Help with ID?

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Batspiderfish
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Location: Maine

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21278Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 17, 2017 12:21 am

Lasius umbratus. She will be perfectly comfortable in a test tube, but still will need host workers. Unless you are introducing her to callows, it will be best to let her settle in her own tube so (after being put in the same enclosure with a test tube full of host workers) she has somewhere safe to retreat to.

A little bit of sugary liquid on a tray doesn't hurt.
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.

Saeyoung

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21281Post Saeyoung
Wed May 17, 2017 7:23 am

Thank you BatSpiderFish! Now that I know exactly what she is I will go start looking in to what kinds of hosts she can have and how to keep her comfy.

She's the first Queen I've ever caught so I'd really like to try to keep her alive and happy.

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Batspiderfish
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Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21282Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 17, 2017 7:44 am

My first queen was Lasius umbratus too! This is totally doable, as long as you can locate and identify the appropriate host genus. Lasius from the niger group (L. alienus, L. neoniger, L. pallitarsis) are the most frequently used in successful colonies.
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.

Saeyoung

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21284Post Saeyoung
Wed May 17, 2017 8:26 am

I actually think I have a nest of L. alienus nearby my home. I'll go collect a worker for ID purposes. I don't trust myself to be able to 100% positively ID a species, I don't have enough experience.

Saeyoung

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21291Post Saeyoung
Wed May 17, 2017 1:42 pm

Hmm... So apparently these little blackish ants are too tiny for my Nikon D5100, and when I try to reverse the lens (as mentioned in Batspiderfish's Photo board) the camera refuses to take any photos as there is 'No attached lens'. Anybody got any resourceful or creative ideas?

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Batspiderfish
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Location: Maine

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21296Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 17, 2017 4:44 pm

A lot of cameras have a setting where it won't operate unless there is a lens that the camera can communicate with. Since lots of people like to use Nikon's vintage lenses, I assume there is a way to turn this setting off. I've never used Nikon, but I'm sure you can find it somewhere in the menu.
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.

Saeyoung

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21302Post Saeyoung
Wed May 17, 2017 7:21 pm

I shall look around. Thank you, once again Batspiderfish! You're just a wealth of knowledge.

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Batspiderfish
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Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21304Post Batspiderfish
Wed May 17, 2017 7:29 pm

My love of ants and photography feed one another. :P
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.

Saeyoung

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21420Post Saeyoung
Sat May 20, 2017 1:43 pm

You were correct! I got the camera turned to Manual and it allowed me to reverse the lens as long as I held down the shutter button on the lens. Only problem now is the exposure is terrible, it's very dark. I'm going to run the images through Photoshop and up the brightness and contrast to see if it makes it less dark and blurry. Macro is hard to do I'm learning, but it looks like it might be fun!

If photoshop doesn't work I've read there are ways to play with the exposure in the camera settings, so that's what I'll likely try next.

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

Re: Help with ID?

Post: # 21421Post Batspiderfish
Sat May 20, 2017 2:03 pm

Flash is essential. If you have one or more external flashes which you can place away from the camera body and aim, that is ideal. Also: diffusion.
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.

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