4 replies to this topic

[aliussparrow]

Found in Calgary Alberta. 

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[Jonathan21700]

Parasitic Formica sp. Wait for Crystal she has experience with these.

[Crystals]

Did you just find this?

These usually do not fly until late July or August.

 

IDing parasitic Formica is very hard, especially queens.  https://www.antweb.o...nts&images=true

The best bet is to wait for the 3-4th generation workers before attempting a solid ID.

 

In the meantime, try getting a real good full on face picture like the link above, and we can narrow down groups.

You will have to find a Formica nest, with these specific ones, either the red and black or the pure black Formica will usually suffice.  Steal 3-10 pupae and give them to the new queen.  Not workers or larvae, just the pupae.  Also feed her a tiny drop of sugar water on a tin foil plate every other day until her workers arrive.  They do not have much energy reserves.

 

Additional ID tips for Formica:

Look at the curve at the top of the head when it ia full on face shot.  Also look for the clypeal notch.

Convex head top (like camponotus) is raptiformica group 
Strongly concave they are probably "serviformica" (like fusca, rufibarbis...)
If it's like flat - it's probably rufa-group
Formica in sanguinea group have clypeal notch (aserva, etc - and thus have formic acid in bite).

[aliussparrow]

Did you just find this?

These usually do not fly until late July or August.

 

IDing parasitic Formica is very hard, especially queens.  https://www.antweb.o...nts&images=true

The best bet is to wait for the 3-4th generation workers before attempting a solid ID.

 

In the meantime, try getting a real good full on face picture like the link above, and we can narrow down groups.

You will have to find a Formica nest, with these specific ones, either the red and black or the pure black Formica will usually suffice.  Steal 3-10 pupae and give them to the new queen.  Not workers or larvae, just the pupae.  Also feed her a tiny drop of sugar water on a tin foil plate every other day until her workers arrive.  They do not have much energy reserves.

 

Additional ID tips for Formica:

Look at the curve at the top of the head when it ia full on face shot.  Also look for the clypeal notch.

Convex head top (like camponotus) is raptiformica group 
Strongly concave they are probably "serviformica" (like fusca, rufibarbis...)
If it's like flat - it's probably rufa-group
Formica in sanguinea group have clypeal notch (aserva, etc - and thus have formic acid in bite).

I have had 2 of these queens in the last month die(due to my ignorance that they require food source), 2 I just caught today and it seems like these are the only species I seem to catch which sucks because I have never kept parasitic queens before. So would I have to potentially ruin a colony by digging pupae up? Or is there another less invasive way of aquiring pupae (also I fear a full on attack by the ants). Right now both of the parasitic queens are feeding on honey like mad. 

[Crystals]

This species is usually pretty easy if you know what you are doing.

 

Look for the usual black Formica (or any Formica really), they commonly have those dirt mounds on your lawn.  Take a garden shovel and some tweezers, or another small shovel and dig a scoop of dirt out.  They usually store the pupae in the top in the hottest part of the nest.  Even a small scoop of only a few table spoons of dirt can have a handful of pupae, which is all you need.  The scoop doesn't do any more damage than a lawnmower.

 

Grab, or scoop, 3-10 pupae and stick them with each queen.  Once they workers eclose, they will take care of the queen until she lays her eggs after hibernation.