ID plz Maryland 4/11/17

[Baltimore410Keeper]

So for my 1st find of actual queen hunting .... just walking outside I found this GIANT .... last queen I found was like 6mm this one looks to be 9mm long and a lot more pronounced then my Nylanderia find



If you need better pictures ask now that I have her set up all cozy don't wanna bother her lol

[Martialis]

Lasius social parasite

[Baltimore410Keeper]

Lasius social parasite

Would that mean she cant start her own colony and needs to infest a lasius colony? ..... not quite sure how that works ......

[Martialis]

Would that mean she cant start her own colony and needs to infest a lasius colony? ..... not quite sure how that works ......

You can emulate it in captivity. Here's a link to a post Batspiderfish made discussing the topic.

http://www.formiculture.com/topic/3252-much-ado-about-the-founding-of-lasius-temporary-social-parasites/

[Baltimore410Keeper]

Would that mean she cant start her own colony and needs to infest a lasius colony? ..... not quite sure how that works ......

You can emulate it in captivity. Here's a link to a post Batspiderfish made discussing the topic.

http://www.formiculture.com/topic/3252-much-ado-about-the-founding-of-lasius-temporary-social-parasites/

Yea i saw this post in another thread ....... looking for workers in a few minutes ..... Thanks ^.^

[Batspiderfish]

I can't see the petiole, but she looks like Lasius claviger to me (based on the narrow-ish antennae).

[Baltimore410Keeper]

When it says temporary parasitism ..... does the mean the queen will just leave a nest? ...... if I can get some lasius workers to follow her (I've watched enough videos to kinda understand how this should work) will she end up just dipping out? Lol

[Martialis]

No. By "temporary parasite", it means she will invade a colony and create brood which will develop into workers. When the original hosts die off, she will no longer be a parasite.

[Baltimore410Keeper]

No. By "temporary parasite", it means she will invade a colony and create brood which will develop into workers. When the original hosts die off, she will no longer be a parasite.

Ahhhh lol makes sense .... made a post on the general talk on what I'm doing to try and get this to work ..... thanks for your help.