Ant ID

Question: Can you identify this very magnified, 1/16" long ant (it bites/stings) found in a sidewalk and inside a house in Multnomah county?
The ones found are all about 1/16" or shorter... 

(I'm wondering if it's indigenous... )

responder: Bill Gerth  Replied June 28, 2023, 1:47 PM EDT
response: Hi Terri, I cannot see enough of the distinguishing characteristics of the ant in your photo to tell what type it is. If you want to gather 10 or so of those and pop them into a small amount of alcohol, you could bring or send them to us at the OSU Plant Clinic for ID. If you'd like to do that, here are instructions for submitting a sample... https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/insect-id-clinic/how-submit-insect-and-spider-materials  Yours,

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 29, 2023, 1:34 PM EDT
response: I am having a courier drop off shipment today before 3pm of two containers of Live ants, one from last night with a tiny amount of water on a tissue and one from this morning with no water. All sealed in containers, then zip lock, then all inside heat-sealed plastic bag. Form was enclosed in box. There's very little alcohol on the dead ants and none on the larva -ish looking 'thing' which is labeled "Live". Also sending some dead in a small amount of alcohol on paper towel, and a couple other kinds of these ants' related specimens of what seem like possible fungus and larva.I meant to enclose a few notes and comments.These may have come with an estate shipment from Texas, or an ant (queen?) could have hitched a ride on transport from GulfCoast, through the southwest, through Utah and E.Oregon.I've had two spring/summer scary large allergic reactions to their many bites, when they got into my house.  My goal is to ID the ants and eventually any pathogens, whether mite or fungal, so I can learn how to treat them and prevent future illness or spread of these ants if they're not native or are somehow dangerous to others (I think my allergies make them worse for me...) I think OHSU has a lab that works on fungus research.- One specimen I found stuck to a bite, that may be a larva. Labeled with a post-it note. It had a black filament (that I keep finding in short and long lengths) attached (shows in the picture.) It fell off getting it into the container.- Other bites have mandibles and even whole ant heads that they leave embedded, very hard to see as they're so small, but bites persist with pain and itching, for me with allergies anyway. See pictures attached with commentsI sent a specimen of something else related to these ants: They leave a filament attached to their bite/sting that seems to grow into branches of filaments; maybe fungus? The specimens I sent happen to be covered in a product for itching called "Afterbite" that the filaments get wrapped up in over a day or so. I find filaments now on my fingers that grow at night and grow in number, branching into many. See photo attached. If you can tell if these are fungus, I may be able to eradicate them from my fingernails - they seem to want to burrow in.Thank you,Terri<personal data hidden>On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 10:47 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Bill Gerth  Replied June 29, 2023, 5:22 PM EDT
response: Ok. I'll look at your sample material. Probably won't be until next week sometime since I have a pile of samples I need to get through in order of arrival. I will have the best results identifying the ants. Not sure what I'll be able to tell you about the rest, but I'll take a look.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 29, 2023, 10:50 PM EDT
response: I appreciate all you're doing... I sent extra, in case.Thank you so much and I knew it would take time...  :)On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 2:22 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote: