I was wondering if liometopum luctuosum is polygynous

I can't find any information on whether this species is polygynous, so I wouldn't risk it. This is not to mention that most polygynous colonies can only form during the founding stage, so if you have workers then it is likely too late to add queens anyway. This genus can easily make huge colonies with only one queen. How is your original one doing? I hope that my earlier advice was useful.

my ant colony has been back and forth. after that advice you gave me my ant colony boomed in numbers I think I counted 40-50 workers. then their outworld broke and at least half of the colony escaped and disappeared so I tried to move them but only 3 workers and the queen were in the test tube when I checked on them.

then they boomed back into the twenties because of the pupae that survived the move. then when I was moving them into a new test tube I dropped them and their test tube shattered so I grabbed the queen and a few workers and put them in a new outworld with a new test tube. so right now I am hoping they live

Edited by antsriondel, October 28 2021 - 6:38 AM.

my ant colony has been back and forth. after that advice you gave me my ant colony boomed in numbers I think I counted 40-50 workers then their outworld broke and at least half of the colony escaped and disappeared so I tried to move them but only 3 workers and the queen were in the test tube when I checked on them.

then they boomed back into the twenties because of the pupae that survived the move then when I was moving them into a new test tube I dropped them and their test tube shattered so I grabbed the queen and a few workers and put them in a new outworld with a new test tube so right now I am hoping they live

From how you describe the moves I'm assuming that ur dumping the ants out or manually moving them. If that is the case, whatever ur doing is wrong. Best method is to connect the two tubes with a piece of tubing and let them move at their own pace. If they won't move it means they don't need to.

I did put two tubes together I guess I didn't explain that. Then after they moved the test tube slipped out of my hands.  It was an accident.

I did put two tubes together I guess I didn't explain that. Then after they moved the test tube slipped out of my hands.  It was an accident.

Ahhh I see. My bad then. Next time just keep the tube on a table. Lower risk.

Good to hear that the colony is productive, even if they are currently having a hard time. When I bought my colony of Liometopum occidentale a year and a half ago, they lost most of their 40 workers due to infighting yet now they have several thousand despite a few escapes and accidents killing hundreds and my feeding them about every two weeks (less than ideal). With enough food and a healthy queen, Liometopum colonies can bounce back from almost anything.

thanks that gives me some assurance that my colony will survive

Dude, do you have any idea how lucky you are? Liometopum is EXTREMELY rare and sought after in canada, and you are the first person to find a queen here to my knowledge. People would literally pay hundreds for that colony if you ever decided to sell it.

Wait what?! I thought Liomopetum was a regular common ant species.

Dude, do you have any idea how lucky you are? Liometopum is EXTREMELY rare and sought after in canada, and you are the first person to find a queen here to my knowledge. People would literally pay hundreds for that colony if you ever decided to sell it.

Wait what?! I thought Liomopetum was a regular common ant species.

An update on the ants: the queen has a bloated gaster so

I hope that their are eggs coming soon. They have 5 workers

Edited by antsriondel, November 30 2021 - 7:37 AM.

my Liometopum queen has lost all her workers and only has two larvae, what should I do?

bump

I would treat her like a semi claustral queen, and feed her every few days.

ok thank you

she died.    

here is a better picture;

Oh wow! that's impressive. with how big she is It's safe to say it Liometopum Apiculatum one of the biggest Liometopum species if not the biggest. They're cool ants to keep. Make sure to feed them a ton though because the queen's love eating food really quickly because they can lay eggs at an incredible rate. Only things you have to worry about is feeding the tons of protein but not too much and making sure they get some sugarwater and you're good to go. Don't worry about them moving into the outworld as Apiculatum will do that including moving the queen there. Apiculatum are just weird. But don't worry. Every now and then they'll move into the tube for water. 

Dude, do you have any idea how lucky you are? Liometopum is EXTREMELY rare and sought after in canada, and you are the first person to find a queen here to my knowledge. People would literally pay hundreds for that colony if you ever decided to sell it.

Liometopum are very rare in Canada and northern areas. And to my knowledge there is no records for Apiculatum up there but the queen literally matches Apiculatum. Also, most Liometopum are NOT polygynous. For example on nuptial flight day a friend of mine put two Apiculatum queens together and they instantly started fighting eachother and usually the result was death.

I'm sorry. I mis ID'd. The queen you have is smaller than Apiculatum which means she's most likely Luctosum. To my knowledge Luctosum IS NOT polygynous.