6 replies to this topic

[Loops117]

First off. I traded for 2 Parasitic Lasius sp. queens. I don't think they're the same species though.

Sorry for picture quality. I take about 20-30 pictures and use the best. 

 

This is queen 1. 5~6mm in length. Caught in Michigan. Not sure what else.

 

Queen 2. This one i'm almost positive is Parasitic. 5~6mm in length. Caught in Michigan. Not sure what else.

 

 

Last is a queen my buddy caught on saturday, and thought they were C. pennsylvanicus considering the 4 queens he found surrounding the colony. He split the brood and workers up into two containers and put 2 c.pennsylvanicus queens in each. I told him not to split them up too much or release any since he might release the wrong queen and keep the false. By day 2, he was down to 2 queens, 1 in each container.  I still had not gotten any pictures, just crappy snapchat video of the queens themselves. Well, today he brought them in. First container had a C. pennsylvanicus queen, and lasius workers/brood. Second container had a  queen, lasius workers/brood and their queen! I do believe she is Lasius sp. More then likely Lasius alienus since they’re arboreal. I haven’t had a chance to compare her to my Lasius alienus queen yet.

 

Sorry for this being a video. She will not stop moving.

4~5mm caught in michigan under bark.

Edited by Loops117, June 30 2016 - 6:29 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

Your video is not playing well for me and I can't see anything, but the two other queens are Lasius umbratus or the look-alike Lasius speculiventris, temporary social parasites of other Lasius. You'll need to get host workers from inside (preferably near brood) another Lasius colony.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 3 2016 - 4:15 PM.

[Canadian anter]

Lasius neoniger or alienus?

[Loops117]

Neither have laid a single egg. I gave the first parasitic queen some brood from an alienus colony. She seemed interested.

[Batspiderfish]

In my experience, brood is not enough, and they won't practice brood care or open up cocoons unless they already have host workers.

Even after they have a host colony, it usually takes a week or two before the queen will start laying.

Edited by Batspiderfish, July 3 2016 - 6:47 PM.

[AntsMAN]

Agreed first two Lasius umbratus, I didn't see a queen in the Video only what looks like Lasius neoniger workers.

I have had success with introducing two workers and some cocoons, I now have a Lasius umbratus queen with eggs and the neoniger workers feeding her. It took about 1 1/2 weeks, for them to get comfortable. Try to get the smaller more docile workers.

[Batspiderfish]

I do see now what appears to be a Lasius alienus queen in the video, trying to climb up the side of the container on the right.