California D. Bicolor
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 12:00 pm
A week ago I was at a Mtg tournament in my local card shop when I spotted this girl on the floor. The others wanted to squish her (thinking she was a fly or other annoying bug) but I instantly recognized an alate and cried out for them not to. They hesitated long enough for me to scoop her up (thank goodness I always carry some plastic test tubes around) and were actually intrigued when I explained that this was a queen ant and I intended to start a colony.
I couldn't know if she was fertile, but she's been in a test tube set up in the dark for a week, and here she is today, having shed her wings and laid some brood. Meet Amber.
She is a Dorymrymex Bicolor queen from Southern California, 8mm long. I have enjoyed tempting this species with candy before
(some D. bicolor ants I found out in the desert enjoying a crushed m&m I gave them)
So I am excited to see what this colony turns into. I will post updates every week to see how Amber and her colony are doing.
I couldn't know if she was fertile, but she's been in a test tube set up in the dark for a week, and here she is today, having shed her wings and laid some brood. Meet Amber.
She is a Dorymrymex Bicolor queen from Southern California, 8mm long. I have enjoyed tempting this species with candy before
(some D. bicolor ants I found out in the desert enjoying a crushed m&m I gave them)
So I am excited to see what this colony turns into. I will post updates every week to see how Amber and her colony are doing.