40 replies to this topic

[T.C.]

About 24 hours after this queen died it's gaster split and I found what I believed to be a type of parasite coming out. I have never seen anything like it. I open it up a little after 3:15. It's really nasty... but for science!

 

Edited by T.C., May 30 2018 - 8:08 AM.

[sgheaton]

Thanks for the nightmare fuel, TC.

 

Great video though. Incredibly interesting. .. gross.. but very interesting. 

[Studio]

Ouch, that's really gross lol. I've had a few queens that had one big maggot erupt from their gasters, but it's really rare. NOthing like this though 

[Waganga]

GROSS but still less gross than those zombie worms that force insects into water. 

 

Keep the larvae and see what they turn into?  For science?

[T.C.]

GROSS but still less gross than those zombie worms that force insects into water. 

 

Keep the larvae and see what they turn into?  For science?

I am trying to keep them all in a vial with the queen, hoping to see what they turn into. I am Hoping Gordon will know what they are, but I believe parasites are under studied.

[Mortamir]

I had two Camponotus queens that I found parasitic larva in this year so far.

2 of 55.

[T.C.]

I had two Camponotus queens that I found parasitic larva in this year so far.

2 of 55.

Do you have any images or video of them?

[sgheaton]

GROSS but still less gross than those zombie worms that force insects into water. 

 

Keep the larvae and see what they turn into?  For science?

Yeah... I was expecting the zombie worm.. 

[Mortamir]

I have some bad pics.

[LC3]

It just dawned on me that these larvae look and behave pretty similar to the ones from wasps that parasitise caterpillars.

Edited by LC3, May 30 2018 - 10:06 AM.

[T.C.]

It just dawned on me that these larvae look and behave pretty similar to the ones from wasps that parasitise caterpillars.

that's what i thought too! And they are quite large for fly larva.

[T.C.]

I suspect this one is infected as well, it has the same signs.

 

 

[sgheaton]

Get that camera set up goin' again!

[T.C.]

That picture there was taken exactly 24 hours ago, and know the gaster has enlarged. Look at these two images, and you'll see how much the gaster has stretched over the past 24 hours, an almost sure sign there is parasites. There doesn't appear to be a size change based off the images, but that's due to the fact the first image is zoomed in further. However it is slightly larger which is why it looks more stretched.

 

 

24 hours later....

 

Edited by T.C., May 30 2018 - 11:34 AM.

[sgheaton]

I'm seriously impressed at the effort (I say you guys) put into this "hobby." I don't even want to call it a hobby. Being perfectly frank, I've had queens die and I never thought anything about it. Well.. it was poor care on my part.. but still. I don't think to check as to why they died and you're willing to put forth that effort to figure it out. Meanwhile I moved onto whatever nonsense I'm currently doing.. 

 

Talk about the worst present! Going to bed with it still ... building up pressure .... IF you can go to bed... Upon waking up, flying down stairs to see what's under the tree! But in this case, did she rupture with worms?! 

 

Is it silly to ask what you did with the parasites? Will you raise them until you can identify whatever it is? 

[T.C.]

Is it silly to ask what you did with the parasites? Will you raise them until you can identify whatever it is? 

 

Well, I'm gonna try. All of this has been pointless if I don't know what it is in the end anyway.

[sgheaton]

Eh... I wouldn't say entirely pointless... 

 

..how...do you go about doing that? Do they need a host body or an apple chunk?  

 

EDIT: Good luck!

Edited by sgheaton, May 30 2018 - 12:10 PM.

[noebl1]

I find a large number of Camponotus here are infected with parasites, I usually lose 25-50% depending on the day.  I'm not complaining, as there are so many Camponotus pennsylvanicus in my area, it helps keep their population down.  It's only disappointing if the infected queen was a species I wanted to keep.

 

Years ago my Dad used to work for a biomedical company that was trying to find environmentally friendly ways to destroy pest species like Camponotus, termites, and cockroaches using existing things from nature.  I went there a couple of times, and they huge colonies of all of them all over, both in the lab and an external warehouse for propagation. They used several techniques, and I remember one was using mites to wipe out Camponotus.  Worked really well, but unfortunately company didn't make it.  Wish I could remember more, but was a long time ago.

[Mettcollsuss]

That picture there was taken exactly 24 hours ago, and know the gaster has enlarged. Look at these two images, and you'll see how much the gaster has stretched over the past 24 hours, an almost sure sign there is parasites. There doesn't appear to be a size change based off the images, but that's due to the fact the first image is zoomed in further. However it is slightly larger which is why it looks more stretched.

 

 

 

24 hours later....

 

 

This exact thing happened to my only Camponotus pennsylvanicus queen the other day. The only difference is that the maggots weren't as fast.

Edited by Mettcollsuss, May 30 2018 - 1:48 PM.

[gcsnelling]

My first thought is that these are flies, but time will tell.