7 replies to this topic

[Jeoff82]

So i was out searching for Flavus and come across a Umbratus queen, never thought I would find one! They are not as common in the UK as the US. Anyway, I have given her 3 adult workers and some eggs/larvae. All seems pretty calm, not much aggression shown, the queen keeps very very still. Anyway do I need to give her cocoons or are the workers enough to get the colony started?

[AntsMAN]

The workers are enough, they will take care of her and the brood. Things do go a lot smoother with cocoons as they will take to the queen immediately. But as long as the workers are caring for her, they should be fine.

[Batspiderfish]

So i was out searching for Flavus and come across a Umbratus queen, never thought I would find one! They are not as common in the UK as the US. Anyway, I have given her 3 adult workers and some eggs/larvae. All seems pretty calm, not much aggression shown, the queen keeps very very still. Anyway do I need to give her cocoons or are the workers enough to get the colony started?

I would give a small amount of Lasius brood to these ants. Social parasites typically have more to work with than three host workers. 

Edited by Batspiderfish, August 19 2016 - 5:52 AM.

[Jeoff82]

Yep I'm gonna go have a look later for some cocoons, new workers. Thanks

[Jeoff82]

Just to update this. I'm pretty sure its a parasitic Lasius queen but can not be sure its Umbratus as she is alive I can not view under a microscope to key her. But she is a nice brown reddish colour, large head, small gaster so I am sure she is parasitic. Anyway she still has the original 3 workers, I also added some cocoons kindly sent to me by another member so the worker count is now 7. The queen stays on the cotton wool in a tube with 1 or 2 workers. I have placed them in a small outworld today to allow them to forage, I have placed some honey and half a mealworm in there for them. No aggression still shown though the original 3 ants do seem to keep their distance more. The cocoons are hatching into nanitic workers and these stay closer to the queen. I guess I will have to wait for the queens own workers to arrive to be able to key this species.

Edited by Jeoff82, August 28 2016 - 3:40 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

I always try to give my social parasites at least 20 workers, although more than 3 may be enough. Glad to hear things are going well!

[Canadian anter]

Usually the more the merrier because the rate of egg laying depends on colony size. A host colony of 5 nanitics when compared mature colony as host, The Queen will lay far more eggs in the mature colony although it is more risky putting more workers

Edited by Canadian anter, August 28 2016 - 7:22 AM.

[Jeoff82]

Yer I didn't want to load her with lots of workers and they became aggressive so I thought Id start with 3 and add more over the week. Instead someone sent me around 15 cocoons which I just gave them as soon as they arrived. So the worker count is now 7 and increasing daily as the cocoons hatch.