5 replies to this topic

[m99]

Apologies for the kinda blurry pictures, my current phone is not great with macro photography even with the attachment.

 

Both queens caught mid-late afternoon in a backyard area with wooded patches nearby, on a warm day following a 48 hour heatwave that ended with a super soaker storm yesterday.

 

This first lady I've settled on being Tapinoma (presumably sessile given location), but want confirmation. She's super tiny, about 4mm, but a real pronounced badonk, so I'm not sure. Her gaster sometimes looks almost lasius-like in roundness and proportion, but other times appeared quite long, which made me lean real hard toward Tapinoma. Unfortunately I find it impossible to get any closer view at her petiole/s to help ID. (*edit* I realize now this invisible petiole is itself a likely giveaway to tapinoma lol)

 

Edited by m99, May 23 2022 - 10:41 PM.

[m99]

And next is this lady, who I'm almost wondering might be some kind of parasite now that I see her up close, with that big ol head. But this can't be a parasitic lasius, can it? Do they really look *that* different from my Lasius americanus queen? She's a completely different size and proportion to that queen.

 

She's about 7mm.

 

 

*edit* Oh hell, I just looked at some pics of Lasius umbratus queens. That petiole is pretty distinct isn't it. She's a parasitic lasius of one kind or another I'm guessing huh?

 

What a bummer, since I'm one of the very few antkeepers around here with absolutely zero interest in parasitic queens lol. And I also don't want a Tapinoma queen so that would mean both these ladies won't be joining my collection after my move, bah.

 

Anyhow, confirmations appreciated thanks.

 

*edit edit* I feel pretty solid in this ID now, reading more about umbratus. She seems like a classic example to my eye. And I guess I do literally have a pile of Lasius americanus cocoons staring at me from their test tube right now that could easily be donated with little harm to that colony, even though they're also still founding. I'll consider keeping her.

Edited by m99, May 23 2022 - 10:22 PM.

[ColAnt735]

The first one is Nylanderia species I'm thinking Nylanderia flavipes. The second queen is Lasius aphidicola which is a social parasite.

[m99]

OOH Nylanderia not tapinoma??? I had a suspicion in the yard but couldn't see closely enough to focus on any other details except the body shape. That would be awesome.

 

And a different Lasius parasite than umbratus, intriguing. 

 

Well maybe I'll end up keeping both these girls then.

 

*edit* Okay upon further reading I'm definitely prepared to accept the Nylanderia flavipes/faison ID.

 

I'll have to consider whether I'm willing to steal some cocoons from my americanus girls for the Lasius queen, we'll see. Right now I think she's probably going right back in the yard where she came from, I probably don't need two Lasius colonies, even once my new house is ready. Especially since info seems to say the Nylanderia are very similar keeping experiences and behaviors.

Edited by m99, May 24 2022 - 10:07 AM.

[Manitobant]

Lasius umbratus is native to europe, and isn’t present in north america. Aphidicola is basically our version of umbratus.

[m99]

Ahh that makes sense then.