Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Large black ants

Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 30-01-2010 00:50
#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 00:51
#2
A lone one

Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 31-01-2010 14:28
#3
Any idea?

Posted by Kirsten Eta on 03-02-2010 22:37
#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 22:48
#5
2-3 cm long??????Lasius fuliginosus- Tchernobyl?

Posted by Paul Beuk on 03-02-2010 22:48
#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 13:03
#7
Paul, they are not ants?
Then what are they, I m curious

Posted by Paul Beuk on 04-02-2010 13:55
#8
You misreadthe name, they are not Formicinae. They are Ponerinae.

Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 06-02-2010 14:46
#9
Oh, crazy meWink

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 15:28
#10
paul?

Posted by Xespok on 08-02-2010 15:41
#11
Post it at www.ameisenforum.de. You will get an answer there.

Posted by Paul Beuk on 08-02-2010 22:53
#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 03:19
#13
Thanks Paul.
You've been a great help.

Xespok, thanks for that other site.

Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 09-02-2010 03:21
#14
Oh, one more thing.

The two ants fighting, is it common? Are the ants cannibalistic?

Posted by Muhammad Mahdi on 12-02-2010 15:36
#15
Paul?Wink

Posted by Xespok on 12-02-2010 16:02
#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 17:09
#17
Wow. That's amazing.
Thanks.