9 replies to this topic

[AnnArborAntAdmirator]

need help identifying these queen ants,
I found them under some cardboard I put out yesterday night, along with an LED black light and a white fluorescent board.
each is about 8 mm in length.
 
black, but I stressed one out trying to catch it and it extended its abdomen (unsure if I injured it), it kind of looks like a wasp now.
 

would love to know species so I can figure out when they flew and determine if their flight was last night or this morning.

 

help much appreciated!
 
 

Album: Ant Queens

5 images

0 comments

[AsdinAnts]

looks like Tetramorium immigrans

[ANTdrew]

looks like Tetramorium immigrans

I agree.

[AnnArborAntAdmirator]

I'm sad they're invasive, should I still keep a colony?

I can make sure not to let their alates fly, but I live in a city so they're already everywhere.

 

I have 2 camponotus pennsylvanicus queens from may, but want a smaller, faster growing colony. are there some ethically better species I can expect to fly in July?

 

Or is this a non-issue to most keepers?

[AnnArborAntAdmirator]

thank you guys for your help, I found I can wait for certain species of formica in a few weeks.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

you should keep the colony and like others said yes its T.immigrans and they grow qiuckly

[AnnArborAntAdmirator]

Thanks!

[AsdinAnts]

like what GOCAMPONOTUS said, it’s fine to keep T. immigrans.
They have a very fast growth rate, and are pretty good for people who are beginning their ant keeping journey.
Since they grow very fast, it will be sort of hard to contain them once they mature, you will want to give them a lot of nesting space. (later though)

[Stubyvast]

Yup, t. immigrans for sure. Like AsdinANTS said, great beginner species, really easy to care for. one thing I love about this species is that they'll eat basically anything, not just meats. They are largely scavengers. Sadly I've seen these guys wipe out Camponotus and Formica species just because of their sheer numbers and tendency to be aggressive. So sad. But yes be careful, as they grow crazy fast! 

I don't think you injured it, these queens are pretty tough (I'd know, I found a bunch drowning in chlorine water who survived just fine). This is probably just physogastrism, which happens when the queen has lots of eggs in her Gaster. 

Hope your colony does great!

[ANTdrew]

There is nothing ethically wrong with keeping an invasive species, so long as you do not release them. In fact, you are removing a queen from the ecosystem.