Queen ant Toronto, Canada

[JoeHostile]

Pictures are not great, sorry.
It's red coloured.

[Canadiananter]

Lasius claviger.this is parasitic if you don't want to keep it, I suggest giving it to me?

[Canadiananter]

If you do want to keep it, this'll help http://www.formiculture.com/topic/3252- ... parasites/

[Batspiderfish]

Images of the gaster and petiole in profile would separate this from the possibility of Lasius latipes, which have fine pilosity on the gaster and a blunt petiolar crest.

[JoeHostile]

Oh gee not sure what to do. I need to find more information. I'm not interested in sacrificing a colony... weird thing is about an hour ago I saw a lasius neoniger queen walking around. I didn't take her because I already have a neoniger colony. But either way I guess I would have had to sacrifice my existing lasius colony because this parasitic ant needs an already established colony? I'm wondering what if I just take some workers, some broad in various stages and make a queenless colony to trick this parasitic queen?

I'll try to take some better pictures. But this queen is particularly uncooperative plus with her wings on she is driving me nuts lol.

[JoeHostile]

[Batspiderfish]

Did you read my little guide, in CanadianAnter's link, above? You don't need to sacrifice a colony -- you just need to give her access to young (or preferably callow) workers with some brood. The host queen does not need any part in it.

The wings always make it tricky to see the petiole and gaster, but Lasius latipes and Lasius claviger are going to have the same requirements, whatever those might be.

We are still learning how to keep these ants.

[Canadiananter]

If you don't want it, give it to me
But in all seriousness I advise you to keep it for now.they start the process in spring and you have months to think

[JoeHostile]

Ok thanks guys. Sorry Canadiananter, but if I don't have to sacrifice a colony I'm definitely going to give it a go. And batspiderfish I did read it but I didn't scroll down past your "Subgenus Acanthomyops" description, so I missed all the most important stuff lol. But now great how perfect you wrote everything I need right there!

[MLavers]

@Canadiananter - I have 8 Claviger queens at present, and no time. You want a couple?