20 replies to this topic

[AntBread]

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Marlton, New Jersey
2. Date of collection: June 26, 2021
3. Habitat of collection: Tennis courts (near woods and pond)
4. Length (from head to gaster): 7-8mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: dark brown head and thorax, dark brown/black gaster with lighter stripes, 1 petiole, light brown/orangish legs
6. Distinguishing characteristics:
7. Distinguishing behavior: sluggish/calm
8. Nest description: unknown
9. Nuptial flight time and date: n/a, but caught at 10am

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[NickAnter]

Chthonolasius sp.

 

She is parasitic and will need host workers.

[futurebird]

Is it true that often you can tell a queen is parasitic if she has thick legs? And is that related to the thing where queens bite off each other's legs?

[ANTdrew]

The best body parts to focus on are the gaster and head. Parasite have thick heads and small gasters.

[Bugging3out]

That’s a lasius claviger.

go into a field and lift sone rocks and with luck on your side you'll find a lasius nest. Take some brood. If there is pupae you can give the cocoons straight to the parasitic queen. If you find lasius larvae and workers put them in a test tube setup and then wait till the larvae pupate then put the cocoons in with the queen. With no luck you should let the queen go.  

 

peace 

[Manitobant]

That’s a lasius claviger.
go into a field and lift sone rocks and with luck on your side you'll find a lasius nest. Take some brood. If there is pupae you can give the cocoons straight to the parasitic queen. If you find lasius larvae and workers put them in a test tube setup and then wait till the larvae pupate then put the cocoons in with the queen. With no luck you should let the queen go.  
 
peace 

no. Claviger is much more shiny and deep brown color. This is clearly aphidicola.

[Bugging3out]

That’s not even a ant species that’s a bacteria, look it up.

[DDD101DDD]

That’s not even a ant species that’s a bacteria, look it up.

Lasius aphidicola is an ant species, look it up.

[Kaelwizard]

That’s not even a ant species that’s a bacteria, look it up.

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

[Bugging3out]

Not true you know you are making fun of a 9 year old right? I am 9 year old. And I am about to keep fire ants so I know this is an adult hobby but I joined in too. My parents think it’s amazing that I know so much, I am sorry I don’t KNOW EVERY SINGLE ANT SPECIES. but get out of here. Thank you good bye.

.  

[Kaelwizard]

Not true you know you are making fun of a 9 year old right? I am 9 year old. And I am about to keep fire ants so I know this is an adult hobby but I joined in too. My parents think it’s amazing that I know so much, I am sorry I don’t KNOW EVERY SINGLE ANT SPECIES. but get out of here. Thank you good bye.
.

I apologize for upsetting you but perhaps you should leave identifications you might not know for sure to the keepers who have been doing this for years? I don’t know too many different ant species myself so I tend to avoid identifications for ones I am unsure of. With that being said, I often check the threads after the ant has been identified in order to learn from the people who have more knowledge than I do. It also helps to check websites like AntMaps (though this website isn’t always the most accurate) to see what ants may live in the location of the ant that needs an identification.

[Bugging3out]

Okay thank you.

[ANTdrew]

Wow

[Chickalo]

Not true you know you are making fun of a 9 year old right? I am 9 year old. And I am about to keep fire ants so I know this is an adult hobby but I joined in too. My parents think it’s amazing that I know so much, I am sorry I don’t KNOW EVERY SINGLE ANT SPECIES. but get out of here. Thank you good bye.

.  

Doubling up on what Kael said, do calm down a little please.  Constructive criticism is, in my opinion, the best way to give feedback.  Don't trust all books since new records are being taken every day; you might've heard of Lasius umbratus being in your area.  Well, recent studies in the past ten years showed that it's actually a closely related species native to here called Lasius aphidicola (which is what Manitobant was talking about). 

This is not meant to offense any new ant keepers, but in the AKE anting discord there is an option to choose either "New" "Intermediate" and "Expert".  The biggest mistake I see new ant keepers make is that they choose "Intermediate" or "Expert" because they think they know a lot.  They quickly change after realizing everyone still has a lot to learn about, as Harvard professor and well known mymecologist E. O. Wilson calls them, "The little things that run the world".  Now only 12 people have that role, which probably should still be less.

The last thing I'm putting in this post is that fire ants mean nothing.  There are no "hard" species or "beginner" species.  It really just depends on the care level.  Solenopsis geminata group is just well known to be fast growing, always hungry, and great escape artists (also with their infamous sting).  It just takes the right care for them.  And even then S. geminata isn't for everyone.  Take someone on this forums, Amatty76 for example.  He started antkeeping about a year ago and successfully managed to have slave making colonies, which isn't known to be easy.  However, like I stated, with the right care that monkey somehow managed to keep a thriving colony.

Take this how you will, but if my mom taught me anything, it's that age is just a number.  Though she probably didn't mean it in the way I'm meaning it, but always try to learn more.  Ants always are surprising everyone in the hobby, even if they are just small behavioural things.  

[AntBread]

Thanks for the help but geez that escalated quickly

[Manitobant]

Not true you know you are making fun of a 9 year old right? I am 9 year old. And I am about to keep fire ants so I know this is an adult hobby but I joined in too. My parents think it’s amazing that I know so much, I am sorry I don’t KNOW EVERY SINGLE ANT SPECIES. but get out of here. Thank you good bye.
.

if you are 9, you probably shouldn’t be using this forum.

Edited by Manitobant, June 30 2021 - 8:07 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Agreed

[JamesJohnson]

Also as a side note: The number one age group for GAN sales is 9-16*, so you're in the majority when it comes to ant hobbyists. Maybe, this isn't the most popular age group for avid antkeepers, but it's still the majority of antkeeprses.
 

*Sorry to do some slight derailing, but does anyone know why kids love bugs so much? When I was a youngin, lots of kids liked bugs, myself included. Now it seems like I'm the only one of those kids to still like bugs.

[ANTS_KL]

Not true you know you are making fun of a 9 year old right? I am 9 year old. And I am about to keep fire ants so I know this is an adult hobby but I joined in too. My parents think it’s amazing that I know so much, I am sorry I don’t KNOW EVERY SINGLE ANT SPECIES. but get out of here. Thank you good bye.
.  

Chill kid chill, I agree with kael. You should leave the ID of sp u not sure to the more experienced keepers.

[ANTS_KL]

Not true you know you are making fun of a 9 year old right? I am 9 year old. And I am about to keep fire ants so I know this is an adult hobby but I joined in too. My parents think it’s amazing that I know so much, I am sorry I don’t KNOW EVERY SINGLE ANT SPECIES. but get out of here. Thank you good bye..

if you are 9, you probably shouldn’t be using this forum.

then what's the recommended age? I'm 12 lmao and a proven idiot too for trying to keep hard sp when I started. Somehow succeeded tho... Honestly I don't recommend fire ants for beginners cuz of the sting but whatever suits u dude