Introducing Two Queens to Each Other

[jameswood1]

Hello guys,
I have 2 queens of the Messor Nondentatus species (which is polygene) and have tried to introduce them. Once they finally met each other they started fighting. I separated them so as they couldn't injure or kill each other. Should I have done this or is it normal for polygene queens to fight at first?
Thanks for any help.

[AntsDakota]

Hello guys,
I have 2 queens of the Messor Nondentatus species (which is polygene) and have tried to introduce them. Once they finally met each other they started fighting. I separated them so as they couldn't injure or kill each other. Should I have done this or is it normal for polygene queens to fight at first?
Thanks for any help.

All Messor species look very similar if not the same. You might have just had a mis-id on your queens, because polygynous queens don't fight. It might also be that your queens are of different species and you didn't know it.

[TheRealAntMan]

The might not have been fighting, instead they might have been asserting dominance over one another. Unless you clearly saw them stinging each which in that case it was definitely a fight.

[jameswood1]

Hello guys,
I have 2 queens of the Messor Nondentatus species (which is polygene) and have tried to introduce them. Once they finally met each other they started fighting. I separated them so as they couldn't injure or kill each other. Should I have done this or is it normal for polygene queens to fight at first?
Thanks for any help.

All Messor species look very similar if not the same. You might have just had a mis-id on your queens, because polygynous queens don't fight. It might also be that your queens are of different species and you didn't know it.

Hey, I purchased the ants off a very reliable seller in my country (probably the top seller in the UK) and they were both meant to be
Messor Nondentatus

[jameswood1]

The might not have been fighting, instead they might have been asserting dominance over one another. Unless you clearly saw them stinging each which in that case it was definitely a fight.

Thanks for the reply. What does stinging look like?

[TheRealAntMan]

You can’t actually see the sting, but if they curl up their rear ends towards each other then that’s a clear sign they are fighting.