9 replies to this topic

[cooIboyJ]

Hello everybody! I caught some Brachymyrmex patagonicus queens this summer. I caught 7 and put 3 in one test tube, 3 in another test tube, and one all alone. They were caught two days ago and are now in my shoebox. I really hope these colonies are successful. I don't have any pics right now, but I'll post some next when I check up on the queens. Enjoy!

[Hiromilovesmealworms]

Cute rewarding species! Your 3 queen colonies will grow really fast, even at room temperature.

[cooIboyJ]

What would be the most queens I could safely put in 1 test tube? Because I am always finding tons of this species of queens at my neighborhood pool.

Edited by cooIboyJ, August 28 2025 - 10:48 AM.

[RushmoreAnts]

Solenopsis molesta are around the same size, and I have around 80 of them in a tube together. They're doing fine.

[ANTdrew]

The sweet spot for polygynous queens is usually three to a group. Just putting that out there.

[RushmoreAnts]

The sweet spot for polygynous queens is usually three to a group. Just putting that out there.

For most polygynous species, yes. I have personally observed Solenopsis molesta and Lasius brevicornis colonies with hundreds if not thousands of queens in the wild. Solenopsis molesta have been recorded to breed in the nest as well. I have experimented with introducing queens to workers, and it seems colonies in our local population readily accept new queens. For most normal polygynous species having this many queens is more detrimental than helpful, but it seems with some species I will deem as 'hyperpolygynous', this is not the case. If I founded a 3 queened molesta colony, they would multiply into 80 on their own soon enough.

[cooIboyJ]

I have wondered if Brachymyrmex patagonicus specifically would accept queens after the nanitic stage. If someone could tell me specifically for this species if they do or not it would be helpful. If not I will probably do some tests on my own on this in the future. Also if they would add queens on their own. Thanks!

Edited by cooIboyJ, August 28 2025 - 7:02 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

I'm not sure about Brachymyrmex patagonicus. It seems Brachymyrmex depilis is pretty typical, and colonies do best with 2 - 5 queens. I would assume B. patagonicus would be the same. I would try a small group of queens to start with, then see if they accept new queens later on.

[cooIboyJ]

 

I checked on my queens and took some pictures. They all have eggs now and I also caught some more and put 5 queens in one test tube. Since there were so many queens when I caught them all I was able to cherry pick and get only wingless ones (I do know that that doesn't guarantee fertility but the chances are better).

Edited by cooIboyJ, August 29 2025 - 8:42 AM.

[cooIboyJ]

I quickly glanced at my queens while I was adding some new queens of a different species to the shoebox (I’ll probably post an ID and a journal on them) and saw that for sure the 5 queen colony has larvae now and the queens I caught a few days before the 5 queen colony also probably do but I didn’t see for sure (I’m assuming they do bc I caught them before the 5 queens and they laid eggs first).