ANTSTORE World of Ants

[akell]

Hello,
Is there a good trick to distinguish between these two secies Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodus? I only know there is a slight difference in the length of the spines, but do you happen to know of an easier way?
Many thanks,
A

[Messorus]

D. points between this two species are small, but with good literature and biocular microscop you can determinate these ants right. I think some info and determinations if PDF you can find on the internet too!

[damondeionno]

I've never had a clue about this one. I've been told on here that Myrmica rubra queens are much closer to the size of workers. Or maybe that was Myrmica ruginodis queens? Can't remember.

To be honest, I would be more interested in behaviour or habitat differences, as if they look the same, and act the same, they are pretty much the same to me.

[SteveUK28]

well i have both these ants.. and i would say the queen of Myrmica ruginodis is smaller than Myrmica rubra.. also my Myrmica rubra are far more aggressive then the ruginodis. Why do you ask Akell ?

[akell]

I have both of them too, both in sand and soil with grass in 40x30x20 basins and now that the queens are well dug in I thought I had better put labels on the basins, cause if I or someone else moves the basins, I realized wouldn't know one from the other unless I dug the queens out, or did some bloodsport. Last ant standing would be rubra I suppose, but that's not really my thing. Do you have a trick to tell the workers apart Steve? I thought there was a small color/colour difference but I think that was just the light.
A

[SteveUK28]

if there is a differnce its very small.. maybe the ruginodis are slightly lighter, and i dont know if its me.. but slightly smaller.. like 1mm smaller! Either way.. it is VERY hard to tell them apart.

[akell]

Yeah it´s crazy. I also see the Myrmica ruginodis as slightly lighter. Maybe a bit more reddish. Sometimes a bit, (like a tiny, TINY bit,) bigger! Strange...
I don't know man. I'd better just stick a label on the tanks.
Oh, something else---I heard there is a Teflon tape that avid computer gamers use on their mouse (mouses? mice?) so they'll slide faster or something. PTFE is a kind of fluon, like Teflon, is that right? So anyhow I found a place on the net that sells this stuff and I ordered a bit to see if it works on ants as well as mice, ha. Seriously though. I'll tell you if it's any good.
See you,
A

[SteveUK28]

lol if it does i def want some

[amrik singh]

Hi ,
The best way I think is to collect several dead ants separately from each colony to compare the two groups . The Myrmicas rubra have shorter spines ,M.ruginodis much longer one.
M.ruginodis is more frequent in the forest and woods. M.rubra preffer warmer more sunny areas.
for the size of the queen there is a considerable overlap in the size range of the two species so it is possible that one big queen of M.rubra is bigger than one small queen of M.ruginodis but F. Bernard gived the folowing size range for the two species :4,5mm to 6mm for M.rubra
5,0mm to 7,1mm for M.ruginodis
I often have seen big queens of M.ruginodis .It is not surprising because M.ruginodis start new colonys in forest mostly by independent foudation by a lone queen . M.rubra colony reproduce largely by cission and emigration des colony. It is possible that the smallest sizes in Myrmica rubra (less than 5mm)are in fact microgynes.