40 replies to this topic

[nurbs]

Did you taste one? Looks delicious. 

[dspdrew]

The only species I have gotten these same looking larvae bursting out of are Liometopum occidentale. I kept some once and they turned into flies.

[T.C.]

Did you taste one? Looks delicious. 

 

I sauteed them first.

[T.C.]

On queen two, my suspicions where correct. I came to find the same things crawling out of this queen as well.

[sgheaton]

...Come now, TC.... you know the rules...... Pics or it didn't happen and in this case, we all want the video!

 

Consensus is they are fly larva? 

[Hunter]

if you micro image the photo the larva have no teeth indicating it is not a maggot and going of species of ant i would say you have Elasmosoma luxemburgense larva

[T.C.]

...Come now, TC.... you know the rules...... Pics or it didn't happen and in this case, we all want the video!

 

Consensus is they are fly larva? 

 

[gcsnelling]

Well we shall see.

[T.C.]

Well we shall see.

Do you think the container alone will be enough for them to pupate?

[Mortamir]

Mine died after a couple of days with just the queen in there. Also some got through the cotton to water which means some got through.....

[LC3]

Maybe they need substrate. Judging by how active they are, they might burrow into the substrate or wood (from the claustral chamber) and pupate there.

[T.C.]

Well one thing for sure, they are tough as hell. I put four into 96% alcohol, after they fell onto my workspace. It's been 5 minutes and fully submerged they are still moving.

[Russell]

I lost a number of Lasius to parasites last year. Gasters broken open with a dead fly in test tube. I also was out looking today for Camponotus and found a number of what were likely parasitic wasps walking on logs I know the Camponotus nest in. 

[T.C.]

We have some of them pupating, we are gonna see what they are soon.

[BobJ]

I found what looks like those same parasitic maggots squirming out of a swatted grey striped flesh fly just now.   The maggots were coming out of the fly's thorax and abdomen.  Be careful feeding flys to your ants.

[AnthonyP163]

Mine aren't yet eclosed from their pupae, but it's gotta be soon. They've been in there for at least a week. I'm thinking they might be a type of fly as gcsnelling mentioned.

 

Will post here when they do.

Edited by AnthonyP163, June 12 2018 - 2:35 PM.

[rbarreto]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the maggots would be harmless to the ants. You would need whatever they turn to to be mated to possibly harm your ant. Even them I'm pretty sure they are quite specialized and would only lay in swatted grey stripped flesh flies.

Edited by rbarreto, June 12 2018 - 2:39 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Corrrect, any maggots coming from the fly like that will be harmless to your ants.

[BobJ]

Even them I'm pretty sure they are quite specialized and would only lay in swatted grey stripped flesh flies.

Just to clarify, the fly was alive and flying just before I killed it.  It was being eaten alive from the inside and still going about it's business of being a pest.

[gcsnelling]

Probably a Sarcophagidae, a group of flies which give birth to live young. Eggs hatch inside, etc.