Question on Lasius Niger queen

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AntDudeUSA
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat May 12, 2018 5:33 pm
Location: North Carolina

Question on Lasius Niger queen

Post: # 36462Post AntDudeUSA
Mon May 28, 2018 7:55 pm

Hello it seems the ant gods have smiled upon me as I recently found a Lasius queen however my question is about what to do with her in the circumstance that I found here. ok it has been almost non stop rain here for the last few weeks due to the tropical storm hitting florida except for a few warm days here and there . anyways I was doing some yard working in this gravel pit and while digging I disturbed a few ant colonies , mainly RIFA but a few extremely small ants I believe are either Pheiole or Brachymyrmx . I didn't find any queens of them however on a picnic table I found the Lasius queen so my question is did she abandon her colony is it possible that all the digging caused her to flee ? the main reason I'm asking is because I want to know if she needs to be fed or is claustral thanks


-AntDude
Keeper of
x1 Camponotus Penslyvanicus
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x1 Tetramorium Caespitum
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x1 Dorymyrmex Bureni

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Question on Lasius Niger queen

Post: # 36665Post AntsDakota
Fri Jun 01, 2018 12:14 pm

AntDudeUSA wrote:
Mon May 28, 2018 7:55 pm
Hello it seems the ant gods have smiled upon me as I recently found a Lasius queen however my question is about what to do with her in the circumstance that I found here. ok it has been almost non stop rain here for the last few weeks due to the tropical storm hitting florida except for a few warm days here and there . anyways I was doing some yard working in this gravel pit and while digging I disturbed a few ant colonies , mainly RIFA but a few extremely small ants I believe are either Pheiole or Brachymyrmx . I didn't find any queens of them however on a picnic table I found the Lasius queen so my question is did she abandon her colony is it possible that all the digging caused her to flee ? the main reason I'm asking is because I want to know if she needs to be fed or is claustral thanks


-AntDude
It is not Lasius season, so she probably did flee from her nest. Lasius is fully claustral, so you shouldn't have to feed them during the founding stage. Lasius queens sometimes wait until spring to lay eggs and found a colony, so it is possible that this queen had just abandoned her founding chamber, and not a colony. But I would recommend feeding her just in case she came from a nest and had used up all her food stores. I have a colony of Lasius niger and am founding a colony of Lasius flavus, and when Lasius nuptial flights happen, I can catch the queens in midair with a net. So I know all about Lasius, for they are the most common ant genus around my area.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntDudeUSA
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat May 12, 2018 5:33 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Question on Lasius Niger queen

Post: # 36748Post AntDudeUSA
Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:58 pm

Thanks man I gave her some honey and she ate it all up so I think she may have to eat I'm hoping for some eggs soon :D today I managed to catch a tetramorium queen which I'm super excited for I must admit I wish I was in a area to catch many small queens most of the queens I see are solenopsis and they are everywhere they have completely destroy the native ants in my area so I have to go 10 15 minutes away to be able to catch anything for example the Tetra was caught in a city a little ways away and my other queen which is camponotus was caught around a mile away from my house on a job site. PS do you know when the lasius season is at my friends house I have spoted what looks like lasius neoniger

-AntDude
Keeper of
x1 Camponotus Penslyvanicus
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Batspiderfish
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Re: Question on Lasius Niger queen

Post: # 36761Post Batspiderfish
Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:59 pm

Most likely Nylanderia or Prenolepis at this time of year, but not Lasius niger, since that species only exists in Eurasia. There seems to be a new species resembling Lasius niger in colder climates and at higher elevations.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

AntDudeUSA
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat May 12, 2018 5:33 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Question on Lasius Niger queen

Post: # 36945Post AntDudeUSA
Tue Jun 05, 2018 11:56 am

Thank you i will have to look into it then as i thought for sure that my colony was lasius niger will have to check they resmble lasius niger very very closly and i live up near mountains so it may be that other specie you were talking about
Keeper of
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AntDudeUSA
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat May 12, 2018 5:33 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Question on Lasius Niger queen

Post: # 36992Post AntDudeUSA
Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:37 pm

Batspiderfish wrote:
Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:59 pm
Most likely Nylanderia or Prenolepis at this time of year, but not Lasius niger, since that species only exists in Eurasia. There seems to be a new species resembling Lasius niger in colder climates and at higher elevations.
Hello after doing some research I'm very stumped I have read conflicting reports some saying that lasius niger have been introduced to north America other saying it is mistaken identity with lasius aleinus I'm not sure which is correct if you could help fact check that would be appreciated thanks

-Antdude
Keeper of
x1 Camponotus Penslyvanicus
x1 Formica Subscerica
x1 Tetramorium Caespitum
x1 Solenopsis Invicta
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