Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Multiple Queen ID - Provo UT, USA [8-31-17]

queen id

  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Pyrosmog - Posted August 31 2017 - 9:50 PM

Pyrosmog

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 24 posts
  • LocationUtah USA

So I found 3 different species of ants tonight as I was out and about. It rained last night and I saw the alates poking their heads out of their nests this afternoon. Caught all of these as the sun was going down.

 

All of the ants were found were found in/around the same location:

1. Location of collection: Provo Utah, USA
2. Date of collection: 8-31-17
3. Habitat of collection: Found them on a sidewalk between a Cemetery and some undeveloped lots. See attached google maps street view for a pic.

 

[Images of habitat]

https://www.google.c...!7i13312!8i6656

 

For the first set queens:

I caught 2 of these and a 3rd one beat me to the gap between the sidewalk and the grass.

4. Length:  9-11 mm


5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: 

Red, and pretty fuzzy if you look close enough.

 

6. Distinguishing characteristics: 

This ant queen looks more "powerful" than most queen ants I have seen. Her legs almost remind me of spider legs.

 

7. Distinguishing behavior:

She has trouble righting herself if she ends up on her back.

When she wasn't in the heating drawer I have she was pretty content to be stationary.
Decent climber, but falls off the walls more often than most ants I've observed.

 

8. Nest description: 

if these came from the nest I thought they did the nest was rocky but fairly flush to the ground. 2cm^2 opening with lots of ants foraging all day. The opening is adjacent to a sidewalk. Some ants seemed to bringing back seeds from wild grain that grows nearby. 

[Images of ant]

 

For the second set of queens:

I caught 3 of these the 3rd still had her wings.

4. Length: The biggest one was 10 mm, while the smallest one was more like 8-9mm


5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: 

Brownish yellow. Gaster appears shiny gold/yellow in direct light. I was unable to get a good photo of this. The gaster looks striped. It has 3 or 4 distinct bands.

 

6. Distinguishing characteristics: 

More than anything the shininess of the queens. She also seemed to have little to no waist. 

 

7. Distinguishing behavior:

Good climbers and lots of energy. So much so that getting a picture of her was almost impossible. Pulls at the cotton more than most queens I have

 

8. Nest description: 

Again, if I have the right nest these nested in a sandy area underneath a large tree. The entrance to their nest was obviously raised with the hole in the center of the raised crater. The mound looked a bit like the rounded crater of a volcano. 

[Images of ant]

 

For the third species of queen:

I'm not going to upload any pictures of this one as I'm pretty sure that its tetramorium sp. e. I was quite surprised to find this one as I caught a bunch of these in June. Seems pretty late for tetramorium but she is identical to 6 tetramorium queens that I have that already have nanitics.



#2 Offline T.C. - Posted August 31 2017 - 10:09 PM

T.C.

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,059 posts
wait... what... is this a proper ID thread setup? It's been so long since I've seen one, I'm speechless!

Lasius claviger and lasius neoniger I believe. :P
  • LC3 and Martialis like this

" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "


#3 Offline Pyrosmog - Posted August 31 2017 - 10:39 PM

Pyrosmog

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 24 posts
  • LocationUtah USA

Lasius claviger... lol I'm screwed. Aren't claviger parasitic? Any good ideas on how to raise them?


  • T.C. likes this

#4 Offline T.C. - Posted August 31 2017 - 10:44 PM

T.C.

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,059 posts

Lasius claviger... lol I'm screwed. Aren't claviger parasitic? Any good ideas on how to raise them?


Indeed they are! Check out the link below for info.

http://www.formicult...cial-parasites/

" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "


#5 Offline VoidElecent - Posted September 4 2017 - 9:45 AM

VoidElecent

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,339 posts
  • LocationPhiladelphia, PA.

I don't think the first ones are L. claviger; they remind me more of L. latipes or L. murphyi, parastic nonetheless.

 

The second set of queens seems to contain members of the Lasius niger or flavus groups; identification down to the species level at this point would be difficult without powerful magnification.


  • Martialis likes this

#6 Offline Thebrute99 - Posted April 25 2018 - 4:46 PM

Thebrute99

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts
  • LocationCalifornia city California
Are you interested in selling any of them? I really want to start a new ant colony but I can’t find queens. I’m in the local Ogden area

#7 Offline Pyrosmog - Posted May 26 2018 - 11:13 AM

Pyrosmog

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 24 posts
  • LocationUtah USA

Only one of my colonies survived from last year. I'd be happy to help you out though. I'm in the SLC area and am frequently in Layton.







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: queen id

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users