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15+ queen colony in northeastern Switzerland, May 2nd 2025


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#1 Offline FelixTheAnter - Posted May 2 2025 - 2:01 AM

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I accidentally dug these guys up the other day, and decided to keep them (as I was unfortunately digging up the entire area they were nesting).

I haven't tried to do an official count but it looks like there's at least 15 queens, and at least 100 workers.

Unfortunately I don't have anything on hand to measure them, but they are quite small - I'd say they are a bit smaller than L. Niger workers.

The nest was in very hot, dry gravel in my back yard.

I was thinking Tampinoma Erracticum, but is anyone able to confirm?

And most importantly, I'd love some care tips for these guys. I've been searching online and finding very little good information about their care.

They don't seem interested in any larger dead insects that I give, but they did take a tiny pre-squished gnat, so I'll try some more of those today. They love their sugar water of course, and I have a heating cable coming in the mail soon. In the meantime I'm putting sun-baked rocks against their test tubes during the day, which they get very excited about.

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IMG-20250501-WA0002.jpg IMG-20250501-WA0005.jpg

This last one is before they were moved to test tubes:
VideoCapture_20250428-111400.jpg
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#2 Offline L.H - Posted May 4 2025 - 3:37 PM

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Might be a species of tapinoma, possibly tapinoma sessile based on the brood and worker shape



#3 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted May 5 2025 - 10:50 AM

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Might be a species of tapinoma, possibly tapinoma sessile based on the brood and worker shape

Definitely Tapinoma, but sessile would be near impossible since he's in Switzerland (or neighboring country). According to AntMaps.org, the two Tapinoma species in Switzerland are T. erraticum and T. subboreale.


Edited by RushmoreAnts, May 5 2025 - 10:51 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

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis


#4 Offline L.H - Posted May 5 2025 - 5:55 PM

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Oops, my bad. Forgot to read the title.




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