identify some ants(queens)

[Scynthius]

I went out on Sunday after watching the new AntsCanada Video on the weekend, gave me the idea to go try a new spot, Me and my Girlfriend set out with 8 test tubes, we managed to fill each one. i'm pretty sure they are all Formica but to be sure the are all queens and if you are able to tell if they are Formica or not, we brought them home, put them in test tube setups took picture of each and put them away and haven't bothered them. This is my first time catching queens and its been hard to not go and look at them to check on the progress.

We are from central Alberta Canada and they were caught on August 6th.

Also let me know if the quality came through and they are clear enough

as for my guess i think a couple are Formica Podzolica. Also i don't think any of these would be social parasites but tell em what you think

Queen 1
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/2719/KGJUeE.jpg

Queen 2
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/7319/Zvcbam.jpg

Queen 3 (the only winged one we found)
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/1203/apPsoB.jpg

Queen 4
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6746/vklbPg.jpg

Queen 5 (the only one with a red-ish color to her, might be a thatching?)
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/1732/I0YLvH.jpg

Queen 6
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/6015/ukIA7E.jpg

Queen 7
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/4023/HFuhSL.jpg

Queen 8
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/2545/HSeLUR.jpg

[Scynthius]

Maybe it's better if i just post the pictures here,

Queen 1


Queen 2


Queen 3


Queen 4


Queen 5


Queen 6


Queen 7


Queen 8

[Batspiderfish]

Measurements and more than one picture per ant (head, profile, back) will help figure out the species. That hairy Formica alate is interesting.

[Scynthius]

these are all the pictures we took, and now they are cooped up in a drawer, as i don't want to disturb them, do you think pulling them out and getting more pictures would be too stressful for them? this is my first time catching ants so i would like for at least one of them to produce a colony

[Batspiderfish]

No, pulling them out for a bit shouldn't take too much of a toll on them. The bright red Formica is a social parasite, and will need Formica pupae in order to start a colony. I don't actually know what the hairy queen is yet. Measurements are a necessity for identifications.

[Scynthius]

You're sure about this? If i put pupae in there and it isn't a social parasite what is the likely outcome?

[Batspiderfish]

You're sure about this? If i put pupae in there and it isn't a social parasite what is the likely outcome?

Yes, I am sure that queen number five is a social parasite, but if you were to give pupae to a non-parasitic queen, the result would likely be her eating or trashing any brood that is a different species (with a chance she would raise them herself if they are closely related enough. Beginners call this "brood boosting", but it should only be done in the case of social parasites which care for brood, i.e. Formica parasites.)

[Scynthius]

How many pupea is enough to get her started

[Batspiderfish]

6-8 are usually as much as they'll care for.

[Scynthius]

What's the best way to get pupae? Just go dig them up out of the back yard somewhere? Sorry for all the questions I'm obviously new to this