Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Help with identifying the species your ants

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Romonster
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:29 pm
Location: Massachussetts

Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39607Post Romonster
Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:14 pm

I have caught two ants, both black ,the flash from images makes them seem a bit more red, but they are black, and i have no idea what species they, if they are semi claustral, there needs, etc. Can someone help identify them so i can properly care for them. here are some links I've taken of them and there setup https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CPSGOEtyLTGcyKUBeDvaMTjj2x92mFUk One of the queens i caught like two weeks ago, the other i caught today, the first one already has brood, but also a mold problem, which i have posted in another forum, but help for that would be appreciated as well. I think that if they are both the same species, then they are semi claustral, because the queen with brood, i place 4 freshly killed mosquitos in her tube with some sugar water on them, and then the next morning, when i checked on her, she had moved them around and it seemed like she tore them apart, but then she didn't seem to have any interest in a small piece of sliced turkey i placed later. Both queens were very sluggish when i caught them, on in mid day, and one in morning. They were just generally slow, which caught my attention to them in the first place. I don't know if any of this will help, but any help is much appreciated. I live in Massachuessetts USA, and caught them in my neighborhood.

Casualfriday
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:56 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39627Post Casualfriday
Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:57 am

Both ants looks to be camponotus. However, Im sorry to inform you that the second ant is not a queen. Its a male ant.


Also when you say brood do, you mean she has laid eggs or the first set of ants (nanitics) have hatched?


If its the former the queen will not need food, she will survive until the nanitics hatch.


here is a great video on how to care for a queen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMWxDHBu0c8
Keeper of:

solenopsis invicta x3
camponotus sp.
dorymyrmex sp.

Romonster
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:29 pm
Location: Massachussetts

Re: Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39716Post Romonster
Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:23 pm

okay, so she has laid eggs, I thought the second one was a queen do to the large mesothorax. If they are camponotus, how long until her go from egg to adult?

Romonster
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:29 pm
Location: Massachussetts

Re: Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39721Post Romonster
Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:38 pm

yeah, i just checked on the second one and he was dead, but you are sure that they are camponotus ants, cause man that means i'm going to find a way to convince my family that they wont be a problem

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

Re: Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39754Post Batspiderfish
Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:50 pm

Tetramorium immigrans; Camponotus are from the Formicinae subfamily and so have only one petiole node (waist segment). The male is also of this species.
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.

Casualfriday
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:56 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39828Post Casualfriday
Wed Jul 04, 2018 1:02 pm

Batspiderfish wrote:
Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:50 pm
Tetramorium immigrans; Camponotus are from the Formicinae subfamily and so have only one petiole node (waist segment). The male is also of this species.
Thank you. i will get better at this one day :D
Keeper of:

solenopsis invicta x3
camponotus sp.
dorymyrmex sp.

Romonster
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:29 pm
Location: Massachussetts

Re: Identifying two queen ants in Massachussetts

Post: # 39832Post Romonster
Wed Jul 04, 2018 1:59 pm

Alright thank you for that, sorry the pictures are not great, my phone was having trouble focusing on them, is this species claustral, semi claustral, polygenous. Just, anything i should know?

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