5 replies to this topic

[ArmyAntz]

I posted about this colony earlier this week. It appears they have an alate pupae (which I mistook for a major) even though they are still in the founding stages. Any reason why and should I be worried?

 

I tried to take some photos but since I don't have a macro lens they aren't very good (sorry)!

 

(Also correct me if this isn't actually an alate pupae, it just looks very different from the other brood).

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Edited by ArmyAntz, September 7 2020 - 1:47 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

That's a male alate, alright.

[ArmyAntz]

That's a male alate, alright.

Is there any reason why the queen produced it? They're just at 50 or so workers.

[TennesseeAnts]

 

That's a male alate, alright.

Is there any reason why the queen produced it? They're just at 50 or so workers.

 

Probably a trophic egg that accidentally went uneaten.

[ArmyAntz]

 

 

That's a male alate, alright.

Is there any reason why the queen produced it? They're just at 50 or so workers.

 

Probably a trophic egg that accidentally went uneaten.

 

Oh that makes sense, I've seen them eat other big larvae before. 

[nofuel11]

This thread helped me out, thank you. I have an 11 month old colony that has maybe 25 workers. Now I understand that the workers know to get rid of male alate larvae by culling and eating them. And I also learned that alate larvae can be distinguished with a plump large larvae that are "rounder" than the others. The female larvae are more elongated.

 

So I saw like 6 workers (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) randomly drag a huge plump larvae to the outworld yesterday, then they all started biting it. Eventually one of the workers' jaws drew larvae "blood" (it was clear/cloudy liquid that started leaking out the larvae at the bite site) and then more workers started come out to eat it lol. They eventually dragged the bleeding larvae into the nest and the queen even joined in. It was crazy, the larvae was so huge but the small colony ate the whole thing in like an hour and put the empty larvae skin in the trash pile.