12 replies to this topic

[euty33]

Hi guys! Found another ant! And this time i am much more certain that she's a queen! She has some beautiful red coloring on her underside and is fairly big, about 15mm i'd say. Caught in south western France today in the wine fields.

 

Any kind of ID would be really awesome! Thanks in advance!

 

https://imgur.com/a/88oE1Lw

[LC3]

Please follow the ant ID template:
http://www.formicult...t-a-new-thread/

Anyways as it currently stands it’s a Formica sp., it looks like F. polyctena.

[Deluga]

I would say it looks like Formica polyctena or rufa.

It's a parasite species and needs a host.

Edited by Deluga, May 17 2018 - 9:04 AM.

[Mettcollsuss]

Definitely a queen. She's some species of parasitic Formica, so she will need a host. Luckily, Formica social parasites are much easier to raise than Lasius social parasites.

[euty33]

Oh i'm so unlucky finally found a real queen ant and its a social parasite, i was hoping to make my first ant culture but i'm assuming managing a parasitic queen would be way out of a beginners league ?

 

Sorry about the format part, forgot the part about the title, i'll make sure to get it right next time!

 

Thanks for the ID! abit depressed with the result, but you guys are awesome being so quick to ID these for us beginners!

[Deluga]

Keep looking.

 

You should have some species that should fly soon, or maybe are flying or had their flight.

 

Camponotus Vagus, should either have it soon or already had flew. In that case, search in logs arounds forrest.

[rbarreto]

I believe Formica parasite queens can open cocoons without workers so it shouldn't be that hard. Just a matter of finding host species brood.

[Mettcollsuss]

Oh i'm so unlucky finally found a real queen ant and its a social parasite, i was hoping to make my first ant culture but i'm assuming managing a parasitic queen would be way out of a beginners league ?

Actually, like rbarreto said, Formica social parasites are fairly easy. First find a colony of the host, which shouldn't be too hard. Then take about a dozen or so pupae, and maybe a few workers (optional), and introduce them to the queen. If you choose to add host workers, one of the strategies from this thread should work just fine.

[Canadian anter]

Wow! A mon avis, t'es chanceux. Les Formica parasites sont une de mes fourmis preferée. Malgré, on n'en pas trop ici. Ils ne sont pas trop difficile a s'élèver non plus.

 

Translation: Wow. parasitic Formica are one of my favourite ants, Sadly we don`t have too many here, they are fairly easy to raise.

[euty33]

Thanks alot for the info and the link! I was doing some research on social parasites and formica species, found some cool videos too, and i came to similar conclusions. I think i will be trying to find a few pupae and maybe a few workers I'm pretty sure i can find some of the right species for her in no time, there are anthills everywhere around here. Do you guys know which species exactly i need to be looking for to give her ? 

[Canadian anter]

Formica fusca, et ses relatives.

[euty33]

merci beaucoup! j'en voi partout!

[euty33]

So a little update on this queen I managed to get a little brood and a few workers for her, and she was incredibly eager to conquer them! As soon as i put the test tube with brood and workers in her outworld, she almost instantly sprinted in there and took control of the brood and the worker still at home. It was quite fascinating to watch the entire process, as it was in a totally open test tube! It didn't take long for them to move the brood out and into the closed test tube where its nice dark and humid. Being a wood ant i put in a few leaves and branches in their outworld, ontop of usual honey and insects. The workers seems to have divided into roles of house keepers and foragers, it even seems its the same ant that forages every time (i noticed housekeeper had a piece of dirt stuck to its leg for a day or 2)

 

Being my first attempted colony along with her fusca neighbor, i am really excited to see the progress and growth of these 2 colonies!