8 replies to this topic

[FSTP]

If you read my introduction thread you'll know that I went anting for the first time over the weekend. The first day I caught some winged queens that were just wandering around the ground. The second day I ended up digging a few queens out of their claustral chambers. 

 

I just checked on my queens and all the ones that still had wings are curled up dead. All the other queens are fine. 

 

Could I have over stressed them when they were collected? Unlike the queens I dug up which I let just crawl into a container. The ones with wings I just picked them up by their folded wings. Was this an incorrect method for collection?

 

 

I know ants die this just what they seem to do sometimes, but would just like to know if I did something wrong. 

 

 

 

Thanks for your time,

Jess

[Kevin]

Winged queens could possibly be infertile, which could be the reason for death. The queen would lose its wing fat before it gets workers and die of starvation. As she isn't going to get workers, it's quite likely. Also, curled wings can mean old wings to, as I've noticed my infertile queens with wings have moldy curled up, shriveled wings.

[sgheaton]

I really thought she would have removed them by now but the one Tetramorium queen that I have still has her wings...partially.. It was like they are clipped. 

 

[noebl1]

I really thought she would have removed them by now but the one Tetramorium queen that I have still has her wings...partially.. It was like they are clipped. 

 

 

Same there here too with my tetramorium queens.  My Lasius on the other hand for the most part dropped their wings within seconds of hitting the ground.

[sgheaton]

Out of all the tetramorium queens that I collected this year -- all but this one removed their wings within..like a day of capture. Some were collected without wings. I was initially concerned by this though she doesn't seem to be affected/bothered/hurting by it. She has had workers ride ontop of them -- that's when I thought they would help remove them. She doesn't seem bothered -- I quit fretting about it. Going to put her into hibernation with them and hope she still has them on return... 

 

So kinda like "Much4TheGoods" and his spasm having queen -- Taking all bets for when my tetramorium queen finally loses her wings!!!!

[benjiwuf]

I have several Tetramorium with full wings and workers. It's actually quite cool to see. However, I pick some up by wings when they don't give me another option. I prefer to let them wander into my collection vial when I can. As to why they died...there are really a lot of factors including just not being fit to survive or infertility.

Edited by benjiwuf, November 2 2016 - 7:11 AM.

[Kevin]

One of my pheidole queens had workers with wings, but they drowned in honey. If a winged queen is successful, especially smaller queens, I recommend manually gently removing the wings for the queen's safety, don't force it if they don't pull off easily.

Edited by Kevin, November 2 2016 - 11:08 AM.

[FSTP]

thanks for you replies!

 

Do perhaps it wasn't collecting them by there wings they would have just been weak ants. At least their bodies didn't go to waste I fed them to my Avatar.

[Solenoqueen]

I have caught many queens with wings and not many of them died...

Just my experience though, but the ones that did die either died of my lamp or just dropped dead for the reasons listed above, really