5 replies to this topic

[dean_k]

Something you don't see every day.

 

Found this queen on snow of a sidewalk. January 19th, 2016. The temp was -5 at the moment of discovery. No other ants was seen in its immediate vicinity.

 

Size is 1cm.

Color is Brown.

 

[dspdrew]

How was it alive?

[LC3]

That looks a lot like a parasitic Lasius to me, Chances are something must've disturbed it while it was hibernating. Some parasitic Lasius will hibernate (usually in clusters) for the winter and when spring comes they spread out and find host colonies.

[dean_k]

I am leaning toward Lasius umbratus which, according to some googling, is hard speices to start successfully. I do have a Lasius colony in hibernation but I am not willing to risk the queen just for this queen. I will try introducing some workers to her and see how it goes.

 

How was it alive?

 

She was wiggling slowly on top of snow on her back. We had heavy snow last night (30cm) but today had big bright sunny sky, so sunlight must have helped her survive before being picked up by me. I am at loss how she was on top of snow (and alive in -5 for God knows how long) considering there was absolutely no exposed ground. But, hey, I was carrying a plastic tube which is a habit of all ant keepers.

Edited by dean_k, January 19 2016 - 5:20 PM.

[antmaniac]

I put those small seal plastic bags in my wallet. They are much easier to carry around.

[dean_k]

I think she is either Lasius claviger or Lasius murphyi.

 

The problem is, though, that introduced Lasius workers seem to have no interaction with this queen. Neither side minds each other. There is no alert reaction from the introduced workers, and the queen doesn't bother the introduced workers, either. They are acting as if either other does not exist.

 

I am going to put the whole tube into fridge and let them sleep for a month. But there is a chance that she is not a parasite queen.