Strange queen behavior

Questions from those who are just starting or considering getting into the ant keeping hobby. If you’re intimidated or confused by the in-depth posts of the other sections of this forum, feel free to post here, and we'll start from square one!

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BleedingRaindrops
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 11:33 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Strange queen behavior

Post: # 16875Post BleedingRaindrops
Tue Feb 07, 2017 9:15 am

It's been two months since I caught two Pheidole queens, and I've been keeping them in a test tube set up in a drawer, checking in once a week. Several times I have noticed one of them exhibiting an odd behavior that worried me at first, but now I'm just curious.

Half the time I see her on her back in the middle of the tube, curled up and wiggling her legs. It's not a frantic movement. If anything it looks slow and deliberate. The first time I saw it I thought she was sick, but she keeps doing it and later she looks fine. Any ideas on what she's up to? Should I be concerned?
Ants kept
Nylanderia sp.
Camponotus sp.
Paratrechina Longicornis
Pheidole sp.

Martialis
Posts: 1576
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:30 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: Strange queen behavior

Post: # 16876Post Martialis
Tue Feb 07, 2017 9:36 am

BleedingRaindrops wrote:It's been two months since I caught two Pheidole queens, and I've been keeping them in a test tube set up in a drawer, checking in once a week. Several times I have noticed one of them exhibiting an odd behavior that worried me at first, but now I'm just curious.

Half the time I see her on her back in the middle of the tube, curled up and wiggling her legs. It's not a frantic movement. If anything it looks slow and deliberate. The first time I saw it I thought she was sick, but she keeps doing it and later she looks fine. Any ideas on what she's up to? Should I be concerned?
Strange. I've seen it with my Brachymyrmex as well as heard from other people that queens do this before they die.
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BleedingRaindrops
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 11:33 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Strange queen behavior

Post: # 16885Post BleedingRaindrops
Tue Feb 07, 2017 3:38 pm

Is there anything I can do to help her? She's the only queen I've seen eggs from.
Ants kept
Nylanderia sp.
Camponotus sp.
Paratrechina Longicornis
Pheidole sp.

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