Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

physogastric founding queen???

lasius flavus ant soil

  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic

#1 Offline ctantkeeper - Posted July 5 2015 - 2:56 PM

ctantkeeper

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 704 posts
  • LocationCT

during a hiking trip at sleeping giant state park, I lifted a large boulder and found a small lasius flavus colony which contained approx. 18 small workers, a huge pile of eggs and small larvae and a single queen which had her gaster greatly distended (I also observed muscular contractions in the queens abdomen periodically as she layed eggs). after capturing the colony in a small plastic bag, I realized that their were no tunnels connected to the chamber the queen was found in, leading me to believe that the colony was founded during the labor day nuptial flight last year. is it possible for founding queens of this species to become physogastric in such a short time frame? if any of you guys have raised this species before, any information regarding care would be greatly appreciated :) 



#2 Offline Ants4fun - Posted July 5 2015 - 9:23 PM

Ants4fun

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,142 posts
  • LocationSouth Dakota
Wow, that seems odd... Are you sure she isn't filled with parasites?
  • ctantkeeper likes this

#3 Offline Myrmicinae - Posted July 5 2015 - 9:38 PM

Myrmicinae

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 274 posts
  • LocationFort Collins, CO

The queen may just be storing liquid food for the colony.  Myrmecocystus queens will do this before the first replete workers develop.


  • Miles and cpman like this
Journals on Formiculture:
Pheidole ceres
Tapinoma sessile

Old YouTube Channel:
ColoradoAnts

#4 Offline BrittonLS - Posted July 6 2015 - 6:20 AM

BrittonLS

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 284 posts
  • LocationFt. Worth, Texas

The queen may just be storing liquid food for the colony. Myrmecocystus queens will do this before the first replete workers develop.

That would be my guess too except as a completely ignorant person about ants. I found an S.invicta that was super swollen like that, but she was probably just filled with pool water.

#5 Offline Crystals - Posted July 6 2015 - 7:18 AM

Crystals

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,048 posts
  • LocationAthabasca, AB (Canada)

In my experience, some species will use the queen as a food storage unit until they get more workers.  I tend to see this quite commonly in the Formica neogagates group, and occasionally in several other species such as Lasius neoniger and Camponotus herculeanus.

 

At this time of year it could be a combination of the queen storing a lot of food and laying eggs.


"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astound the rest." -- Samuel Clemens

 

List of Handy Links   (pinned in the General section)

My Colonies


#6 Offline cpman - Posted July 6 2015 - 8:41 AM

cpman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 317 posts
  • LocationAustin, TX

Once, I had a Nylanderia queen whose gaster expanded more than 3x overnight when she had no workers. She just drank a LOT of water...



#7 Offline ctantkeeper - Posted July 6 2015 - 8:01 PM

ctantkeeper

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 704 posts
  • LocationCT

the idea of her storing food seems plausible, but her abdomen is white. if there was food in her gaster, wouldn't it be clear?







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: lasius, flavus, ant, soil

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users