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Lasius aphidicola Journal

lasius journal id identification tarheel ants mini hearth

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42 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 11 2019 - 3:29 PM

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So I was rummaging in my local park for ants and I peeled back the bark on a log to find a colony of Lasius ants, queen and all. I collected the queen, who is extremely physogastric, and as many workers and brood as I could. I decided to give them the Mini Hearth my C. pennsylvanicus refused, and they moved in within a minute (!). I decided just to let those carpenter ants go, and took them to the park. While I previously mocked the genus Lasius and stuggled to understand why anyone would keep them, now I know: they move nests easily, grow quickly, don't bite, can climb well, and, despite being admittedly plain, are generally a good choice for an antkeeper.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, July 15 2019 - 8:53 AM.

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Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#2 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 11 2019 - 3:37 PM

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I am pretty sure this is Lasius americanusL. neoniger is yellower, and usually lives on roadsides and other disturbed habitats. How do I edit the title of the topic?


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, July 11 2019 - 3:39 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#3 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 11 2019 - 5:21 PM

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To edit the title, you simply edit the first post made. It will have a title edit bar.
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#4 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 12 2019 - 2:15 PM

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Last night I gave them some raw honey and a chopped up mealworm. One drank a little honey but I haven't seen them eating since then. They might just not be hungry, but then again they might not like any of that stuff. Anyone know what to feed this species?


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#5 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 13 2019 - 9:00 AM

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I think I saw the queen lay an egg this morning.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#6 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 13 2019 - 11:00 AM

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So I was rummaging in my local park for ants and I peeled back the bark on a log to find a colony of Lasius ants, queen and all. I collected the queen, who is extremely physogastric, and as many workers and brood as I could. I decided to give them the Mini Hearth my C. pennsylvanicus refused, and they moved in within a minute (!). I decided just to let those carpenter ants go, and took them to the park. While I previously mocked the genus Lasius and stuggled to understand why anyone would keep them, now I know: they move nests easily, grow quickly, don't bite, can climb well, and, despite being admittedly plain, are generally a good choice for an antkeeper.

You’ve summarized all the reasons I’d be very happy to find a NON parasitic Lasius queen someday. All I ever find are parasites...
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#7 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 13 2019 - 11:46 AM

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There must be some colonies somewhere for there to be parasites at all, so hopefully you will be successful. If it helps, I found this colony by peeling back bark on a rotten log. The log was dead, but not rotten enough to pull apart.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#8 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 14 2019 - 9:41 AM

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Colony has a massive pile of eggs I'm positive I didn't collect. Not surprising, given the queen's swollen gaster.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#9 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 14 2019 - 11:08 AM

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Does anyone know what moisture level these ants want? They are staying exclusively on the end of the nest furthest from the water source, which is odd because I had heard Lasius liked water. But maybe that area is somehow more humid.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#10 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 14 2019 - 12:18 PM

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Lasius americanus In Nest

 

Here, have a picture. Not sure what the gray mass southwest of the queen's head is, but I think it may be larvae spinning cocoons. You can also see the massive egg pile under the queen. She laid all those in such a short time, and still has many more to go from the look of her gaster. Not sure if I should be ecstatic or a little scared. I can count 20 ants in this picture (Not including the queen) and know there are a few more, so I estimate about 24 workers. The number will soon triple because of the pupae.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, July 15 2019 - 9:02 AM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#11 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 14 2019 - 2:21 PM

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Concept Lasius Formicarium

I drew this schematic today, I will build this grout nest design and move the Lasius colony in at some point. Any ideas or constructive criticism? Dimensions are 5 inches by 5 inches.


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Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#12 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 14 2019 - 3:21 PM

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They put the bodies of the two ants I accidentally squished into the feeding dish with the food. I think this is their way of saying "I'm not hungry".


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#13 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 15 2019 - 2:53 AM

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I like your design. Just a thought, but maybe tiny ants like Lasius would like narrower kind of tunnels? Definitely read Crystals tutorial on making a grout nest with advanced hydration.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#14 Offline Lasiusumbratus - Posted July 15 2019 - 4:34 AM

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Is it just me or does that queen look like lasius umbratus or something with how it legs and head is?

https://ibb.co/cbXC9D4

Edited by Lasiusumbratus, July 15 2019 - 4:37 AM.

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#15 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 15 2019 - 5:05 AM

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Is it just me or does that queen look like lasius umbratus or something with how it legs and head is?

https://ibb.co/cbXC9D4


Maybe not Lasius umbratus, but I’m pretty sure that’s some sort of parasitic lasius (which is even cooler to have). Could you take more pictures?
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#16 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted July 15 2019 - 5:20 AM

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Ya that queen is definitely not L. americanus. Definitely a parasite.

Edit: Looks like L. aphidicola. (Ex. L. umbratus) I have found many before. They look like that. Could be a somehow darker L. latipes.

Edited by Kaelwizard, July 15 2019 - 5:26 AM.

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#17 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 15 2019 - 5:37 AM

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Plot twist!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#18 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 15 2019 - 5:39 AM

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Plot twist!

:lol:
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#19 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 15 2019 - 5:57 AM

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Yea your queen is Lasius aphidicola.
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#20 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 15 2019 - 8:41 AM

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Woah! What exactly does that entail? I am basically in shock right now. Is it one of those subterranean species that farms root aphids, or can they eat like normal ants? By the way, the big tunnels on the formicarium are based on how their nest was in the wild, with wide, amorphous tunnels and very low ceilings (You can also see this at alexanderwild.com in a picture of L. americanus).


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, July 15 2019 - 8:43 AM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: lasius, journal, id, identification, tarheel ants, mini hearth

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