9 replies to this topic

[SaintDrake]

8/16/16

Caught three of these parasitic Lasius latipes queens, they were flying with other Lasius spp.

8/17-20/16

They were very rambunctious in their test tubes, so I decide to release one and watch it to see what it would do. It walked around on my back patio for about 10 minutes and tried to enter various cracks in the paving stones. She got attacked by smaller worker ants (I am not sure what species they were) and eventually ran away from them and found a preexisting hole and she climbed down.

I decide to try and fill one of the other two's test tubes with dirt to see if she'd dig. She didn't she just kept trying to climb out of the test tube. I decided to release her. I watched her do similar things as the first girl I released and realized that she too climbed down a preexisting hole.

I had the third in a very large test tube that is about a foot long and 2 inches in diameter (it was the last one I had when I caught them all and the others were in 150mm long test tubes). I decided to fill her test tube partially with dirt. I then used a paint brush to push down through the dirt to the cotton ball that held back the water. I put her back into her test tube. She ran around for a minute and then climbed down the hole.

I read that they needed workers from another colony (plus the fact that the released queens entered preexisting colonies made me assume she would need help with her brood). I dug up an ant nest and took some of the brood and gave it to her.

I was impatient so I decided to also try and introduce her to a worker too. The worker climbed down the hole and they met and seemed okay. The worker climbed out and I watched them for a good bit to make sure they wouldn't fight. I tried the chilling in the fridge method too just to help keep the worker calm.

8/25/16

I checked on the queen and her worker. Mold has grown on the surface of the soil and I saw the worker outside of the hole on the roof of the test tube (because of the sheer size of the test tube it is kept vertical and not horizontal like the rest). I get an odd feeling about this and I see some of the brood moved from the bottom of the hole I dug to various places in the test tube including along the tunnel. I also can't see my queen.

I decide to dig her out. This was kind of an impulsive decision that I thought I would regret. I dug and dug and poured the dirt out onto our outdoor patio table. I checked very thoroughly for any sign of my L. latipes queen. After I took all of the dirt out there was still no sign of her. I check the dirt pile more and find a little red limb... I then found her head, several more limbs, and her gaster the worker must have killed her.

8/28/16

The Lasius were flying again and I caught 3 more Lasius latipes queens. Time to try this again with much more patience. They are all currently in test tubes.

Edited by SaintDrake, September 7 2016 - 7:14 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

http://www.formicult...ial-parasites/ 

[Loops117]

If they're parasitic, then here's your chance to really test out some theories and learn. Parasitic queens are prolly the hardest to start off. Everyone who has had success will tell you a different story. It took me 3 queens to finally keep one alive, and she's slow to start. As for parasitic queens, i don't think they're worth the effort unless you want that specific species. Claustral Lasius queens are much easier to found and rear.

 

Some will say to add callow workers and some brood.

Some will say to chill for a couple days then add the queen to a small queenless colony.

 

I myself will tell you what i did all 3 times, and one eventually took. I was given tips and advice on how i should do it and i tried some.

 

First queen received 4 cocoons, and 2 callow workers. Never laid, eventually died.

2nd queen received 6 callow workers and a small pile of brood. Never laid, eventually died.

3rd queen received about 20-30 cocoons and 0 callow workers. She now has a group of slaves, and a pile of brood.

 

Adding callow workers stunted my queens chances IMO. Too many will make it too hard for the queen to take over. On the other side, if you don't have enough. The queen won't feel the colony is enough for her to engage.  When i added nothing but brood to my 3rd queen, i knew it would work out better. First day after i added the brood, i had 4 workers emerge. They immediately took to the new queen and started to aid her.

 

Not saying my method works, just that it worked for me.

Edited by Loops117, August 29 2016 - 8:32 AM.

[SaintDrake]

Well I followed your advice Loops. Well for one queen so far, I gave her about 20 cocoons. She picked one up and started to rub herself afterwards. Then, she got one stuck to her back foot and was walking around her test tube with it. Not sure if that means she killed that one or not but, I will wait and see now. I will probably try and do the same thing with the other two after I see a worker eclose and start helping her.

Edited by SaintDrake, August 29 2016 - 12:58 PM.

[Batspiderfish]

If they're parasitic, then here's your chance to really test out some theories and learn. Parasitic queens are prolly the hardest to start off. Everyone who has had success will tell you a different story. It took me 3 queens to finally keep one alive, and she's slow to start. As for parasitic queens, i don't think they're worth the effort unless you want that specific species. Claustral Lasius queens are much easier to found and rear.

 

Some will say to add callow workers and some brood.

Some will say to chill for a couple days then add the queen to a small queenless colony.

 

I myself will tell you what i did all 3 times, and one eventually took. I was given tips and advice on how i should do it and i tried some.

 

First queen received 4 cocoons, and 2 callow workers. Never laid, eventually died.

2nd queen received 6 callow workers and a small pile of brood. Never laid, eventually died.

3rd queen received about 20-30 cocoons and 0 callow workers. She now has a group of slaves, and a pile of brood.

 

Adding callow workers stunted my queens chances IMO. Too many will make it too hard for the queen to take over. On the other side, if you don't have enough. The queen won't feel the colony is enough for her to engage.  When i added nothing but brood to my 3rd queen, i knew it would work out better. First day after i added the brood, i had 4 workers emerge. They immediately took to the new queen and started to aid her.

 

Not saying my method works, just that it worked for me.

 

Did you document the social parasite that had no host workers?

[SaintDrake]

 

If they're parasitic, then here's your chance to really test out some theories and learn. Parasitic queens are prolly the hardest to start off. Everyone who has had success will tell you a different story. It took me 3 queens to finally keep one alive, and she's slow to start. As for parasitic queens, i don't think they're worth the effort unless you want that specific species. Claustral Lasius queens are much easier to found and rear.

 

Some will say to add callow workers and some brood.

Some will say to chill for a couple days then add the queen to a small queenless colony.

 

I myself will tell you what i did all 3 times, and one eventually took. I was given tips and advice on how i should do it and i tried some.

 

First queen received 4 cocoons, and 2 callow workers. Never laid, eventually died.

2nd queen received 6 callow workers and a small pile of brood. Never laid, eventually died.

3rd queen received about 20-30 cocoons and 0 callow workers. She now has a group of slaves, and a pile of brood.

 

Adding callow workers stunted my queens chances IMO. Too many will make it too hard for the queen to take over. On the other side, if you don't have enough. The queen won't feel the colony is enough for her to engage.  When i added nothing but brood to my 3rd queen, i knew it would work out better. First day after i added the brood, i had 4 workers emerge. They immediately took to the new queen and started to aid her.

 

Not saying my method works, just that it worked for me.

 

Did you document the social parasite that had no host workers?

 

What do you mean? Sorry I just don't understand what you are asking

[Batspiderfish]

I'm asking if they have a journal for that social parasite queen.

Edited by Batspiderfish, August 29 2016 - 2:00 PM.

[SaintDrake]

Gotcha!

[SaintDrake]

8/30/16

 

Well bad news. Two of my Lasius latipes queens died. One had her test tube flood so, I am assuming she drown. The other was the one that I gave the cocoons to. She just was dead for no obvious reason. None of the cocoons have eclosed yet, so I put the last remaining queen in. I can see one worker now trying to eclose they are about half way out. Maybe they will take to their new queen. Just have to wait and see at this point and hope that the last queen lives.

[SaintDrake]

9/7/16

Well I checked on my queen today and her eclosed workers and they all are dead and fungus has grown all over them and the tube. What a sad day Better luck next year I suppose.