21 replies to this topic

[steelplant]

Found beside the river in Lincolnshire, UK, about a week ago (20 Aug 2020 ish).

 

 

Initially I thought she was semi-claustral as her gaster is smaller than eg Lasius niger. I set her up in a tub n tube but she doesn't seem to be eating or drinking, or hunting, hasn't settled in and is still trying to escape. I realised last night she doesn't seem to have a post petiole so is unlikely to be what I initially thought (Myrmica).

 

If anyone could help that would be great thanks.

 

Size is 9mm. She looks black in some lights, though looks brown in these photos. Her head is heart shaped.

Edited by steelplant, August 27 2020 - 4:31 AM.

[Antkid12]

Yeah, Lasius parasite.

[Kaelwizard]

They should be fed like a drop of honey or something still, though. Parasitic alates are generally underfed.

[steelplant]

Cheers guys. She's got a drop of honey on a stone and 2.5ml diluted honey water in an ant drink feeder. She also gets little bits of fruit I've grown myself (ie no pesticides) and protein in the form of mealworms, crickets, shrimp, salmon, boiled egg yolk etc. 

 

I've a few plant pots with wild Lasius niger in, so I'll grab some pupae and some young workers and set to work. I'll probably try the callow method first. Unless someone here recommends another way. 

 

Thanks so much for your help. I'm so glad I'll now be able to give her what she needs.

[Manitobant]

The species is lasius umbratus in case you were wondering.

[steelplant]

The species is lasius umbratus in case you were wondering.

 

Thanks. I figured that was probably it, but it's really helpful to get it confirmed. Wish I'd posted for an ID a week ago now. Think I might try the fridge method with maybe 5 workers and 20 pupae. Then later boost with another 20. There are some large wild Lasius niger colonies I've been feeding sugars to that can comfortably afford to lose that amount I think. 

[steelplant]

A quick update on the adoption. The weather here's been terrible lately so there were barely any pupae being warmed in the usual places. I got one pupa and a few workers. One worker unfortunately got a bit squashed when I put the lid on, so I put her in with the queen first. Sure enough, the queen started taking the worker's scent and rubbing it all over her. After a while I put in the pupa and one worker. The worker grabbed the pupa and just hid, so I put in another worker, who met the queen at the nest entrance almost immediately and they seemed to get along fine. This morning both workers and the pupa are in the nest (test tube) so fingers crossed I think it's gone OK. I'll put the remaining workers back where I got them and just give the new colony any pupae I find. From what I've read/heard, the queen won't lay until she has a decent work force.

 

My friend finally identified a mystery colony she'd saved ... Lasius umbratus as well. She has a few queens in hers. So if all goes well, we'll be able to swap drones.

 

Thanks for your help - I wouldn't have had the guts to try this without your ID.

[TechAnt]

If you could find callow workers (newly eclosed workers) and pupae would be best. Callows tend to except new queens more then the normal workers, but it’s fine if you can’t find callows.

[steelplant]

If you could find callow workers (newly eclosed workers) and pupae would be best. Callows tend to except new queens more then the normal workers, but it’s fine if you can’t find callows.

Thanks. There's no real chance of callows, and now the queen has a couple of workers - 3 once the pupa is eclosed - I'll just forage for pupae for her. We might actually get some sun briefly tomorrow, so I'll go out and flip a few stones. If I'm really lucky the colony in the compost bin will have their pupae out. 

 

At least I know the queen is getting fed now. 

[NickAnter]

Actually, this could easily be mixtus or meridionalis. Care would be the same whatever the species. From what I have read about Lasius social parasites, it seems like over 20 normal host workers would be fine. Just make sure to chill them both before introduction, but not too long, as you don't want them to freeze.

[AnthonyP163]

Yes, 20+ workers is able to start a colony. However, 20 host workers will likely not get you many parasite workers in the first generation, and she might not even want to lay.

 

My recommendation is to find a Lasius niger colony living under a rock, and to take a lot of pupae. I would shoot for at least 100 host workers. Make sure if you take pupae from a different colony, you don't get workers too, because if you try to add in workers from a different colony they will still treat eachother like enemies. 

