Newbie question

Help with identifying the species your ants

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TheNdoki

Newbie question

Post: # 1120Post TheNdoki
Sun Aug 02, 2015 1:26 am

First I would like to apologize for having my first post being a plea for help. I've always loved ants but was never really able to study them up close or learn much about them.

Anywho, the other day I was outside watching ants go about their business and I spotted one in the middle of the group sitting on the tip of a blade of grass, it appeared to be chewing on the tip, but what struck me was that it was about 2x the size of all the others.

I caught it and brought it home for my long-empty formicarium, but I figured I should ask the experts if it is indeed a queen. Using comparison pictures from myrmecos.net I'm quite sure, but can't imagine why it would be outside, wingless, and in the middle of a group of seemingly friendly workers.

If it isn't a queen I'll be more than happy to return it to it's home, but if it is, I'd like to start a colony with her if possible, maybe collect some workers to assist.

P.S. Sorry for the picture quality, I don't have any good way to view it, nor any means of magnification.
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WillWithAnts
Posts: 263
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Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1122Post WillWithAnts
Sun Aug 02, 2015 2:03 am

Certainly looks like a queen! Look at the size of that gaster! Amazing! How big is she?
You would have to ask someone else for identification. Good luck!

TheNdoki

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1123Post TheNdoki
Sun Aug 02, 2015 2:09 am

I should also ask: if she(?) was caught in the wild without wings during this time of year, would she be fertilized, or is she doomed and should be released?

Also I couldn't find a way to edit my post so sorry for the reply. Also just realized this probably belongs in the beginner section more than the ID section. If I could delete and/or move it I would.

TheNdoki

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1126Post TheNdoki
Sun Aug 02, 2015 2:13 am

WillWithAnts wrote:Certainly looks like a queen! Look at the size of that gaster! Amazing! How big is she?
You would have to ask someone else for identification. Good luck!
She's 9mm and I'm fairly certain she's a formica, possibly cinerea but I'm not sure about that.

Thanks for the reply though! :D

Dabananaman

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1172Post Dabananaman
Sun Aug 02, 2015 1:50 pm

Definitely a Queen. She might have mated just above the nest and ended up landing on her old colony. Or perhaps she is parasitic?

Better keep and observe her to identify her. If she starts laying eggs than that's awesome!!!

TheNdoki

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1192Post TheNdoki
Sun Aug 02, 2015 5:29 pm

Wow, thanks guys! When I checked this morning she was just tunnelling. I've been trying to offer her a variety of food but she seems more concerned with making a den first, which I can understand.

So are there any foods in particular that might be better better at this stage? Would it help to collect some of the workers for her?

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antscanada
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Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1199Post antscanada
Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:26 pm

TheNdoki wrote:First I would like to apologize for having my first post being a plea for help. I've always loved ants but was never really able to study them up close or learn much about them.

Anywho, the other day I was outside watching ants go about their business and I spotted one in the middle of the group sitting on the tip of a blade of grass, it appeared to be chewing on the tip, but what struck me was that it was about 2x the size of all the others.

I caught it and brought it home for my long-empty formicarium, but I figured I should ask the experts if it is indeed a queen. Using comparison pictures from myrmecos.net I'm quite sure, but can't imagine why it would be outside, wingless, and in the middle of a group of seemingly friendly workers.

If it isn't a queen I'll be more than happy to return it to it's home, but if it is, I'd like to start a colony with her if possible, maybe collect some workers to assist.

P.S. Sorry for the picture quality, I don't have any good way to view it, nor any means of magnification.
She is a Lasius queen, perhaps Lasius niger if you live in Europe. I suggest you make a test tube setup for her. They are flying right now so she may have been in the middle of a nuptial flight and broke off her wings.

She should have some eggs ready for you in about a week, but if she was the queen of the colony of ants you saw she will also still lay eggs but she will be hungry, so I suggest adding a tiny drop of sugar water for her to drink from every few days until her eggs become workers. If she refuses to drink, it means she wasn't the queen of the workers and is really just a newly mated queen and will survive off energy stores in her thorax, until her workers arrive.

Good luck!
Ant Love Forever.

TheNdoki

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1207Post TheNdoki
Sun Aug 02, 2015 9:10 pm

I don't have any test tubes, and not sure what else I could substitute for them. I probably should have also specified, I caught her in Saskatchewan.

She also seems to have buried herself at the bottom of my formicarium. She dug a tunnel to the bottom, and plugged it up, so I'm really worried about feeding her now. It's possible to open the bottom of it and "dump" out the contents, but I don't want to put any extra stress on her if that would cause any problems.

Should I just leave her and see? Move her to a test-tube like setup? I'm getting a little stressed myself now. lol.

TheNdoki

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1221Post TheNdoki
Sun Aug 02, 2015 11:27 pm

Okay, I take it back. Went to my locak convenience store and found candy that comes in test tubes, so with a good cleaning I should be good to go. Just water though? No feeding?

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WillWithAnts
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Location: South Dakota

Re: Newbie question

Post: # 1223Post WillWithAnts
Sun Aug 02, 2015 11:32 pm

If she dug herself a chamber, I would say that she's newly mated and you won't have to feed her. The only problem is water. If she doesn't have water, you had better scoop her up in one of those test-tubes.

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