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Monday Night Mystery

April 12, 2010 by myrmecos

What in the world is this strange creature?

The point breakdown* will be as follows:

2 points for order
2 points for family
2 points for genus
2 points for species
2 points for describing the behavior

As in past weeks, you have to be first in each category.


*What are Myrmecos points good for?  The cumulative winner at the end of the month gets to choose either 1)any 8×10 print from alexanderwild.com, or 2) a guest blog post on a topic of their choosing.

[update]: the answer is here.

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Posted in fun, Nature | Tagged mystery | 15 Comments

15 Responses

  1. on April 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm JasonC.

    Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Cephalotes

    The ant is blocking the nest entrance with its head.


  2. on April 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm Kojun

    Just a wild guess, one of those goofy Cephalotes (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmecinae?) that plugs its nest with its head?


  3. on April 12, 2010 at 6:14 pm JasonC.

    I’m guessing the species is Cephalotes rohweri?


  4. on April 12, 2010 at 6:17 pm Gordon Snelling

    Im thinking more along the lines a of Colobopsis, but the nest plugging activity I agree on.


  5. on April 12, 2010 at 6:25 pm Gordon Snelling

    I have looked closer at the image and I have changed my mind, I am now going to go with Cephalotes as well. If taken in Arizona it must be rowheri. So Hymenoptera, Formicdae, Myrmicinae..


  6. on April 12, 2010 at 6:34 pm TGIQ

    I had no idea, but now…cool beans!


  7. on April 12, 2010 at 7:20 pm ihateaphids

    for some reason those girls always reminded me of alien xenomorphs


    vs


  8. on April 12, 2010 at 8:41 pm Ainsley S

    There are similar tunnel-blocking spiny disks at the fore and aft regions of scolytine weevils, but given the context this must be an ant. Did you check for flying ability by dropping it from a treetop?


  9. on April 12, 2010 at 9:17 pm MarekB

    I’d say it’s Cephalotes varians. Soldiers of C. rohweri don’t have the “head disc” complete.


  10. on April 12, 2010 at 10:06 pm ihateaphids

    NOONE ELSE SEES THE ALIEN SIMILARITY???


  11. on April 13, 2010 at 4:50 am peteryeeles

    Argh, I’m late and everything has already been covered. Can’t even think of a way to cheese a bonus point!


  12. on April 13, 2010 at 6:37 am James C. Trager

    Just a minute here! How can we identify this mystery creature from a single photo, after the earlier chastising we got about that? Anyway, I perceive the structure as convex rather than bowl-shaped, and thus it must be a Microdon larva!


    • on April 13, 2010 at 7:20 am James C. Trager

      Diptera: Syrphidae “[i]Microdon illusio-opticalis[/i]”. These live with [i]Cephalotes[/i], and sometimes even provide nest entrance blocking services (in exchange for eating their larvae).


      • on April 13, 2010 at 7:25 am myrmecos

        Are you going for the coveted Adrian Thysse award?


  13. on April 13, 2010 at 2:28 pm James C. Trager

    Yeah, I got in too late to make points any other way.
    So sad! 😦



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