Edited by AnthonyP163, August 29 2020 - 2:41 PM.

[steelplant]

Cheers guys. Just been reading your journal, AnthonyP163. Very interesting. Yes I'll gladly boost her with as many pupae as I can responsibly take from wild nests. All my other colonies are in foundation (just started ant keeping over lockdown), so the chance to have a bigger colony is appealing. I shan't add any more workers now though, unless the two I have die. Just pupae. Just hope the queen's patient with them while I find pupae for her.

[steelplant]

A further update ... I found an utterly massive Lasius niger colony in a neighbouring allotment. There were hundreds of pupae revealed just by leaning forward a south facing slab that was leaning on a large earth mound. I used a home made pooter to suck up around 50. I put the workers back as they were from a different colony from the original ones.

 

I put the pupae into the tub and tube set up, at the nest entrance. I thought they'd be taken in immediately but they weren't. When I came back a few hours later they'd been taken in. 

 

Last night I found an ant queen drowning in a rain-filled dish. Of course I had to keep her. Turns out she's another umbratus. So I just revisited the massive wild colony and took some pupae and a few workers for her. They're chilling in the fridge.

 

Again, thanks for your help in the ID and advice. As a beginner, this is such a fascinating and wonderful world to get a peek into and interact with.

[TechAnt]

Great! I am glad you found a solution.

[Antkid12]

A further update ... I found an utterly massive Lasius niger colony in a neighbouring allotment. There were hundreds of pupae revealed just by leaning forward a south facing slab that was leaning on a large earth mound. I used a home made pooter to suck up around 50. I put the workers back as they were from a different colony from the original ones.

 

I put the pupae into the tub and tube set up, at the nest entrance. I thought they'd be taken in immediately but they weren't. When I came back a few hours later they'd been taken in. 

 

Last night I found an ant queen drowning in a rain-filled dish. Of course I had to keep her. Turns out she's another umbratus. So I just revisited the massive wild colony and took some pupae and a few workers for her. They're chilling in the fridge.

 

Again, thanks for your help in the ID and advice. As a beginner, this is such a fascinating and wonderful world to get a peek into and interact with.

You should make a journal.

[steelplant]

The introduction to the second umbratus queen was a little more dramatic. The queen rolled the worker in the honey drop on a stone in her outworld. She was forcing the worker's head into the honey. Then she was rubbing the worker over her to spread its scent, but just became a sticky mess. Then bits of sand were getting stuck to her. It was a nightmare. She spent many hours cleaning herself off. She couldn't resist the honey-coated ant though and ate her. The second worker introduction went much better, and everything's fine now. I overhydrated their plaster outworld (going to keep it dry from now on) and the queen and worker just chill out in there amongst the scattered pupae. I have to trust that they know what they're doing, and the worker does check on them all regularly.

 

There are now many niger workers in the first umbratus queen's test tube.

 

Antkid 12 - thanks for your suggestion. I'll have a go at writing a journal.

[Kaelwizard]

That other queen had a nice honey roasted ant!

[steelplant]

That other queen had a nice honey roasted ant!

 

Yes must've been impossible to resist! She pulled her wings off as soon as I put her in her little outworld. Wanders around all day, whereas I never see the first one. Maybe she's busy laying.

[BlueLance213]

Yay someone else in the UK XD although your further south, Grats on finding the Queen, I was looking for umbratus but I never got lucky and the weather has been horrible the past few weeks!

[steelplant]

Yay someone else in the UK XD although your further south, Grats on finding the Queen, I was looking for umbratus but I never got lucky and the weather has been horrible the past few weeks!

 

Hi! You in Scotland? We've still got alates around Myrmica nest entrances here so they could go any day. It's still and sunny with damp ground right now actually. I'm trying my best not to look for them as I've collected so many Lasius and already have one Myrmica. Pretty sure I wouldn't be able to resist if I caught the flight though. You find anything this year? I used to live in Inverness and love Scotland.