Weird growth on ant head

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core1331
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Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59033Post core1331
Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:46 pm

One of my ants has something weird on her head. I had something like this happen yesterday to another ant on her antennae and mouth. But this one is in a way worse condition. I took three videos of the last ant and three pictures of the first ant.

Now I was wondering what it was and how I could prevent it from spreading to the rest of my ants.

https://lasiusnigerants.blogspot.com/2019/06/blog-post.html
owns 1 Lasius Niger colony since 2016.

Jgibbss
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59056Post Jgibbss
Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:31 pm

Scary if its a queen bad luck looks like those are mites f thats a worker get all the other ants that dont have it and qurantine them away from those guys to avoid the growth

JoeHostile1
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59087Post JoeHostile1
Mon Jun 03, 2019 1:18 pm

Those look like mites? It looked like a blob of goo to me.
Keeping:
Tetramorium immigrans * Lasius Neoniger * Lasius Claviger * Messor Aciculatus * Myrmica Rubra * Camponotus Novaeboracensis * Camponotus Turkastanus * Pheidole Pallidula

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core1331
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59158Post core1331
Wed Jun 05, 2019 6:10 am

After the ants died the "blob of goo" stayed in place. Wouldn't mites leave the ant after it died?
owns 1 Lasius Niger colony since 2016.

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Quizzie
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59161Post Quizzie
Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:42 pm

Looks like some fungus to me (try googling pandora formicae)

TheRealAntMan
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59175Post TheRealAntMan
Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:29 pm

Quizzie wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:42 pm
Looks like some fungus to me (try googling pandora formicae)
If I remember correctly, pandora sp. are transmitted through aphids. Unless you have aphids, or plants that have come in contact with aphids in your setup, or have even been feeding your ants predators that eat aphids (ex. ladybug nymphs), I doubt it's a pandora sp. But I definitely agree on it being some type of fungus.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

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Quizzie
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59177Post Quizzie
Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:32 pm

TheRealAntMan wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:29 pm
If I remember correctly, pandora sp. are transmitted through aphids. Unless you have aphids, or plants that have come in contact with aphids in your setup, or have even been feeding your ants predators that eat aphids (ex. ladybug nymphs), I doubt it's a pandora sp. But I definitely agree on it being some type of fungus.
Yep, I didn't mean that it was pandora specifically. It's just one fungus I'm familiar with and it looks similar in the pictures.

core1331
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Re: Weird growth on ant head

Post: # 59222Post core1331
Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:22 pm

Quizzie wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:42 pm
Looks like some fungus to me (try googling pandora formicae)
TheRealAntMan wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:29 pm
Quizzie wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:42 pm
Looks like some fungus to me (try googling pandora formicae)
If I remember correctly, pandora sp. are transmitted through aphids. Unless you have aphids, or plants that have come in contact with aphids in your setup, or have even been feeding your ants predators that eat aphids (ex. ladybug nymphs), I doubt it's a pandora sp. But I definitely agree on it being some type of fungus.
I did introduce aphids and a branch from a rosebush a couple days before. My ants didn't milk the aphids and where trying to eat them so I removed the bush the day after, there where only two casualties with the growth that I could spot with my ***** eye. So it probably is Pandora sp. hope it didn't spread further than those two.

Thanks for helping me out!
owns 1 Lasius Niger colony since 2016.

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