One of the more common ants in eastern North America is, ostensibly, Dolichoderus. I’ve read that, while restricted to particular habitat types, within those bogs and pine forests they are supposed to be abundant. In theory.
Yet in my entire decades-long career as an ant guy, I have never once seen them alive in North America. Anywhere. It got to the point where I was embarassed to admit such a glaring failure.
Anyway. I broke down and finally begged Ant Guru James Trager to send me a few live workers, and James kindly took pity on me. Herewith, at last, photographs of our North American Dolichoderus:
I take it in your usage here, Belize doesn’t count as North America (since there were gobs of D. bispinosa there – I think they were the most common ant at the resort)?
Beautiful! Although all ants are of course interesting to some degree, Dolichoderus is frankly one of the only saving graces of Dolichoderinae. There, we said it! 😀
Great photos, glad to see you posting again.
Sadly this beautifull site is gone again…..
Yay for Dr. Ant. 🙂