30 replies to this topic

[ohhhhh]

1. Location of collection: athens, ga. u.s.a.
2. Date of collection: 7-22-15
3. Habitat of collection: parking lot near woods
4. Length (from head to gaster): 3/8ths inch
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: red/light brown
6. Distinguishing characteristics: faster than any other queens I've found.
7. Anything else distinctive: slender, quick
8. Nest description: n/a

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[Jonathan21700]

Formica sp. My guess is Formica dolosa.

[Mercutia]

She looks distinctively parasitic.

[ohhhhh]

She looks distinctively parasitic.

in what way? not sure what you mean?

[Jonathan21700]

She looks distinctively parasitic.

I don't think so.

[ohhhhh]

 

She looks distinctively parasitic.

I don't think so.

 

omg. someone explain please. 

you guys can't say things like this and not offer details, or explanation. come on. 

[Jonathan21700]

Check out Formica dolosa.

Body proportions can tell you. Parasitic queens have big heads and small gasters and fully claustral ones have the opposite. Also behavior can tell. Parasitic queens don't settle and start pulling the cotton.

Edited by Jonathan21700, July 22 2015 - 11:04 AM.

[ohhhhh]

maybe I'm confused on the word parasitic. you mean " has parasites" right?

[Jonathan21700]

maybe I'm confused on the word parasitic. you mean " has parasites" right?

By parasitic we mean that the queen will enter another Formica sp. colony and kill the queen and then take over.

BTW Your queen appears to have a mite on her leg.

Edited by Jonathan21700, July 22 2015 - 11:10 AM.

[ohhhhh]

 

maybe I'm confused on the word parasitic. you mean " has parasites" right?

By parasitic we mean that the queen will enter another Formica sp. colony and kill the queen and then take over.

BTW Your queen appears to have a mite on her leg.

 

got ya. thank you for clarification. so do i treat her like my other claustral queens? test tube and such...

any suggestions on the mite? he is for sure a mite, now that I've looked in micro.

[Jonathan21700]

Yes, just place her in a test tube and see if she will lay eggs. Drew removes mites with featherweight forceps.

Edited by Jonathan21700, July 22 2015 - 11:57 AM.

[ohhhhh]

thank you

[Ants4fun]

This is most likely a parasitic queen. Their care is much different than cloustral queens. You have to offer brood and possibly callow workers of another formica sp. Nurbs parasitic Formica sp. journal is an example.

[ohhhhh]

This is most likely a parasitic queen. Their care is much different than cloustral queens. You have to offer brood and possibly callow workers of another formica sp. Nurbs parasitic Formica sp. journal is an example.

she laid a couple eggs last night. does that change anything?

[ohhhhh]

scratch that. she laid 3 eggs, then died.

[Jonathan21700]

She is definitely not parasitic.

[ohhhhh]

wow. I'm so lost. who is right, and who is wrong? 

Edited by larynx, July 23 2015 - 8:57 AM.

[Ants4fun]

Putting Jonathon's determination aside, it is very possible that it is a parasitic sp, although it could be cloustral sp. with a very small gaster. Just because she laid eggs doesn't mean she is cloustral, and just because she died shortly after (an indication to perhaps a lack of food stores) doesn't mean she is parasitic. Could you please take a couple more pictures at some different angles? That would help settle this a bit.

[Ants4fun]

That being said, I am fairly certain that she is parasitic, just based on her small gaster and larg mandibles.

[ohhhhh]

I'm not even worried about it anymore. she is dead. I'm just not going to catch queens with small gasters anymore.