Colony ID
Moderators: ooper01, Trusted User
Re: Colony ID
Camponotus is a diverse genus, with workers ranging from 4-5mm in length all the way to almost 20mm. Can you provide clearer measurements, please?
Keeper of
Selliing:
Selliing:
Re: Colony ID
If i had to guess maybe 5-6 mm and the queen is not much bigger just has that thicc thorax.
Re: Colony ID
Did you collect all the workers? This almost seems like Formica to me.
Keeper of
Selliing:
Selliing:
Re: Colony ID
I went back out and tried to gather more but there are probably nearly a thousand and yeah at second glance I realized they are Formica. I's say i collected around 20ish for the queen and put her into a plastic container with some honey, lunch meat, and 2 test tubes full of water. It worries me that they are acting as if the entire container is their nest because she is laying eggs in the open rather than the test tubes.
- Batspiderfish
- Posts: 3315
- Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Colony ID
Looks like Formica incerta. It is not a good idea to collect wild colonies, especially ones that are this well developed.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.
Re: Colony ID
Could it hurt them? Or the environment?Batspiderfish wrote: ↑Fri Jul 07, 2017 1:27 pmLooks like Formica incerta. It is not a good idea to collect wild colonies, especially ones that are this well developed.
Ball is life... Ants included.
Re: Colony ID
Both, especially in the southern states. It allows room for other ant species (not necessarily native, i.e. Solenopsis invicta in the South, Tetramorium caespitum here) to nest and outcompete other colonies.
Keeper of
Selliing:
Selliing:
- Batspiderfish
- Posts: 3315
- Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Colony ID
This particular species is not at ecological risk, but the practice of searching for and capturing wild colonies can put some rare ants and other animals (i.e. moths, beetles, amphibians) at risk.
Many new ant keepers see mature colonies as a shortcut, but then fail to take care of a queen and worker sample by either lacking knowledge and experience or the inability of the mature colony to adapt to captivity (or adapt to being removed from the larger colony).
I always recommend that ant keepers start their colonies from foundress queens after a nuptial flight.
Many new ant keepers see mature colonies as a shortcut, but then fail to take care of a queen and worker sample by either lacking knowledge and experience or the inability of the mature colony to adapt to captivity (or adapt to being removed from the larger colony).
I always recommend that ant keepers start their colonies from foundress queens after a nuptial flight.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.
Re: Colony ID
The queen is doing fine now. The colony found the bigger test tube I put in and decided to nest in it. Now they are back to business as usual.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest