Ant ID anyone?

[What]

Found a few queens while out bug hunting with a friend this past weekend. They are all the same species, but it would be nice to know what they are.

About 1" in length, maybe a bit more. Found under rocks in oak scrub habitat of southern California.







All pictures link to larger, sorry for lack of quality, ants this big still freak me out a bit.

 

[Choobaine]

lack of quality, eh what?
they are very good lookin' photos, but then, ALL your photos look great

ok enough praising sorry

I can't help with the ID but I can drool at your work, I hope that's acceptable and I'm not being annoying!
They are quite striking, that's all I felt the need to say!

 

[crpy]

ant

looks like a western carpenter ant to me, but im not an ant of a guy:razz:

 

[What]

Bit of a bump, I have narrowed it down to what looks like a Formica sp. queen. Anyone able to ID to species?

 

[apidaeman]

Wood/carpenter ant (Formica fusca) , appears to be a queen or a stuffed worker.

 

[What]

What is the distinguishing feature that makes it F. fusca?

All three that I have in my care have laid eggs!

 

[myrmecophile]

Camponotus sp. probably vicinus, a very common southern California species.

 

[apidaeman]

What is the distinguishing feature that makes it F. fusca?

All three that I have in my care have laid eggs!

None; I don't have it in front of me to examine. I am just guessing based on the picture and that is the best guess I have at the moment.

 

[myrmecophile]

It is not a Formica species. It is absolutely a Camponotus.