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Tetramorium tsushimae Extremely strange worker?


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19 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Amazant - Posted September 3 2019 - 1:11 PM

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So I’ve had this colony for a year now and they are pretty small for tetramorium but they have lots of brood, they have made a wonderful gesture nest out of the sand in there outworld along with a hole which they later covered up and now a new hole going under another tube, the queen is doing good and yesterday I found out that in the mound they made in there test tube not only serves as a safer entrance and exit because it is smaller but they have carved a nicely sized cavern in it which the queen can easily hide in.

Edited by Amazant, September 17 2019 - 3:42 PM.

Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp

#2 Offline Amazant - Posted September 17 2019 - 3:49 PM

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It’s like a miniature queen and it is a little bigger than a worker, her gaster is a little larger than others and her abdomen is huge.



This worker(?) is usually surrounded by some workers like today when I checked on them




Could anyone tell me what this is I’m really confused I have never seen something like this before and the colony is really small.
Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp

#3 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:22 PM

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Ita likely social parasite queen, not sure what type though, and not sure how she got in.The workers are probably caring for her.


Not a threat to the colony.



#4 Offline Amazant - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:38 PM

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Really??? The colors are exact same as the workers and she has a similar size to them, she has the body of a queen, and how could she possibly have gotten in when there is a piece of glass on the entire outworld the test tube in it. And if she is a social parasite queen what type?
Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp

#5 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:48 PM

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I dunno. It's a pretty weird one in a million occurence.



#6 Offline EthanNgo678 - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:50 PM

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Keep us updated!


Plants r cool


#7 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:51 PM

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Wheeler_1908k_figure_E.jpg

this is the only tetramorium parasite I could find



#8 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:52 PM

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796px-Strongylognathus_testaceus_casent0


stronglygnathus testaceus is a good bet


747px-Strongylognathus_testaceus_casent0


800px-Strongylognathus_testaceus_casent0



#9 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:54 PM

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Colonies get large and the majority of workers are stronglygnathus.Pupae may be raided from other colonies. The original colonie is not harmed, and the queen is kept safe.




#10 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 4:57 PM

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Quite a rare find, hope she gets to workers.



#11 Offline Amazant - Posted September 17 2019 - 5:08 PM

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Can anyone tell me how this works it seems pretty interesting, and how could it have gotten into the colony, and how would my colony have gotten one of their pupae? I’ve raised them from a single queen, and is this stronglygnathus a queen or a normal worker? Should I remove this strange ant or keep it in there? Thanks for any information I’ll be sure to update on this colony this is pretty strange.

Edited by Amazant, September 17 2019 - 5:10 PM.

Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp

#12 Offline Manitobant - Posted September 17 2019 - 5:16 PM

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Could maybe be an intercaste or pseudogyne, which is a worker ant with the thorax of a Queen. Sadly can’t lay eggs though.

#13 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 5:17 PM

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Queen, not sure how it got in, keep it, way more interesting than tetramorium, I meant the full colony of the parasite may raid other tetra colonies.



#14 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted September 17 2019 - 5:30 PM

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I highly doubt it's a social parasite. It's probably some form of an intercaste or genetically "weird" ant.
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#15 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 6:07 PM

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You can see wings in the first pic though



#16 Offline Amazant - Posted September 17 2019 - 6:10 PM

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Well let’s see what happens, has anyone had this happen to their colonies?
Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp

#17 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 6:13 PM

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not on here


This ant is hard to find as well



#18 Offline Amazant - Posted September 17 2019 - 7:25 PM

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I got some more pictures and in this one there is this weird thing coming out of her gaster, does anyone know what this is?


Also she definitely has wings which have been chewed a little bit.

Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp

#19 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 17 2019 - 7:33 PM

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get a pic of the jaws


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#20 Offline Amazant - Posted September 17 2019 - 7:49 PM

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I’ll try, not sure how well it’ll turn out.
Colonies: Formica pallidefulva, Lasius neoniger, Camponotus decipiens, Camponotus sp, Camponotus Vicinus, Crematogaster Sp




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