Caught this "Queen" in Costa Rica. Pachycondyla? Help!

[JasonZ617]

I caught this pretty big ant in my bathroom (Aug 13, 2018) and after a close inspection i could definetly see the "wing scars" and a pretty big torso, she is around ~20mm in length, maybe a bit less.
I started looking online and i think this is a pachycondyla... And the section between her torso and her adbomen (dont remember the name of that "extra" section) has a particular shape that makes me think this is a "striata".
And she drinks a loooooot of water. (A LOT).
She is very active whenever there is movement on the setup i made for her, very aggressive, but after a moment of calm she returns to a particular corner where she "rests" peacefully.
I hope you can give me details about it. thank you!
BTW, is this actually a queen? C:




Not the best quatily :S

[JustCliff]

I'm not familiar with the species in Costa Rica, but I'd agree with your identification. She LOOKS like a semi claustral queen, and Pachycondyla is semi claustral.

If all of this is true, she will need an outworld in her founding stage. A place she can call her "nest", somewhere dark and has some moisture, a place separate from that where she can gather food.

It's hard to tell the exact size of that current container, but maybe a measuring vial or something similar assuming that that container supports it.

[JustCliff]

After rereading what I wrote, I felt I wasn't clear enough.

She looks like she has an outworld, which is the container with the blue gravel. This is where she should gather proteins and sugars, she will need something else inside that container or separate from it that she can call her nest.

The standard test tube setup is preferable, but you can make something smaller scale with other container, like the vial. The issue would be keeping it hydrated, the main reason test tubes are useful is because they can hold a lot of water to allow for more time being undisturbed. The worst thing to can do to a founding colony is stress it out.

Also, keeping the vial dark would require paper around the vial to help block out light or something similar. Doesn't matter as long as it's not toxic and stops light, even if you wanted to paint a few vials or tubes.

If she runs out of water you could place a similar vial or tube next to her current and she would likely move herself and brood on her own time. (The minimum level of stress you can get.)

[JasonZ617]

After rereading what I wrote, I felt I wasn't clear enough.

She looks like she has an outworld, which is the container with the blue gravel. This is where she should gather proteins and sugars, she will need something else inside that container or separate from it that she can call her nest.

The standard test tube setup is preferable, but you can make something smaller scale with other container, like the vial. The issue would be keeping it hydrated, the main reason test tubes are useful is because they can hold a lot of water to allow for more time being undisturbed. The worst thing to can do to a founding colony is stress it out.

Also, keeping the vial dark would require paper around the vial to help block out light or something similar. Doesn't matter as long as it's not toxic and stops light, even if you wanted to paint a few vials or tubes.

If she runs out of water you could place a similar vial or tube next to her current and she would likely move herself and brood on her own time. (The minimum level of stress you can get.)

Well i wasnt prepared for this i dont have anything "good" to keep her so i just grabbed this container, made some holes in the walls and put some cotton & water in one of the "rooms"

She hangs out in the area where the cotton sticks out (gravel is very wet there).
Also i added that blue gravel because it was difficult for her to walk on the plastic, very slippery.

[MorbidBugg]

I'd try and 'black out' that section then perhaps a piece of construction paper on top of that cell so she can feel safe.

[Bierschneeman]

is there a way to offer her food without opening the whole thing/exposing her?