12 replies to this topic

[FightNFive]

This gem was collected sometime near the end of July to mid August. Sorry I cannot be more specific; I am going on the recollection of an 11 y/o. I just recently found out (2 days ago) about this queen, in a test tube set-up, hiding under his bed. He says she has been undisturbed. He placed the test tube in a box and secured it to the box with some blue tack.  She has been in captivity for at least 2 months and has yet to lay eggs. Here is the information he is able to give us:

1. Caught in our yard, near the cement/grass line
2. Late July  to mid-august
3. Urban Grassy
4. 8mm
5. reddish-brown with lighter striations on gastor

 

Edited by FightNFive, October 8 2020 - 5:39 AM.

[KitsAntVa]

Looks like Lasius americanus if not it’s neoniger.

[Antkeeper01]

lucky I wish I had one of those well maybe next year.

[ANTdrew]

These usually lay eggs after hibernation.

[FightNFive]

Is the tine (sorry, I don't know the anatomical name for it yet) seen below, species specific and a way to distinguish between L. Americanus and L. Neoniger?

 

 

[Antkeeper01]

isn't it the post petiole

[FightNFive]

These usually lay eggs after hibernation.

 

That makes sense as to why she hasn't laid any eggs yet...after 2 months. Super bummer though, I have to wait until next year for brood!

[KitsAntVa]

Americanus have a different look than neoniger in my opinion, kina like americanus is a brownish red while a neoniger is a greyish red, it will be easy to tell next year once she has workers because americanus are I'm pretty sure the fastest growing lasius and it only takes a month from egg to workers instead of a month and a half.

[NickAnter]

Probably neoniger based on the light leg color. can't be sure though.

[KitsAntVa]

Usually the thorax and gaster look basically stuck together in a neoniger. that queen is definitely americanus because of the tine (i also don't know the names) but that is definitely americanus cause of the little spike. Congratulations you caught a more uncommon one and they grow pretty fast.

[CheetoLord02]

I agree that this is L. americanus, the flight time of around 2 months ago is more accurate for americanus, and the appearance does seem to be closer to americanus. Also the "little spike" is the petiole, which literally every ant has, not to mention both L. americanus' and neoniger's are almost identically shaped. But I've gotta ask, where on earth are you getting these development times? A month egg to worker? Lasius brood might just take the longest to develop of any species in the temperate US, especially the parasites. I have a L. americanus colony with ~1000 workers and their egg to worker is a minimum of 8 or 9 weeks. Some of the parasites can take even longer, my old L. aphidicola took around 12 weeks to get their first biological worker. I'm not really sure why Lasius brood takes so long to develop, but I can guarantee a month of development is surely not right.

[KitsAntVa]

Well around here lasius americanus are like pavement ants, A ant keeper in my state down in the south has one that developed cocoons in 3 weeks, she has around 10 workers now. His took around 5 weeks from egg to worker which is weird because lasius are slow growers.

[ANTdrew]

North American Lasius are some of the slowest growing ants around and are frankly not that fun to keep, in my opinion.