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Help ID ants, Ann Arbor, June 17th or 18th

ant id help

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline AnnArborAntAdmirator - Posted June 18 2024 - 9:50 AM

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need help identifying these queen ants,
I found them under some cardboard I put out yesterday night, along with an LED black light and a white fluorescent board.
each is about 8 mm in length.
 
black, but I stressed one out trying to catch it and it extended its abdomen (unsure if I injured it), it kind of looks like a wasp now.
 

would love to know species so I can figure out when they flew and determine if their flight was last night or this morning.

 

help much appreciated!
 
 

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#2 Offline AsdinAnts - Posted June 18 2024 - 9:57 AM

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looks like Tetramorium immigrans
  • AnnArborAntAdmirator likes this

Currently keeping
-T. immigrans

-B. patagonicus

-N. cockerelli

I will want to also keep some other lasius types in the future.
You should also subscribe to my youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/@AsdAnts


#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 18 2024 - 10:09 AM

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looks like Tetramorium immigrans

I agree.
  • cooIboyJ and AnnArborAntAdmirator like 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.

#4 Offline AnnArborAntAdmirator - Posted June 18 2024 - 10:30 AM

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I'm sad they're invasive, should I still keep a colony?

I can make sure not to let their alates fly, but I live in a city so they're already everywhere.

 

I have 2 camponotus pennsylvanicus queens from may, but want a smaller, faster growing colony. are there some ethically better species I can expect to fly in July?

 

Or is this a non-issue to most keepers?



#5 Offline AnnArborAntAdmirator - Posted June 18 2024 - 10:47 AM

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thank you guys for your help, I found I can wait for certain species of formica in a few weeks.



#6 Offline GOCAMPONOTUS - Posted June 18 2024 - 10:53 AM

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you should keep the colony and like others said yes its T.immigrans and they grow qiuckly


  • AnnArborAntAdmirator likes this

Currently keeping: 2 C.vicinus colonies.2 C.sansabeanus. 1 C.leavissimus. 2 C.Ca02. 1 V.pergandei. 4 T.immigrans.1 F.pacifica. 1 C.hyatti

1 M.ergatognya

 

 

 

 

Trying to get my hands on :C.modoc,A.vercicolor, and Any Honeypots

  

 

 


#7 Offline AnnArborAntAdmirator - Posted June 18 2024 - 10:58 AM

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Thanks!



#8 Offline AsdinAnts - Posted June 18 2024 - 3:07 PM

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like what GOCAMPONOTUS said, it’s fine to keep T. immigrans.
They have a very fast growth rate, and are pretty good for people who are beginning their ant keeping journey.
Since they grow very fast, it will be sort of hard to contain them once they mature, you will want to give them a lot of nesting space. (later though)
  • Stubyvast likes this

Currently keeping
-T. immigrans

-B. patagonicus

-N. cockerelli

I will want to also keep some other lasius types in the future.
You should also subscribe to my youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/@AsdAnts


#9 Offline Stubyvast - Posted June 18 2024 - 4:23 PM

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Yup, t. immigrans for sure. Like AsdinANTS said, great beginner species, really easy to care for. one thing I love about this species is that they'll eat basically anything, not just meats. They are largely scavengers. Sadly I've seen these guys wipe out Camponotus and Formica species just because of their sheer numbers and tendency to be aggressive. So sad. But yes be careful, as they grow crazy fast! 

I don't think you injured it, these queens are pretty tough (I'd know, I found a bunch drowning in chlorine water who survived just fine). This is probably just physogastrism, which happens when the queen has lots of eggs in her Gaster. 

Hope your colony does great!


Currently raising: 

Myrmica rubra (1 queen +  ~5 workers)

Lasius niger (single queen + ~90+ workers)

Lasius neoniger (3 single queen + brood)

Formica spp. (Queen [likely parasitic, needs brood])

Formica pacifica (Queen)

Also keeping a friend's tetramorium immigrans for the foreseeable future. Thanks CoffeBlock!


#10 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 19 2024 - 3:50 AM

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There is nothing ethically wrong with keeping an invasive species, so long as you do not release them. In fact, you are removing a queen from the ecosystem.
"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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