7 replies to this topic

[Someone]

A few days ago I caught the ant in the test tube. I think it's Myrmica Rubra. Yesterday I caught another ant that looks very similar. So I thought it was Rubra and as I read that they are polygynous, I put them together. They didn't fight, when they met they stressed a little but after some time they just stood facing each other very close but without any signs of aggression.

 

They spent the night standing like this in the small arena outside the test tube that I gave them, but then I noticed that they look a bit different. The new ant is overall darker, has a darker gaster and is a tiny bit smaller. I separated them and the original Rubra queen immediately went back into the test tube. Does anybody recognize these species or are they the same and I can put them together? 

The first ant:




The second ant: 

Attached Images

• 

[ANTdrew]

Use the ID template to give more information.

[Artisan_Ants]

Yeah like what ANTdrew mentioned, you might want ant to use the ID template. We need to know size, where she was collected, etc. Otherwise, both look like M. rubra to me (especially since they both didn’t attack each other as Myrmica tends to be aggressive at a very early stage unless polygynous like M. rubra). The darker one is just a different color contrast which this very common within this species.

[Someone]

Denmark, 1st caught around 23-25th July,  2nd caught 1st August.
1 Caught in a forest, the other one in a different town next to a parking lot.
Both are around 6-7mm long.
1st is a little bit more red/orange, the 2nd is darker.

Yeah like what ANTdrew mentioned, you might want ant to use the ID template. We need to know size, where she was collected, etc. Otherwise, both look like M. rubra to me (especially since they both didn’t attack each other as Myrmica tends to be aggressive at a very early stage unless polygynous like M. rubra). The darker one is just a different color contrast which this very common within this species.

 

Thanks, so I think I will put them together to have a 2 queen colony instead of 2 colonies with only 1.

[Someone]

There is not aggression, whatsoever, so I think they both are M. Rubra, just different colors. You can see the difference in color in this picture:

Attached Images

• 

[The_Gaming-gate]

I agree with Myrmica rubra, nice find!

[Someone]

I agree with Myrmica rubra, nice find!

[Someone]

Thank you! Hopefully I can raise them successfully. I like their color and shape of the workers, would be great to have them.