18 replies to this topic

[Loops117]

So, today i lifted one of the many bricks that's above a Lasius flavus colony around my house. Found this girl running from one of the brood piles. I scooped her, and the brood pile she was running from.

 

Now here's were it's tricky to me. If she's the original queen from that colony, i want to put her back. It's a big beautiful colony that's producing many many alates. Now, the other idea was that she may be parasitic. Although, her body shape doesn't look parasitic. And comparing her to my L.unbratus, she's bigger with a more rounded off, swollen gaster. If she is parasitic, was she about to pull off her heist? Kind of at a loss of what to do.

 

Location: Mid-Michigan. USA

Under a brick, next to house.

5~6mm long.

Near Lasius flavus colony.

 

Here is her next to my L.unbratus. New queen is in the box

 

And here is just her.

[Batspiderfish]

You can introduce one worker and see how they react. If they are hostile, one or the other will probably run out of the tube when they discover each other. She looks like a Lasius alienus queen to me, but Lasius flavus can sometimes be darker like that.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 20 2016 - 6:27 PM.

[Loops117]

Added 9 workers and some brood to the box. Workers and queen are avoiding each other. So, now i'm leaning away from her being of that colony. And i really don't think she's parasitic.

 

She looks like a Lasius alienus queen to me, but Lasius flavus can sometimes be darker like that.

 

That's exactly what i thought. She looks exactly like my L.alienus queen. Just a lot bigger.

 

Here's her next to my alienus queen and her colony. New queen is in the box

Edited by Loops117, July 20 2016 - 6:36 PM.

[Ants4fun]

Ladies alenius have flown and are still flying in some areas. I believe that is a Lasius aliens queen that stayed under the same brick and they just didn't find her yet. Lasius Davis aren't all that common compared to other parasitic "yellow" species such as citronella ants. It is very confusing to distinguish the workers without close examination.

[Loops117]

alienus sounds rights, from a picture POV. But having them side by side, huge size difference. See 4th picture. L.alienus queen is to the left of the new queen.

Edited by Loops117, July 20 2016 - 7:39 PM.

[Ants4fun]

Probably just neoniger than.

Kind of dark for most flavus but you *might* be surprised and see some yellow workers pop out.

Edited by Ants4fun, July 20 2016 - 7:40 PM.

[Batspiderfish]

I can't even find your other Lasius alienus queen to compare her to?

 

Oh, nevermind. The queen in your captive colony has likely just expended most of the food she left her mother nest with, and doesn't need to be fed to that extent in her colony. Lasius neoniger won't be flying until August.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 21 2016 - 5:34 AM.

[Loops117]

I can't even find your other Lasius alienus queen to compare her to?

 

Oh, nevermind. The queen in your captive colony has likely just expended most of the food she left her mother nest with, and doesn't need to be fed to that extent in her colony. Lasius neoniger won't be flying until August.

 

But wouldn't she just be more slim? The size difference between the two is incredible if they're the same species. Since my last post i've removed the queen and placed her in a tube with some brood and 2 fresh callow workers from the flavus colony she was next to. We'll see how it goes.

[Ants4fun]

Lasius neoniger will fly in July. I have already seen some fly.

[Loops117]

She does looks exactly like the neoniger queen

[Batspiderfish]

Lasius neoniger will fly in July. I have already seen some fly.

 

What told you they were Lasius neoniger, and not Lasius alienus / Lasius pallitarsis / Lasius crypticus?

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 21 2016 - 9:34 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

 

I can't even find your other Lasius alienus queen to compare her to?

 

Oh, nevermind. The queen in your captive colony has likely just expended most of the food she left her mother nest with, and doesn't need to be fed to that extent in her colony. Lasius neoniger won't be flying until August.

 

But wouldn't she just be more slim? The size difference between the two is incredible if they're the same species. Since my last post i've removed the queen and placed her in a tube with some brood and 2 fresh callow workers from the flavus colony she was next to. We'll see how it goes.

 

 

The way the gaster is shaped, it will grow longer or shorter before wider or slimmer. My Lasius alienus queen's gaster looks short and scrunched up, such that some of the gastral tergites are overlapping each other, but the colony is well-fed and she is laying lots of eggs.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 21 2016 - 9:24 AM.

[Jeoff82]

That looks like an Lasius Flavus queen. Is she yellow underneath? It looks like she might be in one of the pictures you supplied. Either she's the original queen of the colony or one of them. I have a Lasius Flavus colony with 3 queens cooperating. I'd put her back with the rest of the colony.

[Loops117]

That looks like an Lasius Flavus queen. Is she yellow underneath? It looks like she might be in one of the pictures you supplied. Either she's the original queen of the colony or one of them. I have a Lasius Flavus colony with 3 queens cooperating. I'd put her back with the rest of the colony.

This is what i was hoping against. She didn't want anything to do with the workers or brood i supplied her with, so me thinks she was just taking refuge under the brick. Today i'll get a better picture of her in a tube.

[Jeoff82]

It's your decision what you do with her, if you give her just brood I'm sure she will be fine. She might not of wanted anything to do with the workers because of the circumstances or there maybe another reason. Like you say she may of just been taking refuge there, you will probably never know. Try her with brood only.

[Batspiderfish]

I don't think the callow workers will do any harm. Since they're already in there with her, you might as well enjoy the novelty of it. I personally don't believe she is Lasius flavus, as the wild colony doesn't seem to have been hers and it's too early for this species to fly in North America (not to rule out Lasius nearcticus).

[Loops117]

She killed the callow workers over night, and left them whole, so she didn't kill for nutrition. She only has the brood i added left in her tube. If she is the original queen (which i'm now doubting since she killed workers instead of just ignoring them), she will be going back. This colony seems to have been at this location longer then i have, so i don't want to hurt them.

 

 

If it is their queen, would having her away from her colony for a couple days reset anything? Will the colony accept her back?

 

Also, idk if this helps at all with identification. But i've noticed some (what i believe to be) Tetramorium sp. living reallllll close to the lasius. Some under the same brick. Will they eventually raid, and force the lasius out? Or are they communal? I know Tetramorium can be very aggresive towards others, along with other species living outside of host colonies to steal food, brood, and workers. And on the other hand, i've read that some species can live with other species without aggression.

[Batspiderfish]

Tetramorium are frequently found adjacent to native ants like Lasius, where they seem to occupy different competitive niches. Being myrmicines, Tetramorium can utilize carbohydrates from plant sources, which Lasius cannot do (at least not dirrectly).

 

That she decided to kill the callows certainly implies that they were different species, or at least not from the same nest. If there are any worker pupae, she might adopt them if they are not too alien, phenotypically.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 22 2016 - 8:19 AM.

[Loops117]

Tetramorium are frequently found adjacent to native ants like Lasius, where they seem to occupy different competitive niches. Being myrmicines, Tetramorium can utilize carbohydrates from plant sources, which Lasius cannot do (at least not dirrectly).

 

That she decided to kill the callows certainly implies that they were different species, or at least not from the same nest. If there are any worker pupae, she might adopt them if they are not too alien, phenotypically.

Thank you for your help. Some of the brood should emerge soon, within the next couple of days. If she doesn't accept them, i'm gonna remove the rest and try a different approach.