awarding Jon 1 consolation point for extra footwork in naming the other 9 species.
Surely Jon deserves another point for the ‘C. rohweri drop test’.
Meh, I was disappointed there wasn’t a series of target rings below like a dartboard. Or perhaps one of these:
http://imageenvision.com/450/35761-clip-art-graphic-of-red-target-light-centered-on-a-black-sugar-ant-by-jester-arts.jpg
Are you sure that’s a ‘sugar ant’? If that was a Monday night mystery, I’d be punting on an undescribed species of Polyrhachis Campomyrma.
damnifiknow, KMS
I belong to the school of ant identification that uses this key:
http://beetlesinthebush.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/revision-of-the-formicidae-of-north-america/
Seems like ALL ants like sugar, so I call em all sugar ants, cept the ones that sting me. Can’t print what I call those here…
Indeed. That was pretty cool.
I’m thrilled with my one point! It might bring me up to two lifetime on Myrmecos, which will probably rank right up there with my phd at the end of the day.
🙂 First Myrmecos win! I’ll have to really pay attention the rest of the month so I can claim a prize.