7 replies to this topic

[Formicoidea]

Hi all.
So I just had a nuptial flight and i caught a bunch of queens. (Expect an ID on them soon becuase i am really not sure what they are).

Anyway, tonight i used a method to try to determine if they had mated or not.

I know the queens removing their wings is unreliable so i wanted to find something that would make it not a complete guess. I though i could test if they still had control of their wing muscles by dropping them and seeing if they "fly".

I assumed that after fertilisation they lost control of their wing muscles, however all the queens i caught tonight could "fly". (Lets hope its not what we were all thinking).

Do the queens actually loose the ability to fly or do they just land to search out a nesting spot?

[Manitobant]

Most queens mate and then fly to a suitable place to start a nest, so no

[Formicoidea]

Most queens mate and then fly to a suitable place to start a nest, so no

 

so would you say the test i did is a suitable way to determine if they were fertilized?

[TennesseeAnts]

They can fly as long as they have not metabolized their wing muscles. So they can until they attempt to found a colony. Keep in mind that even queens that have not mated can and usually will try to found a colony.

[Formicoidea]

They can fly as long as they have not metabolized their wing muscles. So they can until they attempt to found a colony. Keep in mind that even queens that have not mated can and usually will try to found a colony.

 

which means it is well and truly, a lucky dip.

[TennesseeAnts]

Most of the queens I have successfully raised colonies from have been caught from mid flight.

[RushmoreAnts]

And since queens can mate multiple times, they still would fly around after fertilization looking for more mates.

[SuperFrank]

I can't say for all species, but I have seen C floridanus queens land, take off, fly a short distance, land, and repeat several times. I have also collected mated queens that were definitely able to fly but were dazzled/trapped by the UV light I was using (taking off repeatedly but just smashing back into the blacklight)

Edited by SuperFrank, November 25 2019 - 11:47 AM.