6 replies to this topic

[Just.J]

Hi, this is a very tiny queen I found, again while at work. There is this very chubby very black ants having a nuptial flight there but this queen (found about 200 meters away from that nest, alone and foraging the ground) seems too small to be from them. If it is then the nest is at the roots of a live healthy and huge tree. Any ideas?


1. Location (on a map) of collection: Belgium
2. Date of collection: 4th June 2021
3. Habitat of collection: a small patch of earth on a corner of a parking lot
4. Length (from head to gaster): 6mm maybe 7mm but doubt it
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: black
6. Distinguishing characteristics: tiny
7. Distinguishing behavior: very active, unsure if mated
8. Nest description:
9. Nuptial flight time and date: 4th of June, 6pm, in between a thunderstorm (was not raining at rhe time).

My biggest question, is it parasitic? It's just soooo tiny lol


Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

[NickAnter]

Lasius fuliginosus! One of my favorite European ants, nice find.

[Just.J]

Lasius fuliginosus! One of my favorite European ants, nice find.

So I need to go hunt for yellow ants tomorrow?

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

[NPLT]

 

Lasius fuliginosus! One of my favorite European ants, nice find.

So I need to go hunt for yellow ants tomorrow?

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

 

Not just any yellow ants, but for Lasius umbratus! Though I heard someone founded them with Lasius niger.

[Just.J]

Lasius fuliginosus! One of my favorite European ants, nice find.

So I need to go hunt for yellow ants tomorrow?

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

Not just any yellow ants, but for Lasius umbratus! Though I heard someone founded them with Lasius niger.

Yeah i know where I can find a colony of the fat yellow ants. I can't really write umbranus correctly or at leastI think I can't and that's why I avoided writing it lol. Anyways issue is there is no way I'll be able to reach any brood unless i dig 1 to 3 meters deep. Think just workers will be okay? And many thanks for the identification, that seemed surprisingly easy!

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

[NPLT]

 

 

 

Lasius fuliginosus! One of my favorite European ants, nice find.

So I need to go hunt for yellow ants tomorrow?

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

Not just any yellow ants, but for Lasius umbratus! Though I heard someone founded them with Lasius niger.

Yeah i know where I can find a colony of the fat yellow ants. I can't really write umbranus correctly or at leastI think I can't and that's why I avoided writing it lol. Anyways issue is there is no way I'll be able to reach any brood unless i dig 1 to 3 meters deep. Think just workers will be okay? And many thanks for the identification, that seemed surprisingly easy!

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

 

So, brood will not actually work because Lasius queens can't really open them, what you want are callows, which are workers who eclosed recently and their exoskeleton is yet to harden. Also, remember to not just throw the workers into the tube because they'll kill the queen, when you find your workers, cool them in a temperature of 15 to 10 Celcius, both the queen and the tube for an hour, connect them, and monitor if the workers are aggresive towards the queen.

Edited by NPLT, June 4 2021 - 2:30 PM.

[NickAnter]

From my understanding most Lasius can work with these. I have seen NordicAnts on Youtube raise them with L. niger, and Wegmier on here raise them with L. niger. I'm sure it can be done just fine.