7 replies to this topic

[OTHER]

My Lasius umbratus colony from 2016, caught her after a nuptial flight.
This is my first queen succeeding to stay alive after getting accepted by the host workers.

And i tried a very lot of times
She did need to murder the queen of the host colony a small lasius niger colony.
I was lucky enough, to see this with my very own eyes! I made a little video out of it.

 

 

A bit later, there where new workers hatching!
And I made a new video of the colony, I'm starting to get used to making videos. But i still need to learn a lot!
So I love to mix my ant hobby with my YouTube channel!

 

 

 

Hope you guys enjoy, leave a message if so!

[T.C.]

I had tried 6 different attempts. I failed every time. Tried several different ant species.

[Batspiderfish]

I had tried 6 different attempts. I failed every time. Tried several different ant species.

 

Even using callow workers?

[T.C.]

 

I had tried 6 different attempts. I failed every time. Tried several different ant species.

 

Even using callow workers?

 

Nope, are they in Wisconsin. I have used Lasius neoniger, niger, & alienus and some other small black ant species? Formica wouldn't work would it?

[Batspiderfish]

 

 

I had tried 6 different attempts. I failed every time. Tried several different ant species.

 

Even using callow workers?

 

Nope, are they in Wisconsin. I have used Lasius neoniger, niger, & alienus and some other small black ant species? Formica wouldn't work would it?

 

 

You can only use Lasius workers for Lasius social parasites.

A callow worker is something of an intermediate stage in an ant's life-cycle, between pupa and worker, wherein a pale, new worker ecloses and is stretched out by her nestmates while she waits for her exoskeleton to harden. Callow workers are unique in that they seemingly have not begun to recognize colony identity odors. During this first day or so of adulthood, a worker will be totally passive to foreign ants (although old workers may not treat the callow similarly).

If you take a small sample of workers with a number of pupae, you can let these old workers care for the brood until they eclose. If you check on this tube regularly, you will see the pale young workers walking around. Using a fine paintbrush or toothpick, remove the new worker and give her to a parasitic queen. As the pale worker matures, it will imprint upon the only adult ant(s) in the nest (that are the same genus). After you have done this a few times, you can return the old workers from the host sample back to their colony, and simply add the rest of the brood to the young social parasite colony.

Edited by Batspiderfish, December 1 2016 - 9:58 AM.

[AnthonyP163]

I had tried 6 different attempts. I failed every time. Tried several different ant species.

 
Even using callow workers?

Nope, are they in Wisconsin. I have used Lasius neoniger, niger, & alienus and some other small black ant species? Formica wouldn't work would it?

 
You can only use Lasius workers for Lasius social parasites.
A callow worker is something of an intermediate stage in an ant's life-cycle, between pupa and worker, wherein a pale, new worker ecloses and is stretched out by her nestmates while she waits for her exoskeleton to harden. Callow workers are unique in that they seemingly have not begun to recognize colony identity odors. During this first day or so of adulthood, a worker will be totally passive to foreign ants (although old workers may not treat the callow similarly).
If you take a small sample of workers with a number of pupae, you can let these old workers care for the brood until they eclose. If you check on this tube regularly, you will see the pale young workers walking around. Using a fine paintbrush or toothpick, remove the new worker and give her to a parasitic queen. As the pale worker matures, it will imprint upon the only adult ant(s) in the nest (that are the same genus). After you have done this a few times, you can return the old workers from the host sample back to their colony, and simply add the rest of the brood to the young social parasite colony.

The workers colony scent would change, so returning them to their nest would kill them.

[Batspiderfish]

 

You can only use Lasius workers for Lasius social parasites.
A callow worker is something of an intermediate stage in an ant's life-cycle, between pupa and worker, wherein a pale, new worker ecloses and is stretched out by her nestmates while she waits for her exoskeleton to harden. Callow workers are unique in that they seemingly have not begun to recognize colony identity odors. During this first day or so of adulthood, a worker will be totally passive to foreign ants (although old workers may not treat the callow similarly).
If you take a small sample of workers with a number of pupae, you can let these old workers care for the brood until they eclose. If you check on this tube regularly, you will see the pale young workers walking around. Using a fine paintbrush or toothpick, remove the new worker and give her to a parasitic queen. As the pale worker matures, it will imprint upon the only adult ant(s) in the nest (that are the same genus). After you have done this a few times, you can return the old workers from the host sample back to their colony, and simply add the rest of the brood to the young social parasite colony.

The workers colony scent would change, so returning them to their nest would kill them.

 

Have you witnessed this happen? I haven't.

[T.C.]

 

 

 

I had tried 6 different attempts. I failed every time. Tried several different ant species.

 

Even using callow workers?

 

Nope, are they in Wisconsin. I have used Lasius neoniger, niger, & alienus and some other small black ant species? Formica wouldn't work would it?

 

 

You can only use Lasius workers for Lasius social parasites.

A callow worker is something of an intermediate stage in an ant's life-cycle, between pupa and worker, wherein a pale, new worker ecloses and is stretched out by her nestmates while she waits for her exoskeleton to harden. Callow workers are unique in that they seemingly have not begun to recognize colony identity odors. During this first day or so of adulthood, a worker will be totally passive to foreign ants (although old workers may not treat the callow similarly).

If you take a small sample of workers with a number of pupae, you can let these old workers care for the brood until they eclose. If you check on this tube regularly, you will see the pale young workers walking around. Using a fine paintbrush or toothpick, remove the new worker and give her to a parasitic queen. As the pale worker matures, it will imprint upon the only adult ant(s) in the nest (that are the same genus). After you have done this a few times, you can return the old workers from the host sample back to their colony, and simply add the rest of the brood to the young social parasite colony.

 

That makes a lot of sense actually. thanks, I will try that next time. Greatly appreciated.