Help with Identifying Queens Please, Team

Help with identifying the species your ants

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BloodyStevoMate

Help with Identifying Queens Please, Team

Post: # 29081Post BloodyStevoMate
Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:49 pm

Hi gang.
So i only recently got into ant keeping as a serious hobby less than a month back, after randomly coming across an AC youtube vid.. Anyway, there will be time for meet 'n' greets later, the post title says it all, really..

As I say, very new to the practice of actually going and finding a queen and raising a sustained colony, but since there are a number of species having their nuptials at the moment, i thought I'd choose a good day to go looking for queens down the local nature trails..
Well, i took 4 little tubes, and within 15 mins I'd come across more queens than I had containers to carry them in, so resorted to bottle caps and other containers. I collected 5 of a particular species, and a single queen of another species (details below), but if you guys could help me with ID'ing them , that'd be great, because let's face it, 1 reproducing queen is plenty for me as a starter, and the others are quite likely destined for the GAN. (I may need to open a separate thread for this, but how do i keep multiple queens for GAN while limiting the size of the colony? that info would also be fantastic.)

So first, the details of the location and so on:

Date/Time: 14-08-17 / 4:15pm (sorry, I'm an Aussie, that's August 14th)
General area: Paralowie, South Australia; Found along nature trail
Length: 9mm
Image
Image

OMG maybe next time I'll save those as smaller files, my bad.
Apologies for the lousy quality of Queen2's pics, she just wouldn't stay still!! I can try to get a better snap of her to clarify details and what have you, though I am only using my iphone with a lens in front of the camera to take these -_-"
Colour-wise, she is all black, that should be clear to see; her length is between 12-13mm
Image
Image

If anyone is able to help ID these lovelies, I can't wait to hear back, and cheers in advance !

Much love,
Bloody Stevo Mate

BloodyStevoMate

Re: Help with Identifying Queens Please, Team

Post: # 29085Post BloodyStevoMate
Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:25 pm

Ok I just read the thread on rules for requesting identification of queens,. luckily i included most of it.
Quick update, after browsing a few sites and images of species, I suspect the second queen is a Lasius niger, or some possibly some other Lasius sp.

As for the first black and brown queen, I am guessing based purely on what I've found regarding our ant fauna here in Aus, possibly some kind of Camponotus sp. ?

Cheers guys!

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Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Help with Identifying Queens Please, Team

Post: # 29099Post Batspiderfish
Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:46 pm

No Lasius in Australia. The first queen is Campnotus sp. The second is Melophorus sp.
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.

JackPayne
Posts: 287
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:28 am
Location: Australia,NSW

Re: Help with Identifying Queens Please, Team

Post: # 29100Post JackPayne
Tue Aug 15, 2017 3:32 am

WOW!

Can't believe they are flying so early!!! They are some lucky catches.
Hi I'm Jack, How are you?

BloodyStevoMate

Re: Help with Identifying Queens Please, Team

Post: # 29518Post BloodyStevoMate
Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:25 pm

Cheers Jack. Yeah I got some early flights at a good time, though none of them are laying yet.. Fingers crossed heheh.

Thanks for the info BSF, will keep you guys posted on their (hopefully) progress :)

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