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Columbia, Maryland, 7/10/20

Started By staylor1490 , Jul 11 2020 4:19 PM

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11 replies to this topic

#1 Offline staylor1490 - Posted July 11 2020 - 4:19 PM

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Hi,

New person here. I have three ants to ID. I'm not sure if they're all queens or claustral (ant #2 has a big head and smallish gaster). All of the ants were collected in a blacklight trap around 10 PM on a patio in a suburb with a few trees on 7/10/20.

Ant #1

Image: https://imgur.com/a/epatHVR

Length: 7 mm

Dark brownish-red with yellow stripes on the gaster.

Ant #2

Image: https://imgur.com/a/nDsmmtV

Length: 10 mm

Orangish-Brown

Ant #3

Image: https://imgur.com/a/JlDl57O

Length: 13-15 mm

Black gaster, reddish-brown thorax and body

#2 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted July 11 2020 - 4:29 PM

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LocationPoway, California

Colobopsis?
Pheidole?
Formica
At least this kind of narrows it down. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of that much help.

Location would help.

Edited by Kaelwizard, July 11 2020 - 4:30 PM.

#3 Offline NickAnter - Posted July 11 2020 - 5:06 PM

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LocationOrange County, California

1) Colobopsis sp.

2) probably Lasius interjectus.

3) Formica in the pallidefulva group.

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).

#4 Offline AntsDakota - Posted July 11 2020 - 6:17 PM

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LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

I second this.

Edited by AntsDakota, July 11 2020 - 6:18 PM.

"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

#5 Offline staylor1490 - Posted July 11 2020 - 7:59 PM

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Thank you for the responses! I just read that Lasius interjectus is parasitic, which explains why the jaws are so developed. Do I need to collect other Lasius workers and brood and put them into the test tube for the queen to start a colony?

#6 Offline TechAnt - Posted July 11 2020 - 9:36 PM

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LocationLos Angeles, California

Thank you for the responses! I just read that Lasius interjectus is parasitic, which explains why the jaws are so developed. Do I need to collect other Lasius workers and brood and put them into the test tube for the queen to start a colony?

Yes that is correct, ideally you would want the pupae state of brood, as they are the closest brood state to workers.

My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#7 Offline staylor1490 - Posted July 12 2020 - 5:50 AM

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Do I need to give my L. interjectus queen pupae this year or can I hibernate her and give her pupae next year? I'm having trouble finding Lasius where I live and I only have a L. Neoniger queen with a few pupae that I don't want to sacrifice.

#8 Offline AntsDakota - Posted July 12 2020 - 6:24 AM

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Do I need to give my L. interjectus queen pupae this year or can I hibernate her and give her pupae next year? I'm having trouble finding Lasius where I live and I only have a L. Neoniger queen with a few pupae that I don't want to sacrifice.

Lasius social parasites can not open pupae. It would be best to introduce her to the new workers once they hatch. And she probably won't survive if you don't give her hosts until next year.

"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

#9 Offline staylor1490 - Posted July 12 2020 - 6:49 AM

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Do I need to give my L. interjectus queen pupae this year or can I hibernate her and give her pupae next year? I'm having trouble finding Lasius where I live and I only have a L. Neoniger queen with a few pupae that I don't want to sacrifice.

Lasius social parasites can not open pupae. It would be best to introduce her to the new workers once they hatch. And she probably won't survive if you don't give her hosts until next year.

How do I know which workers in a given colony are new? Is it possible to instead put the L. interjectus queen with some Lasius workers and brood in the fridge for a week to see if they will recognize each other?

#10 Offline Antkid12 - Posted July 12 2020 - 6:54 AM

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LocationFairfax, Virginia

If the workers are lighter colored than normal workers, they have probably eclosed recently.

Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, ~~Brachymyrmex sp.~~ possibly infertile , Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!