Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Help with identifying the species your ants

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ArthriticNerdyTapir
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Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:36 pm
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Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Post: # 38868Post ArthriticNerdyTapir
Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:16 pm

Hello, i recently found a queen while mowing some yards(luckily saw it on the sidewalk) and got it in a container like mad. It was 6/24/18 at around 11:30. I used a meter stick so the leangth in metrics is only around 9.5 to 10 mm long. Photo below! This is 7th queen and hopefully wont die on me! Ive had some very bad luck with keeping queens alive longer than a week. Regular test tube set up in tin box(with air holes) in a quiet room. Temperatures in my house is ~72° F. I live in Indiana so summer temps are 80s to 90s out so maybe i need a heat mat of sorts?



Also if anyone has any websites to share over identifying ant species(queens specifically but I’m not picky) it would be much appreciated!!!

ArthriticNerdyTapir
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:36 pm
Location: Earth

Re: Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Post: # 38869Post ArthriticNerdyTapir
Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:31 pm

Since the image didnt work hopefully this does...

https://imgur.com/gallery/brd6VWJ

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Batspiderfish
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Location: Maine

Re: Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Post: # 38926Post Batspiderfish
Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:59 am

Formica from the pallidefulva group.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

ArthriticNerdyTapir
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:36 pm
Location: Earth

Re: Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Post: # 39022Post ArthriticNerdyTapir
Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:26 am

After some research on the Genus Formica and all its subspecies(not all but some) i belive it to be a Formica Incerta(Orange Field Ant)! They can have multiple queens per colony and in the wikipedia description I believe that they also have relationships with aphids too!(i think that’s sooo neat)

Anyways, i just wanted to thank everyone for all the help!!!

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Batspiderfish
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Post: # 39025Post Batspiderfish
Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:09 am

I would wait until workers before trying to ID them. It has a lot to do with hair coverage.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

ArthriticNerdyTapir
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:36 pm
Location: Earth

Re: Need help identifying my Queen!(if it is a queen)

Post: # 47269Post ArthriticNerdyTapir
Sun Aug 12, 2018 5:00 pm

The queen had her first set of eggs hatch. Here they are!

https://imgur.com/gallery/YFfAm5E

Any confirmation on their species? The workers are around a Centimeter in length.

I also caught a couple more queens and heres the link to those who i will call queen B and Queen C so i dont mess them up on this thread.

Here is Queen B(roughly half an inch long)

https://imgur.com/gallery/CzVgcZA

And here is Queen C(VERY TINY around half of a centimeter long)

https://imgur.com/gallery/e0E4Pqb

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