Please tell me it's a Queen

[nate2o1]

Ok so I went out and found these two beauties today. I believe it is a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. She was all alone under a pile of wood. She is about 1.8 cm caught her in Northwest NJ.


Also This one I moved a log and found a bunch of these guys with wings. I do not know what kind they are or even if they are fertile. They are about .7 cm. Sorry for the Bad Pic.

[idahoantgirl]

The first one is definetly a camponotus pennsylvanicus queen
2nd is also a queen but I can't give you an ID on that

[JustCliff]

Nice!

She looks fertile this time, congrats!

Don't know what that second one is, reminds me of a Prenolepis Imparis worker though. I'll keep checking back till someone can name it, she looks interesting.

[nate2o1]

That's what I wanted to hear! Now I can release the other one if she doesn't lay eggs within a month. I will try to take a better picture of the other one.

[nate2o1]

Ok, Hope these pictures are better for Identifying. She? is about 0.7 cm. Disturbed a nest and found several of them with wings. I know that they probably are not fertile or anything but I would still like to know what species she is. And if she is fertile.. WooHoooo!

[AntsIkhlef]

That's what I wanted to hear! Now I can release the other one if she doesn't lay eggs within a month. I will try to take a better picture of the other one.

A fertile queen will still lay eggs! Altough they would transform into males!

[Batspiderfish]

Aphaenogaster queen. You should release her back to her nest.

"Fertile" is a very misused word and only describes an animal's physical ability to reproduce, something which no hobbyist can measure in their pet queens. Their mated/unmated status is revealed if the queen is able to produce female offspring and thus survive.

[nate2o1]

Good news, One of my Camponotus Pennsylvanicus has a clutch of eggs! Im gonna be an Father!