15 replies to this topic

[liamsantics]

i found this queen ant a week ago an she finally laid eggs. i am wondering what ant this queen is, some basic care, and what ant nests to use

 

the abdomen looks white with black stripes

she was found wandering under my compost bins which were very moist and it was about an hour after the last rain

she is currently in a test tube setup

my thoughts is she is either a ghost ant (based on size), pavement ant, or rover 

the test tube is 13mm for size comparison.

the queen is very chill, will not bite, and is not very squeamish. 

again i found this queen under a compost bin in my backyard in north palm beach florida

before anyone says this i am going to move her to a new test tube because her current one looks dirty

sorry the picture looks horrible. i will upload better ones when i can.

 

 

Edited by liamsantics, June 6 2023 - 12:13 PM.

[liamsantics]

sorry i can't get the pic to upload.... now I'm REALLY UPSET

[liamsantics]

know any black and white ants in florida that are really small? per chance?

[Mettcollsuss]

If you haven't already, try following the instructions in this post:
https://www.formicul...e-walk-through/

[Flu1d]

I highly recommend just uploading the pictures to www.postimages.org and using the "hotlink for forums". Just copy and paste it into your post. That walkthrough isn't the best in my opinion.

[liamsantics]

sorry my camera on my computer is an actual potato. i don't have a phone

[Mettcollsuss]

Brachymyrmex

[liamsantics]

thanks! 

 

also the abdomen has white stripes. any idea what specific species it is?

[Flu1d]

Based on that picture alone, and how common they are in Florida, my guess is Brachymyrmex patagonicus. However, I would recommend to try to get some well lit pictures from a side and top angle.. and if possible, a bottom shot never hurt anyone

This is, of course, if you can.

What I like to do is set a tube down on something white, a sheet of paper works fine. Then I fix a secondary light.. for me I use a headlamp but I don't put it on, I set it down so a flashlight is just as good. Try and focus the camera if possible. A macro lens will be your friend here.. but get what shots you can without one if you can.

Maneuver the light until you can get the best possible, most focused photo. It's not always easy, and oftentimes I can't get it to work lol

Edited by Flu1d, June 6 2023 - 4:15 PM.

[liamsantics]

sadly all of my 10 queen were dead when i woke up this morning. THEY ALL HAD CHILDREN AND WERE FERTILE. WHY ME

[liamsantics]

any idea what happened? i keep them at optimal temp don't feed them and i don't spray insecticides

[bmb1bee]

sadly all of my 10 queen were dead when i woke up this morning. THEY ALL HAD CHILDREN AND WERE FERTILE. WHY ME

How did you know they were fertile? 

[liamsantics]

all the queens laid eggs and they were ABOUT TO BECOME WORKERS and none of the larvae look big enough to be males

[bmb1bee]

Brachymyrmex drones are actually about the same size as workers. Very small compared to the queen. I'm not sure why they would all die at once though. Where did you store them?
 

[liamsantics]

half outside half inside all ded

[liamsantics]

i think they came from a surrounding yard where my neighbors do spray insecticides