ID Needed Please; Trout Lake, WA 05/04/2017

[KSkuroooari]

If anyone could help us ID our three queens, we would be most grateful. All three are about 14mm in length.

Queen #1



Of the three, she is "shinier". Her gaster was also much more swollen-looking.

Queen #2



Compared to Queen #1, her exoskeleton is dull.

Queen #3


Appearance-wise, she looks like Queen #2 but without wings.

I hope the photos are sufficient enough for an ID. My son believes they are Camponotus but we are unsure of the subspecies. We are also wondering if they are polygynous as we are starting to research formicariums and outworlds to purchase. Because, in all honesty, it would be nice not to have to buy three separate sets. And if they are not polygynous and we decide we can't afford to keep all three (cost-wise and space-wise), what should we do with the other two?

Thank you so much in advance for your advice.

[Batspiderfish]

The shinier queen(s) are probably Camponotus laevigatus, and the others, if they look different, could be C. modoc or C. herculeanus.

[KSkuroooari]

The shinier queen(s) are probably Camponotus laevigatus, and the others, if they look different, could be C. modoc or C. herculeanus.

Thank you. I find it so amazing that you can ID them. Identifying subspecies is so overwhelming. Based on pictures, our guesses had been C. nearcticus and C. pennsylvanicus.

Would it be possible to put the two C. modoc queens together?

[Batspiderfish]

The shinier queen(s) are probably Camponotus laevigatus, and the others, if they look different, could be C. modoc or C. herculeanus.

Thank you. I find it so amazing that you can ID them. Identifying subspecies is so overwhelming. Based on pictures, our guesses had been C. nearcticus and C. pennsylvanicus.

Would it be possible to put the two C. modoc queens together?

To the best of my knowledge, these species are monogynous.

[KSkuroooari]

The shinier queen(s) are probably Camponotus laevigatus, and the others, if they look different, could be C. modoc or C. herculeanus.

Thank you. I find it so amazing that you can ID them. Identifying subspecies is so overwhelming. Based on pictures, our guesses had been C. nearcticus and C. pennsylvanicus.

Would it be possible to put the two C. modoc queens together?

To the best of my knowledge, these species are monogynous.

Thank you. I will discuss with my son and decide which he'd like to keep and what we should do with the others. This is a great learning experience for him.

Would you have a preference between the three?