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Queen Ant Pupae?

Started By jbiams77 , Jun 4 2020 2:37 PM
pupae queen ant

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13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline jbiams77 - Posted June 4 2020 - 2:37 PM

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I'm trying to figure out if these pupae in my formicarium are queen ant pupae or male? They are much larger than the other pupae and its June, so I feel like the colony is gearing up to produce some queens. These are two different pupae. Also, if my colony has breeds queens, do I need to release them or is it possible for them to mate in captivity? I'm pretty new to this.

 

species: tetramorium

Seattle, WA

June 4, 2020

 

 

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#2 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted June 4 2020 - 2:41 PM

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Looks like a female to me.


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#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 4 2020 - 3:25 PM

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Yeah, queen pupae. Look out!
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Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted June 4 2020 - 4:26 PM

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Definitely a queen. Head and gaster are much too large to be male.

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#5 Offline AntsBC - Posted June 4 2020 - 5:28 PM

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A queen pupa indeed.  Congrats on getting your colony to this stage!

 

Answering your question, please do not release Tetramorium alates into the wild.  They are an invasive species, and the more that are taken out of the environment the better.  Releasing them, although seemingly minuscule, could produce more invasive colonies.  Many people, including myself, are trying to rid these creatures from our backyards and neighbourhoods.  Helping sprout more colonies would not be doing the environment any favours.  In fact, they are very bad news for native ant species.


Edited by AntsBC, June 4 2020 - 5:31 PM.

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#6 Offline Antkid12 - Posted June 4 2020 - 5:31 PM

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Interesting, i've never seen Tetramorium kill ant species other than themselves.   :thinking:


Edited by Antkid12, June 4 2020 - 5:34 PM.

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Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

#7 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted June 4 2020 - 5:54 PM

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Interesting, i've never seen Tetramorium kill ant species other than themselves.   :thinking:

Probably because they’ve already killed all the colonies of species they are able to kill. You’re area would’ve been much more diverse if it wasn’t for Tetras.
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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#8 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted June 4 2020 - 6:14 PM

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Interesting, i've never seen Tetramorium kill ant species other than themselves.   :thinking:

Probably because they’ve already killed all the colonies of species they are able to kill. You’re area would’ve been much more diverse if it wasn’t for Tetras.

 

I've noticed that they are the most common species in my neighborhood, especially around sidewalks. (Although, these are the only species I can confidently ID. If I don't think Its Tetramorium then I just say its Camponotus or Formica[in most cases]. But tbh, I have no clue what most of the species in my area are, and I'm to lazy to ID them XD)

Also, I've heard they are naturalized invaders, meaning they have made their own niche and are not causing problems. Although, that info was from AntsCanada and idk how much trust I'd put into what he says XD


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#9 Offline Pumpkin_Loves_Ants - Posted June 4 2020 - 6:31 PM

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I've noticed that they are the most common species in my neighborhood, especially around sidewalks

This is where they get their nickname from. Most people who don't refer to them by their scientific name simply calm them pavement ants since they are well known to nest in the cracks in pavement. I've heard it's because the concrete helps keep the nest insulated.


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Lasius Neoniger (Around 23ish workers)

Tetramorium Immigran (8 Workers)

Myrmica Queen (Not 100% on species)

Formica Subsericea (No workers)

#10 Offline jbiams77 - Posted June 4 2020 - 8:17 PM

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A queen pupa indeed.  Congrats on getting your colony to this stage!

 

Answering your question, please do not release Tetramorium alates into the wild.  They are an invasive species, and the more that are taken out of the environment the better.  Releasing them, although seemingly minuscule, could produce more invasive colonies.  Many people, including myself, are trying to rid these creatures from our backyards and neighbourhoods.  Helping sprout more colonies would not be doing the environment any favours.  In fact, they are very bad news for native ant species.

 

 

Well the species is native in that I migrated the colony from my back yard into my formicarium. 


Edited by jbiams77, June 4 2020 - 8:18 PM.

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#11 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted June 5 2020 - 7:50 AM

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How would i destroy tetra colonies?

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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#12 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted June 5 2020 - 8:35 AM

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How would i destroy tetra colonies?

Boiling water poured down their nest entrances.

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#13 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 5 2020 - 8:44 AM

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  I think they are especially good at out competing, so that, even if they don't directly attack and kill natives, they will eat the food in that area until they have complete dominance, and the native colony starves.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#14 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 5 2020 - 9:07 AM

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I think they are especially good at out competing, so that, even if they don't directly attack and kill natives, they will eat the food in that area until they have complete dominance, and the native colony starves.

Exactly. There’s only so much available nesting space and food available in any given habitat. If you throw in a highly prolific invader, some species are going to be out-competed. It’s not all about attacking colonies.
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Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.
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