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acerola: Some kind of Lasius (14. Mär 2006 00:44)

I searched for ants to keep in a gypsum nest in the weekend. I had no luck this time. But I found some ant instead in my flat.
A collected some and made pictures. I tried to identifying them. I used my heavy two wolume book. I'm sure they are some kind of lasius. I work it out in a couple of hour, but inside lasius the book became very vague. I stuck with it.
Can you nail it some more for me?

Country: Hungary
City: Budapest

acerola: (14. Mär 2006 00:53)

One more picture. Please note the very few hair.

acerola: (14. Mär 2006 01:14)

Closeup from mandibles.
It seems to me its 7 teeth.

acerola: (14. Mär 2006 10:34)

Theese specimen was relatively short. Probably the first generation.
2-3mm

acerola: (16. Mär 2006 14:02)

Hi Gorilla!
I'm glad you are so interested. I also very inclined, but my book is only a general animal guide, with only 30-40 ant species.

Your question about the habitat is hard to answer because I find it in my flat. This is a 10 storey concrete building, I live in the 7th floor.

I find very simimlar ants in the surrounding area, under a rock. I'm not sure 100 percent they are identical. But they looked the about the same size and were exactly this brownish color. (it was a big colony, they looked a little bit bigger than theese on the pictures) It was a little cold and the ants was moving very little, and the queen was hiding. So I decided to go back there a little later when it is warmer. I hope they will be my first colony.
I can describe you this second habitat. It is a disturbed area near a newly built main road. With relatively small number of plant species. The soil is a little sandy. This part of the city is plain, level.

I dont know what else can I describe you about the area.
I can make you new pictures if you are interested in a specific part of the ant. Maybe I can achieve a little more magnification also.

I capured the ants in my flat, they are in a jar. I measured them more accurately, their body was 2,5-3mm long without the limbs and antenna.

Thanks, Peter

acerola: (17. Mär 2006 00:00)

Thank you for your help. I will check the links later.
Meanwhile I make another pictures. It may be not imoprtant, but I upload it for fun.

Once again thank You very much.

acerola: (17. Mär 2006 00:19)

To be honest I liked more the other version, the lasius alienus.
I think brunneus is more bicolor. But maybe my ants just too young generation. And I have no detailed keys.

But about the descriptions, I have another pictures wich I beleived so far as lasius brunneus. But I am new to identifying ants, I only like to photograph them, and hopefully will be keeping them.

Here is the other picture, one of my favorite.

Maybe I will be smarter tomorrow. You can be right.

thanks, Peter