9-13-2014
 
On the night of 8-27-2014 I came across a nuptial right of Lasius niger in Ice House Canyon up near Mt. Baldy, California. There were tons of them swarming under every street light and all over my black light. I managed to catch a few of these, but they were all alates still.
 
ID Thread: https://www.formicu....php/topic/479-
 
1. Location of collection:  Ice House Canyon, Mt. Baldy, California.
2. Date of collection:  8-27-2014.
3. Habitat of collection:  Pine/Oak Forest.
4. Length (from head to gaster):  9 mm.
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture:  Dark redish-brown, with a slightly lighter yellowish-brown gaster and legs.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 
7. Anything else distinctive: Squirts formic acid from gaster (Formicinae).
 

 

 

 
 
One of them decided to tear her wings off the next day, but none of the other did, and still haven't. So far none of them have laid any eggs either.

Are they in hibernation yet? I am curious, because if mine turns out to be fertile, this should be trial and error for the two of us.

Update 10-15-2014
 
I moved all of these into small foraging containers and put them in hibernation a week ago.

Nice, and they did not lay any eggs before hibernation? I am putting mine into hibernation by next Monday.

Nope, no eggs.

Update 1-16-2015
 
I just took these out of hibernation. All but one were dead.

Update 1-30-2015
 
It looks like the one Lasius niger queen I have left has now laid a few eggs. Let's hope she's fertile.

Are these true Lasius niger?

I believe so.

 

Edit: Actually, I have no idea. I just know Dr Trager ID'd these as L. niger.

Edited by dspdrew, March 1 2015 - 4:37 PM.

Update 3-1-2015
 
Well it looks like she's most likely fertile. She now has two medium-sized larvae, and one small one. I can see a lot more larvae starting to form too.
 

Update 3-26-2015
 
This queen just got her first workers.
 

 
 
Since my Lasius cf. flavus died, I put their brood and one new worker in with these. So far they haven't showed any aggression towards each other, instead both species seem to ignore each other and each other's brood. We'll see what happens.

A nice little colony. But when this is Lasius niger, is this species (already) in the US too? It looks very similar to ours.

I guess. I think it's believed that it might not be the same. I'm really not sure. I don't know much at all about Lasius.

I found an article in the english wikipedia and it says, that Lasius niger is also found in north america.

 

Ok, then learnt something new.

Update 3-27-2015
 
They didn't seem to accept that Lasius cf. flavus worker or the brood. I found the worker in pieces, and the eggs and larvae all mangled and shriveled in the same place I set it.

 

The colony now has three workers.

My belief, according to Crystal, is that Niger and Neoniger are basically identical with Niger from Europe and Neoniger from North America.

 

Lasius Niger was an introduced species from the colonial age in North America and I think they were eventually renamed to Neoniger.

 

Of course, correct me if I am wrong.

Edited by dean_k, March 27 2015 - 5:26 AM.

Update 5-19-2015
 
This colony still have only three workers, and they have eaten all of their new eggs.

Update 6-14-2015
 
I boosted them with what looks like more Lasius niger pupae I found up in Angelus Oaks, and shortly after, the queen laid a few more eggs.

Update 8-25-2015

The boost workers slowly died off, and then the queen.