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What on earth is this?


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13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Spazmops - Posted October 3 2020 - 11:35 AM

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I was checking on a lasius queen and saw this nasty orange pupae thing that looks like it tore out of her gaster. What on earth is this nasty thing? (Also, will it hatch on its own or do I need to take care of it?)

Horrifying parasite... thing

 

 


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Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 


#2 Offline NickAnter - Posted October 3 2020 - 11:47 AM

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Its a parasite, it was shown in one of AC's really old videos.


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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). 


#3 Offline Spazmops - Posted October 3 2020 - 12:07 PM

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Its a parasite, it was shown in one of AC's really old videos.

I figured it was a parasite, do you know what its adult form is?


Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 


#4 Offline ponerinecat - Posted October 3 2020 - 12:20 PM

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Its a parasite, it was shown in one of AC's really old videos.

I figured it was a parasite, do you know what its adult form is?

 

A fly of some sort.


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#5 Offline TheMicroPlanet - Posted October 3 2020 - 1:18 PM

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poor thing



#6 Offline Spazmops - Posted October 3 2020 - 1:32 PM

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I think I’ll feed it to my praying mantis, whatever it is. I had high hopes for that queen...


Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 


#7 Offline AleeGuy - Posted October 3 2020 - 3:48 PM

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I think it will be very helpful if you wait untill it hatches so everyone would know what it is. All you can do I GUESS is just keep it warm and wet maybe

Edited by AleeGuy, October 3 2020 - 3:48 PM.


#8 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted October 3 2020 - 6:47 PM

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It’s a fly for sure a parasitic one in fact no need to wait for it to hatch, we all know on here what it is we’ll some of us. It’s a nasty fly that literally explodes the queens gaster open. 


We don’t talk about that

#9 Offline Spazmops - Posted October 3 2020 - 6:58 PM

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It’s a fly for sure a parasitic one in fact no need to wait for it to hatch, we all know on here what it is we’ll some of us. It’s a nasty fly that literally explodes the queens gaster open. 

That’s a pretty brutal parasite. My mantis could use the food, so I’ll wait for it to hatch. Plus I’m curious.


Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 


#10 Offline FeedTheAnts - Posted October 3 2020 - 7:43 PM

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Gosh, how did it even fit?


I accidentally froze all my ants 


#11 Offline Spazmops - Posted October 3 2020 - 8:17 PM

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Gosh, how did it even fit?

I noticed some gaster distortion, but I thought that was from eggs... When I checked on her I initially had no idea what I was looking at


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Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 


#12 Offline TestSubjectOne - Posted October 3 2020 - 9:20 PM

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I'd appreciate it if you get some pictures before you feed it, I'm curious what one of these parasitic flies looks like. Maybe someone could give an ID.


TestSubjectOne's Experiences in Antkeeping General Journal

 

Currently Keeping:

- Veromessor pergandei (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Novomessor cockerelli (1 queen, 200 workers)

- Myrmecocystus mexicanus (1 queen, 100 workers)

- Brachymyrmex patagonicus (3 queens?, 2,000 workers? & alates)

- Crematogaster sp. (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Liometopum occidentale (1 queen, 800 workers)

- Camponotus absqualator (1 queen, 130 workers)


#13 Offline AntsBC - Posted October 3 2020 - 10:38 PM

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For anyone wondering, this is the AntsCanada video NickAnter was referring to:

 


Edited by AntsBC, October 4 2020 - 4:16 PM.

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Formica pacifica

Formica planipilis (Parasitic sp.)

 

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#14 Offline AntsDakota - Posted October 4 2020 - 4:59 AM

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Its a parasite, it was shown in one of AC's really old videos.

I figured it was a parasite, do you know what its adult form is?

 

A fly of some sort.

 

I second this. The maggot ate the queen from the inside out.......  :o  :blink:  :sore:  %)  :*(


"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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