I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Polyrhachiskeeper
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I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92818Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Sat May 28, 2022 2:59 am

I need help on identifying my queen ant. This is my second queen ant i caught and i think it's Polyrhachis rastellata or a Formica species. She was cuaght in Malaysia peninsula in a bathroom.

I really hope it's not a Polyrhachis species, because they're picky eaters and are semi claustral. My first queen ant was a Polyrhachis species, she layed 5 eggs. I let her go because i was scared she would not be able to develop her first set of workers because i didnt give her any protein, i only gave her honey, which she really liked.

She sprays formic acid. I fed her a grasshopper leg (caught outside, i know it's bad, but i cuaght it in the jungle), at first she seemed interested in it, but then she just left it alone. I rolled the test tube so the grasshopper leg would move and touch her so she would find it interesting to eat, but she was only getting anoyed of it so she put her abdomen under the grasshopper leg and there came a drop of dark yellowish liquid out of it. (grasshopper leg has been removed)

Here are the links to the pictures of her (she is now in a test tube):
https://ibb.co/mTj8k1s
https://ibb.co/G5qQYJ8

I hope it's clear enough! :D She has dark red legs and she's really black and shiny.

For you guys who think she's not a queen: she has wing scars.

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Polyrhachiskeeper
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Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92821Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Sat May 28, 2022 5:10 am

Oh, and btw, she is about 8 cm long/3.1 inches
Favorite ant:
Polyrhachis/Echinopla

Founding:
-Dark Camponotus nicobarensis
-Polyrhachis illaudata
-Polyrhachis beccarii
-Polyrhachis rastellata 2x

Beginners must not keep Polyrhachis!

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Polyrhachiskeeper
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Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92823Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Sat May 28, 2022 5:43 am

Forgot to tell the date i cuaght her, i cuaght her May 21st
Favorite ant:
Polyrhachis/Echinopla

Founding:
-Dark Camponotus nicobarensis
-Polyrhachis illaudata
-Polyrhachis beccarii
-Polyrhachis rastellata 2x

Beginners must not keep Polyrhachis!

SolenopsisKeeper
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Location: United States, Florida

Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92829Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sat May 28, 2022 9:56 am

Polyrhachiskeeper wrote:
Sat May 28, 2022 5:10 am
Oh, and btw, she is about 8 cm long/3.1 inches
Please measure again, as I don’t believe there is an ant queen that large. Biggest queens are 31mm, or 3.1cm, Dinomyrmex gigas

(Other than ancient species that have weird jaws)
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

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Polyrhachiskeeper
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Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92857Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Sat May 28, 2022 11:39 pm

Oh, sorry. I made a error, it's 8mm/5/16 of an inch
Favorite ant:
Polyrhachis/Echinopla

Founding:
-Dark Camponotus nicobarensis
-Polyrhachis illaudata
-Polyrhachis beccarii
-Polyrhachis rastellata 2x

Beginners must not keep Polyrhachis!

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92869Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sun May 29, 2022 11:44 am

Polyrhachiskeeper wrote:
Sat May 28, 2022 11:39 pm
Oh, sorry. I made a error, it's 8mm/5/16 of an inch
She looks semi-claustral… maybe myrmica? SYTEUO probably is going to come behind me, and say an ant genus I didn’t even know existed :lol:
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

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Polyrhachiskeeper
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Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 92887Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Sun May 29, 2022 9:14 pm

Her gaster has become bigger since i gave her honey, but it's stil small compared to other queen's gasters
Favorite ant:
Polyrhachis/Echinopla

Founding:
-Dark Camponotus nicobarensis
-Polyrhachis illaudata
-Polyrhachis beccarii
-Polyrhachis rastellata 2x

Beginners must not keep Polyrhachis!

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Polyrhachiskeeper
Posts: 167
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Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 94191Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Sun Jul 03, 2022 3:37 am

My queen ant now has a pupa and not a cocoon. Arent Polyrhachis and Camponotus ants related and have cocoons? So i'm guesing my queen is not Polyrhachis or Camponotus :o :? :shock:
Favorite ant:
Polyrhachis/Echinopla

Founding:
-Dark Camponotus nicobarensis
-Polyrhachis illaudata
-Polyrhachis beccarii
-Polyrhachis rastellata 2x

Beginners must not keep Polyrhachis!

SolenopsisKeeper
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 94196Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:59 am

Polyrhachiskeeper wrote:
Sun Jul 03, 2022 3:37 am
My queen ant now has a pupa and not a cocoon. Arent Polyrhachis and Camponotus ants related and have cocoons? So i'm guesing my queen is not Polyrhachis or Camponotus :o :? :shock:
Camponotus can have larvae pupate if they can’t find a way to spin a cocoon.
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

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Polyrhachiskeeper
Posts: 167
Joined: Sat May 28, 2022 1:56 am
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Re: I found a queen ant and i need help to id it

Post: # 94221Post Polyrhachiskeeper
Mon Jul 04, 2022 5:00 am

I haven't given her lots of food because she's very picky about her food :( :cry:
I think the larva hasn't got enough protein to spin a cocoon.
Is it bad if the larva doesnt spin a cocoon and just pupates?
Favorite ant:
Polyrhachis/Echinopla

Founding:
-Dark Camponotus nicobarensis
-Polyrhachis illaudata
-Polyrhachis beccarii
-Polyrhachis rastellata 2x

Beginners must not keep Polyrhachis!

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