Sydney Australia - 8mm Queen or Drone?

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anterino

Sydney Australia - 8mm Queen or Drone?

Post: # 32177Post anterino
Mon Oct 09, 2017 5:34 am

1. Location of collection: Near Sydney Australia
2. Date of collection: 9 October 2017. 30 degrees c. light rain the day before
3. Habitat of collection: Rock wall next to grass lawn. Close proximity to a Rhytidoponera sp. nest.
4. Length (from head to gaster): 8mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Black with green metallic
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Green metallic sheen
7. Distinguishing behavior: Has trouble walking on plastic test tube
8. Nest description: Small (4-5cm diameter) mounds of grey coloured dirt/rocks
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Did not witness a flight, so not sure if there was one.

Hello! I'm looking for help in determining if this is a Rhytidoponera sp. queen or drone? It has shed its wings from one side, leaving the other side still on. Only saw this one running along a rock wall next to the lawn.
Thanks for looking!

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

Re: Sydney Australia - 8mm Queen or Drone?

Post: # 32179Post Batspiderfish
Mon Oct 09, 2017 9:09 am

Rhytidoponera queen.
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.

anterino

Re: Sydney Australia - 8mm Queen or Drone?

Post: # 32228Post anterino
Tue Oct 10, 2017 7:32 pm

Thanks for the reply!
She has dropped all her wings now that she is in a new setup. This will allow me to feed her easily, plus the sand will be easy to walk on. This is my first semi-claustral queen. She can only access the middle 4 cells for now, I can flip the little plastic walls to put the hole on the floor and allow access to the other cells.
One of the tubes is blocked, the other has a water test tube.
The container is kept dark inside a cardboard box.
Does this look like a suitable setup for her?
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idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: Sydney Australia - 8mm Queen or Drone?

Post: # 32235Post idahoantgirl
Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:35 pm

anterino wrote:
Tue Oct 10, 2017 7:32 pm
Thanks for the reply!
She has dropped all her wings now that she is in a new setup. This will allow me to feed her easily, plus the sand will be easy to walk on. This is my first semi-claustral queen. She can only access the middle 4 cells for now, I can flip the little plastic walls to put the hole on the floor and allow access to the other cells.
One of the tubes is blocked, the other has a water test tube.
The container is kept dark inside a cardboard box.
Does this look like a suitable setup for her?
Image
Image
She only needs and probably should only have access to one cell. If it's too big she wont feel settled enough to lay eggs.
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

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