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Photo

Queen & male alate stuck together

Started By Antliebe , Sep 28 2020 12:07 PM

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17 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Antliebe - Posted September 28 2020 - 12:07 PM

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Hi everyone,

My daughter and I found a queen yesterday that was mated with a male alate still attached to her.  The male has since died and he is STILL connected to her.  I'm not sure if maybe they got sap stuck on them?  Or they had poor bedside manners?  Or will they naturally detach?  I was wondering if I should try and intervene and pry them apart?  What do you think?  Attached is a photo.  We will put in a request to ID her this evening.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

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  • Ants connected.jpg

#2 Offline ponerinecat - Posted September 28 2020 - 12:47 PM

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Queen will chew him off.


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#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 28 2020 - 12:48 PM

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That poor, poor fellow.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline Antliebe - Posted September 28 2020 - 1:24 PM

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Oh no!!!!  Thank you for the information.  We won't try and interfere then.


#5 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 28 2020 - 3:46 PM

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formica species of some kind.


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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

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

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#6 Offline Antliebe - Posted September 28 2020 - 5:37 PM

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Wow, that is impressive you know that by that brief picture!

formica species of some kind.

 


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#7 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 28 2020 - 5:56 PM

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Wow, that is impressive you know that by that brief picture!

formica species of some kind.

 

I am by no means a expert ant identifier, but i do love formica, and i can tell by the rounded thorax, and the male has a distinct shape for formica. Thanks!


Edited by Ants_Dakota, September 28 2020 - 5:56 PM.

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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

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#8 Offline Antliebe - Posted September 30 2020 - 8:41 AM

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I think the poor girl is dying...with the male still attached.  :(


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#9 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 30 2020 - 8:54 AM

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is she in a proper test tube set up yet?


We don’t talk about that

#10 Offline TechAnt - Posted September 30 2020 - 8:55 AM

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Weird, I wonder why the queen has not chewed the male off yet..

 

You may have to pry them off if this goes on for longer, with something like featherweight forceps would be ideal. But I would wait for more people to chime in to see what they think of this.


Edited by TechAnt, September 30 2020 - 8:56 AM.

My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#11 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 30 2020 - 8:57 AM

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I think the poor girl is dying...with the male still attached.  :(

not sure why that would happen. 


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

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#12 Offline Antliebe - Posted September 30 2020 - 9:27 AM

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We are out-of-town so we do not have a test tube.  We have her in an empty Epi-Pen container.  I just gave her a damp paper towel and she is now on it....maybe drinking?  Hopefully this perks her up. 


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#13 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 30 2020 - 9:54 AM

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We are out-of-town so we do not have a test tube.  We have her in an empty Epi-Pen container.  I just gave her a damp paper towel and she is now on it....maybe drinking?  Hopefully this perks her up. 

yes that is probably the problem. camponotus will die in a day without hydration i have found.


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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

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#14 Offline Manitobant - Posted September 30 2020 - 10:10 AM

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I think you should maybe remove the male when you get home with tweezers or something. Prob not the healthiest for the queen.
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My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#15 Offline Antliebe - Posted September 30 2020 - 10:47 AM

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Thank you all.  Guess I should have started with the obvious...water.  Think being away from home has thrown us off our usual ant-game. 


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#16 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 30 2020 - 10:53 AM

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Thank you all.  Guess I should have started with the obvious...water.  Think being away from home has thrown us off our usual ant-game. 

just keep her moist. she should be fine until you get home.


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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

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#17 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 30 2020 - 12:36 PM

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Not what I would call a healthy relationship for those two.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#18 Offline Antkid12 - Posted September 30 2020 - 2:25 PM

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Pretty sure this is Formica fusca group.


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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

 

                    

                   

 

 

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