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Keeping an ergatoid queen.

Started By StevenAG , Jul 2 2021 9:57 AM
ergatoid queen keeping

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#1 Offline StevenAG - Posted July 2 2021 - 9:57 AM

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i'm really new to ant keeping, and had just found a queen in some small colony in my garage (29 June 2021). Turns out it is a ergatoid M. pharaonis queen ant (thanks to ant id forum). It is my first time hearing ergatoid queen, so i googled it and there is nothing about how to keep & care for them. Someone in the ant id forum said that i have to go back to the colony where i found the queen and take some of the worker, but when i went back to the colony, the worker already move out so i can't take any. So what should i do? What is the actual diffrent beetwen keeping an ergatoid quens and a normal queens? 

 

Right now the queen is alone in a test tube setup, after 4 days haven't lays a single egg. I have given her some honey.

 

Indonesia, Central Java, Semarang.

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#2 Offline NickAnter - Posted July 2 2021 - 10:24 AM

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Give her workers if possible.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#3 Offline Manitobant - Posted July 2 2021 - 10:47 AM

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Ergatoid queens cannot found by themselves, and don’t have a nuptial flight. They mate in the nest with foreign males and then split off from the old colony with a bunch of workers. Since the workers are gone, i would try finding another colony of this species and getting some pupae to give to her. Brood boosting is probably the only option.
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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/
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