Minot Air Force Base, ND #6

[FarrAnts]

Wow! This has to be the coolest queen I've caught yet. I don't even have the faintest idea of what she is. This queen is 9-10 mm. If you need any more pictures or details, let me know! Thanks!

[AntLove5Ever]

Appears to be a parasitic formica, but I'd need better pictures of the gaster, and antenna, but I'd advise a second opinion. Formica pergandei??? I honestly would need a bit of a microscope to tell formica species, im not great as far as formica goes.

[AntLove5Ever]

I'm not an expert in keeping parasites, in fact I can't even qualify as an amateur, I've never successfully done it myself. I know the procedure, but I've never pulled it off. Grab some formica workers, and grab your queen. Put them in the WARMEST part of your fridge for a while, then, once they have entered a slowed state, introduce one of the workers, and put them back into the fridge, after a week take them out, if that worker is friendly to the queen when warmed up to room temp. Then repeat again with the other workers, til you get to around 5, then treat it like a small colony.

EDIT: callows will work too, but finding callows is really really hard, cuz you need to find an above ground nest at the PERFECT time where callows are not fully hardened yet.


ONLY, AND I MEAN ONLY DO THIS ONCE YOU HAVE GOTTEN THE OPINION OF SOMEONE ELSE, I AM NOT CERTAIN OF MY ID, BUT THAT IS THE INFO I HAVE TO OFFER. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEAD ANTS!!!!

[FarrAnts]

Okay thanks!!!!! I'll wait for batspiderfish.

[Martialis]

If this truly is a parasitic Formica, all it needs are Formica pupae.

I think this is either a rufa or sanguinea-group Formica.

[FarrAnts]

Thanks. I got better pictures.







Batspiderfish, do you know what exactly it is? And if it's a parasite,

[AntOblivion]

Seems like Formica ravida and yes this is a parasitic species

[Martialis]

Agreed. She is one of the infamous thatched-mound building, formic acid shooting, aggressive, wood ants. Nice find! Personally, I want the Formica exsectoides present here in the eastern US.

[FarrAnts]

Agreed. She is one of the infamous thatched-mound building, formic acid shooting, aggressive, wood ants. Nice find! Personally, I want the Formica exsectoides present here in the eastern US.

Wow! How do I get her to start laying eggs?

[Martialis]

Take some pupae from a Formica colony and give it to her, that should work for a parasitic Formica.