Hi everyone,
I'm from Italy and it is the first time for me in this forum.
I need your help to identify this ant (link below) found in Sicily.
I think it is a C. barbaricus but I'm not sure. More informations I wrote in the italian message.
http://www.entomologiitaliani.net/publi ... 11&t=36854

I thank you for your help
Antonella

Hola a todos. Soy de Italia y esta es mi primera vez en este foro. Necesito vuestra ayuda para identificar esta hormiga (link mas abajo), encontrada en Sicilia, creo que es una Camponotus barbaricus. Pero no estoy seguro. Mas información escrita en el mensaje del foro italiano. Gracias por vuestra ayuda. Antonella


Hi Antonella, and welcome to the forum i think the same, it can be barbaricus, but wait to an expert, they can tell you what ant is, we have a good identify team.


Hola, y bienvenido al foro, pienso lo mismo, podría ser barbaricus, pero espera a un experto te podrán decir que hormiga es, tenemos un buen equipo de identificación. Siento que no sea una traduccion muy buena, pero creo que se entiende.

¿U can see this link?

You have the ants in your house, so see the keys, but i think that is barbaricus-

http://formicidae.org/camponotus-barbaricus

Thank you Kraiks!
Yes I can see the link, really it looks like C. barbaricus.

Ciao e grazie ancora
Antonella

You are welcome.
If you need more help

Not sure yet, because I need to check your species list, but might belong to any of the sub. Tanaemyrmex group (see barbaricus and aethiops, last one the most close for me to your photos just seeing the color). Try to see if your queen has a shallow impression on the posterior femora.
See you!

Sorry, do you mean this ant is C. aethiops?

Try to see if your queen has a shallow impression on the posterior femora.

What have I to see: femora or tibia? I read something about tibia:
-Tibia trasera sin surco longitudinal o muy poco marcado > C. aethiops
-Tibia trasera con un surco longitudinal muy marcado > C. barbaricus

Have you seen all my photos? My queen has a red/brown petiole and also red/brown coxa. Femora are a little bit red/brown on the side near the body. C. aethiops is entirely black (Color uniforme marrón o negro).

Ciao Antonella

Sorry, you're right, is not femora, but tibia. The queen of C.aethiops is not necessary entire black, sometimes showing red color on the legs. It happens too with C.pilicornis, some populations with yellowish legs and first tergit, other with redish wich match in part with barbaricus queen. Check if possible the tibia and make sure that has sparce short erect hairs on the genae (?) (not sure if this word exist).

Check if possible the tibia and make sure that has sparce short erect hairs on the genae (?) (not sure if this word exist).

Ok, I will check as soon as possible.

Yes, "genae" plural of "gena" is a correct word, the cheeks of the ant.

Thank you very much.

Ciao Antonella

Sorry again,
ara we sure that the "shallow impression on the posterior tibia" is a diagnostic character of the queen barbaricus or it belongs only to the worker ant?

Ciao Antonella

Well, this character should be shown in queens too. However, articles aboarding this group (not many an so antics) tell them appart (barbaricus-aethiops) just by the color. In this case, your queen should be treated as aethiops (cfr.), assuming that this group is still unresolved and a deep research would change its name, maybe into a new species. Good luck!