10 replies to this topic

[SaintDrake]

So yesterday, I decided I wanted to start an ant farm and dug up and ant nest and stole the queen and some workers.

Today, I go outside after dinner with my parents and low and behold it is antocalypse. I caught some queens after they pulled their wings off (I watched a few do it which was awesome!).

Anyways time for the details. I think there are two separate species so i will answer each question twice for species A and B.

1A and B. Detroit Michigan. They were waking on the sidewalk or flying in the air.

2A and B. 8/16/16

3A and B. Urban neighborhood.

4A and B. Approximately 12mm.

5A. Red orange head, darker brick read thorax, red orange abdomen.

5B. Blackish brown head and thorax, lighter brown abdomen.

6A. Abdomen longer and thinner than species B.

6B. Abdomen shorter and thicker than species A and appears slightly fuzzy.

I don't really know what to say for 7. Also they were not in nests so I can't answer 8.

9A. https://imgur.com/a/gZKYn

9B. https://imgur.com/a/R362M

[kellakk]

Impatient for an ant colony? I've been there haha.  The first looks like Lasius (Acanthomyops) latipes, which is a social parasite that will need host workers.  The second is possibly Lasius neoniger? I'm not the best at Lasius spp. 

[SaintDrake]

I looked into both species and I think you might be dead on for both! When I tried to key them out myself I got to Lasius too. I just thought maybe the black one was possibly L. umbratus or L. alienus but I am no expert (obviously) so I will assume they're neoniger. Thank you!

[kellakk]

I wouldn't rule out Lasius alienus. I'm sure one of the other members who has more experience with Lasius spp. will chime in, but regardless you have some new queens! 

[SaintDrake]

Quick question if you don't mind, or maybe someone else will chime in, but do colonies in captivity eventually produce new queens or alates?

[kellakk]

Quick question if you don't mind, or maybe someone else will chime in, but do colonies in captivity eventually produce new queens or alates?

 

Yes, but it usually takes a few years.  The colony has to be fairly large and healthy.  There are some strange cases where very small colonies produce alates, but they are rare and not good for the colony. It takes a lot of resources to produce alates and they don't help out like workers do.

[SaintDrake]

Thanks for the information! !

[Batspiderfish]

There are a bunch of possibilities for the non-parasitic queen, but Lasius neoniger is a safe guess. We would need images of the head, showing off the teeth on the mandibles and the hairs on the antennal scapes to get a firm idea of which species she is.

 

I'm excited to see the arrival of Lasius latipes, although this is a difficult social parasite to get started. 
http://www.formicult...cial-parasites/

[SaintDrake]

I read that. I caught a few so maybe I will be able to figure out how to keep one alive. But since I am fairly new to this I am just hoping the easier to keep species will live. Here's hoping! Also I don't have a camera (have been using my iPhone camera) but my friend does and he may be able to help me get some better shots of these girls!

[James C. Trager]

I've said this before in a variety of forums (though maybe not here) and will repeat:

 

Brown Lasius queens found in July and the first half of August in the eastern half of North America are almost certainly L. alienus.

 

Brown Lasius queens found in very late August through early October in the eastern half of North America are almost certainly L. neoniger​.

Now, if we had a really nicely focused view of the long basal segment of the antenna lacking any erect setae (standing hairs), and of the ventral surface of the hind tibia having 2 or fewer erect setae, we could clinch this, but the overall dark color and timing argues for L. alienus.

[SaintDrake]

Do these pictures help in the identification? They are as good as I can get. 

Edited by SaintDrake, August 21 2016 - 7:22 PM.