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AntsDakota's Formica queens

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#1 Offline AntsDakota - Posted July 11 2019 - 3:48 PM

AntsDakota

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Over the past couple of weeks, I've caught two Formica sp. queens from the fusca group. Both are separate species (I tried to put them together, and it didn't work out so well....), yet look very similar. The only two differences I can notice a barely noticeable size, and one queen had just barely more red. 

 

 

 

 

Update: Thursday, July 11th, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Queen 1

 

Eggs-    2

Larvae-  0

Pupae-   0

Workers-0

 

Commentary- This queen is the smallest of the two, and was caught earlier, on Saturday, July 6th. I saw her making her way across my driveway. Sorry, but I didn't have anything to take photos with at hand.

 

Photos

none

 

 

 

Queen 2

 

Eggs- unknown (I haven't checked on her since capture)

Larvae-   0

Pupae-   0

Workers-0

 

Commentary- This queen is slightly larger, and has beautiful stripes on her gaster. Her legs are also noticeably red. The queen's gaster is extremely swollen, and she was intensely grooming the tip of her abdomen, so I assumed she is mated (but you never know).

 

Photos

none


Edited by AntsDakota, July 11 2019 - 3:49 PM.

  • ANTdrew likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#2 Online ANTdrew - Posted July 11 2019 - 4:36 PM

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Excellent! I look forward to following their progress. I’m hoping to find a Formica queen this year, but they aren’t that common around my area.
  • AntsBC likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#3 Offline AntsDakota - Posted August 9 2019 - 11:20 AM

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Sorry I haven't updated for while, because I've been pretty busy lately. But since the last update, a lot has changed......

 

Update: Friday, August 9th 

 

Queen 1 (Formica cf. montana)

 

Eggs-      unknown

Larvae-   0

Pupae-    0

Workers- 20-30

Commentary- I introduced some workers via refrigerator, and they immediately began grooming her. Tomorrow I will check her and see just how many eggs she has laid since the introduction. Also, I will begin giving the queens names from Greek mythology, as opposed to ANTdrew (and other people whom he's suggested names to)'s Norse. So the queen's name is now Hera, after the queen of the Olympians, wife of Zeus, and goddess of marriage, and the colony's name is the Dark Embers.

 

Photos- none

 

Note- Unfortunately, queen 2 died, yet she was replaced with another one which I bought from a friend soon after.

 

Queen 2- (Formica subsericea, podzollica, or argentea)

 

Eggs-      7-8

Larvae-   none

Pupae-    none

Workers- none

Commentary- This queen is large, silver, and shiny. I have narrowed her identification to the three species seen above. This queen's name is Athena, after the goddess of wisdom, war, arts and crafts, civilizations, and the patron of Athens. The colony's name is the Shadow Empire.

Photos- none


  • ANTdrew likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#4 Online ANTdrew - Posted August 9 2019 - 12:37 PM

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





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