I thought i caught 2 ant queens

[nickvaes]

Hey guys, So when I was on holiday in germany ( I live in belgium ) i saw these beautyfull red and black ants, and when i saw a queen i decided to catch it, not sure if she would survive i caught another one ( i thought ) because 2 weeks later she hasnt layed eggs. So i starting to think its not a queen at all but im kinda confused.

My second ant is bigger than other ants has a bigger thorax, however she has a smaller abdomen than my queen. So i dont know if it is a queen but cant lay eggs. Or is it jst a huge major? However they are the same size as lasius niger ants and they dont have majors. What do you guys think?


Pics queen ant 1



Pics ( queen ) ant 2

[Phoenix]

1st Is DeFinitely A Queen Ant; Where's The Other Image For The 2nd Queen?

[nickvaes]

1st Is DeFinitely A Queen Ant; Where's The Other Image For The 2nd Queen?

Added them all now.

[Jadeninja9]

Well the first one has layed eggs. I don't know the species though. I think the second queen could maybe be a Camponotus queen but I'm not sure.

[nickvaes]

Well the first one has layed eggs. I don't know the species though. I think the second queen could maybe be a Camponotus queen but I'm not sure.

The second one hasnt layed any eggs and only tried to escape by pulling off small pieces of the cotton, i feel like its not a queen since she hasnt calmed down at all even afther a week in pure darkness.

[Serafine]

She may just be unmated.

[nickvaes]

Thats the same i thought but why did she lost her wings than? Queens lose there wings when they are looking for a nest to lay there eggs right?

[Batspiderfish]

I think they are both Formica (the first queen could possibly be Lasius emarginatus, but it is hard to tell from the one angle). The second one is a Formica social parasite, which probably explains her behavior while alone in the test tube. She will need 6-10 Formica pupae if you want to keep her.

Don't feed your queens in the test tube unless it is on a removable tray, or else you will be inviting potentially harmful mold (thick, semi-dried sugary liquid is also easy to get stuck in).

[nickvaes]

I think they are both Formica (the first queen could possibly be Lasius emarginatus, but it is hard to tell from the one angle). The second one is a Formica social parasite, which probably explains her behavior while alone in the test tube. She will need 6-10 Formica pupae if you want to keep her.

Don't feed your queens in the test tube unless it is on a removable tray, or else you will be inviting potentially harmful mold (thick, semi-dried sugary liquid is also easy to get stuck in).

How can i give her 6-10 formica pupae? She should lay eggs herself?

[Batspiderfish]

Social parsites will not lay eggs until they have host workers. You can offer the pupae in an adjoined test tube, which the queen will horde almost immediately upon discovery.