A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

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AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47468Post AntsDakota
Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:03 pm

Hi, so if you have no idea what's going on here, please read my previous journal. So, my queens killed each other after they had a few workers, leaving the colony orphaned. The workers grew their colony to about 10 workers or so. Then yesterday I acquired 2 Lasius americanus queens from a friend, and they had about 50 eggs. I introduced the workers into the queens' test tube and they are not fighting. I plan to separate the queens today so they don't kill each other also.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47555Post AntsDakota
Wed Aug 15, 2018 1:22 pm

They accepted them! They just looked so peaceful that I was tempted to just let them be, but then I started to have flashbacks. So I separated them and put a queen in a new test tube and left another with the workers. I didn't get any eggs to go with the queen I removed, since it was hard enough to get the queen herself out, and I didn't want to risk crushing any of the eggs or workers in the process.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47568Post AntsDakota
Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:42 pm

I fed them some honey and the workers immediately started drinking from it. Even the queen came over to drink. (She still hasn't completely figured out that the workers are supposed to do all the work. :lol: )
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47570Post AntsDakota
Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:46 pm

I figured out that they are actually Lasius neoniger, sorry for changing this for the 3rd time now. :oops: But I figured out that Lasius neoniger workers can look almost black at times, and my queens are too skinny to be Lasius americanus. I now know how to distinguish Lasius neoniger from americanus, but still not sure on brevicornis.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

TheRealAntMan
Posts: 620
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47581Post TheRealAntMan
Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:25 pm

I doubt it's Lasius Neoniger as there flights run through September and October. Unless you caught it last year of course. But to be sure, you should get an ID confirmation.
An ants' strength can be rivaled by few animals compared to relative body size.

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47648Post AntsDakota
Thu Aug 16, 2018 1:47 pm

I decided to reintroduce the queen into the colony. She was groomed instantly. I will keep the colony exposed to the light for a week. (Just in case)
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47650Post AntsDakota
Thu Aug 16, 2018 1:54 pm

TheRealAntMan wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:25 pm
I doubt it's Lasius Neoniger as there flights run through September and October. Unless you caught it last year of course. But to be sure, you should get an ID confirmation.
Perhaps pallitarsis?
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 47815Post AntsDakota
Sat Aug 18, 2018 1:19 pm

They're still not fighting..........
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: A colony restored (AntsDakota's Brachymyrmex queen continued)

Post: # 48042Post AntsDakota
Mon Aug 20, 2018 12:35 pm

In two days I will cover them up if they have not fought yet. At that time they would have won my complete trust of being one of the only polygynous colony of it's species in existence.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

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