8 replies to this topic

[AntsTopia]

Hi everyone. I caught a Lasius queen ant the other day. She did not look like Lasius Neoniger or Lasius Americanus. She has a black head and a black gaster but a red thorax and she's larger than the usual L. Niger or L. Neoniger. Anyway she laid eggs in a tube right after. I lifted up a rock the next day and got a lot of Lasius Neoniger cocoons. I got say 200? She hatched one and then the worker just started hatching worker after worker. Then while I was playing the piano I guess the colony felt the vibrations the workers started attacking her for no reason! The workers started biting her legs and then she killed a worker. I took her out and put her in my fridge and the colony and they turned docile. After their short calmness they started attacking the queen again. I finally put the queen in vinegar to wipe her scent. The workers started attacking her again so I just gave up and closed the colonies lid. Couple hours later I open the colony to see 2 dead workers and her sitting on the brood pile happily while the workers were anxiously cleaning her. Then when one of my spray bottles fell an hour later the workers started attacking the queen again! It seems the vibrations cause this aggression. An hour later workers were cleaning her again. ???? I am so confused. Please help.

[Serafine]

If she's looking different, has a different color AND is larger, there's a chance she's not even Lasius at all but Formica, Nylanderia or something similar instead. The workers having trouble recognizing her as queen wouldn't be surprising then.

Edited by Serafine, August 10 2022 - 3:47 PM.

[Manitobant]

Yeah I’d recommend posting some pics here if possible.

[RushmoreAnts]

If she's looking different, has a different color AND is larger, there's a chance she's not even Lasius at all but Formica, Nylanderia or something similar instead. The workers having trouble recognizing her as queen wouldn't be surprising then.

If she was indeed not even the same genus let alone species as the workers, then the workers could care less whether she's a queen or not. If they could think like us and could recognize she's a queen, they'd probably be going, "Nice, a queen; all the more nutrition for us," or "That's one potential competition down. Now how many more alien dealates were there this season? 39? Excellent, only 4 more to go."

[AntsTopia]

Well I guess that ends this post. Queen is DEAD. Missing like 4 legs and looks like her head is slightly pulled off. Here’s a picture of the workers. Could you guys please identify them? I would like to do a trade in my area if the workers are neoniger and get my hands on a queen.

https://drive.google...ew?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google...ew?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google...ew?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google...ew?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google...ew?usp=drivesdk

They very much look like L. neoniger. But please try to identify. Thank you!

[ANTdrew]

I can’t see the queen in any of those photos.

[AntsTopia]

Because I took her out. The dead body does not look good.

[Serafine]

Because I took her out. The dead body does not look good.

The workers aren't really the issue, the unkown queen is.

 

 

 

 

If she's looking different, has a different color AND is larger, there's a chance she's not even Lasius at all but Formica, Nylanderia or something similar instead. The workers having trouble recognizing her as queen wouldn't be surprising then.

If she was indeed not even the same genus let alone species as the workers, then the workers could care less whether she's a queen or not. If they could think like us and could recognize she's a queen, they'd probably be going, "Nice, a queen; all the more nutrition for us," or "That's one potential competition down. Now how many more alien dealates were there this season? 39? Excellent, only 4 more to go."

Even between different genera the queen pheromones might still be close enough to work in calm situations. Like there's at least one confirmed case of a Camponotus (i think it was herculeanus) queen using Formica rufa workers for colony founding.

[AntsTopia]

True i am not the sure. I am almost certain that the workers are of L. Neoniger after doing more research. I have a friend who’s willing to give me a Lasius Neoniger for a Solenopsis Invicta queen. No idea why he wants a invicta queen. Those things are common here in Florida. I have like 28 queens. Anyway I’ll make a journal on this colony once I get the neoniger queen. I’ll try to add the queen to this colony. Any ideas on how to introduce her?