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NickAnter's Polygynous Lasius americanus Journal(Over 250 workers!)

Started By NickAnter , Aug 12 2019 5:40 AM
lasius eastern sierras

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199 replies to this topic

#101 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 29 2020 - 2:31 PM

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Are you sure? I find it doubtful it would make that much of a difference. Except in the larval stage, where they prefer to spin cocoons? You would probably have to test it on hundreds of queens to be sure.


Edited by NickAnter, March 29 2020 - 2:31 PM.

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#102 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 29 2020 - 6:33 PM

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Several people seem to think so. I'm still not quite sure myself, but they stake claims upon personal experience, if I'm not mistaken.


"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

#103 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 31 2020 - 6:28 AM

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They have three workers! Very hard to photograph, but I did get one of a very light worker. One was still kind of curled up, so it must have just eclosed. Here it is:
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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#104 Offline ANTdrew - Posted March 31 2020 - 7:00 AM

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Awesome!
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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.

#105 Offline TheMicroPlanet - Posted March 31 2020 - 7:02 AM

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Stupendous!


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My ants

https://www.formicul... themicroplanet

#106 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 31 2020 - 8:17 AM

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I miss my queen......... 😢

Edited by AntsDakota, March 31 2020 - 8:18 AM.

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"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

#107 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 31 2020 - 9:59 AM

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4 workers now! I gave them a small piece of cotton soaked in honey sugar water. They are currently drinking from it. It look s as though the trio or Queen 4 will be the next to get workers. Queen 1's brood seems to develop slower than the rest, at least in the pupal stage anyway.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#108 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted March 31 2020 - 10:31 AM

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I can prob get like 20 queens if I try this year. It’s just about having to wait till August and September.
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#109 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 31 2020 - 10:59 AM

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Same here. They swarm like gnats.

"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

#110 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 31 2020 - 11:30 AM

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Here the only big flights are S. molesta, which you can see in the evening just above head level. Everywhere.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#111 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 31 2020 - 11:50 AM

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Same here. I've also witnessed a large flight of Aphaenogaster rudis, but it was local and not widespread like Lasius and Solenopsis. I don't know for sure (because I don't get up this early in the summer  :lol: ) but Tetramorium may also have large flights. In certain areas (I'm not completely sure on this either, but I soon intend to find out), Prenolepis could fly en mass.


"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

#112 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 31 2020 - 12:30 PM

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The queen is now so incredibly bloated with sugar water! It looks as though the workers haven't even drank any. Well, on the bright side, I won't have to feed them sugars for a while. I will probably feed them a small piece of mealworm in a few days.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#113 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 31 2020 - 12:37 PM

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When I’ve kept Lasius in the past, the nanitics are at first too shy to explore and eat (even in the other side of the tube), and the queen eats for them.

"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

#114 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 31 2020 - 3:47 PM

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5 workers now! They arent too scared of the light.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#115 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 31 2020 - 3:52 PM

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Lasius are the least photophobic ants I have ever kept. I can open up their tube and leave it on a table and queens stay inside ten times out of ten.  :)


"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

#116 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 1 2020 - 11:25 AM

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Queen 2 has 6 workers, and the Trio just had two eclose! Pictures will come soon!


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#117 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 1 2020 - 1:38 PM

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Queen 4 just got a worker! I recorded most of the eclosing. I just need to figure out how to get it on here.
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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#118 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 3 2020 - 5:02 PM

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Queen 1) Two dark cocoons, 7 in all,as well as ten larvae.

Queen 2) 7 workers, 3? cocoons, as wellas about 15-20 eggs/small larvae.

Complete Invalid: No larvae. Likely infertile.

Trio) 5 workers, at least 12 cocoons, 25 eggs, and a few larvae

Queen 4) 1 worker, a few eggs, a couple larvae, and 5 cocoons.

 

I sure hope that I can wake tomorrow to see some workers of Queen 1, who is most certainly a different species. Also, are americanus queens usually darker than other Lasius, as this queen is darker than the rest and has a slightly larger head. Also, she is just slightly longer. I wonder if the others are all neoniger....


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#119 Offline EthanNgo678 - Posted April 3 2020 - 6:56 PM

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No flavus...


Plants r cool

#120 Offline AntsDakota - Posted April 4 2020 - 5:36 AM

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No flavus...

Actually, Lasius flavus is not present in North America. It is strictly a European species. Its North American counterpart is known as Lasius brevicornis. Yet with that being said, Nick here had to travel to get even neoniger, which are much more common and conspicuous than brevicornis.

"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

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