I caught a queen and don't know what species she is. How can I identify her?
Start with good photos. Include a ruler if you can, since size helps separate a lot of species. Take one from the side and one straight on towards the head, in daylight, and note the county, habitat and date you caught her.
Then post the photos to iNaturalist, where experienced identifiers can get to work doing what they do best. If she came from a nuptial flight, the time of day and the weather help too. Together, those greatly narrow the potential species list.
It's also worth making sure she's a queen. Size and color can fool you, so look at the middle of her body instead. A queen's is bulkier, with small wing scars on her thorax where her wings were attached.
If you're in the Southeast, our Lab Notebook has queen ID guides for Camponotus, Pheidole and Solenopsis.
If you're still stuck, reach out with your photos. We're happy to help.