The ants come marching, one by one . . .

Remember that ant I wrote about a couple of weeks ago? Since then, two more have appeared, one this past Monday and one again this afternoon. I called the Bohart Museum of Entomology on campus on Monday to see if maybe someone there could identify the species by my description. "Why don't you bring it in?" the man said. So I put Monday Ant in an empty pint container (previously home to salsa), thinking I'd get it over there on Tuesday. But as Tuesday came and went, and I hadn't yet made it to the Bohart, I sprinkled a drop of two of water into Monday Ant's plastic house, thinking he might be thirsty. I felt responsible for his well being by this time. Unfortunately, he drowned, either because he couldn't get out of the water (there really was only a drop or two) or else, feeling despondent and hopeless to chanage his situation, he committed formicide.

I kept Monday, anyway (he was still recognizable as a Very Large Ant), and this afternoon, one of his nestmates showed up, same place, same behavior, same inexplicable appearance. Got Monday Ant's plastic home, nudged Thursday Ant into it, and headed for the Bohart straight away. And guess what—Steve the Bohart guy doesn't know what they are, either. After googling "ant images" (something I'd done, myself), he at first thought my specimens were pavement ants (a species I'd never heard of but that Steve says are fairly common around here), but on examining Mon. and Thurs. under the microscope, said, "Hmmm; nope, they're not pavement ants. This will take some research."

Steve had me leave my name and contact info, and when he figures out what Monday and Thursday are all about, he'll let me know. And then I'll let you know, too. Maybe it'll be some really unusual species. Kind of cool . . . I feel like a field entomologist.