11 replies to this topic

[Xothi]

I sadly do not have measurements, but here's the best pictures I could get.

 

 

Caught in the alley in my backyard in Michigan.

 

 

I've been getting a lot of mixed reviews on what species they are, and currently most of the reviews state Formica Fusca.

 

 

I am still very very new to ant keeping, so any advice or pointers would be appreciated!

 

 

[AntsAreUs]

Formica in the fusca group. I can't determine the species from your pictures.

 

They are fully claustral and quite easy to care for but might be disturbed by light.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 21 2018 - 1:01 PM.

[rbarreto]

Looks like Formica subsericea to me. We need better pictures of the pubescence on her gaster and mesosoma.

[Xothi]

Alright, thank you! I was going to try and get more pictures but I've had a happy discovery! And I wouldn't want to disturb the girls.

 

One of them has started laying eggs! Is this normal for queens caught only two days ago?

[rbarreto]

Alright, thank you! I was going to try and get more pictures but I've had a happy discovery! And I wouldn't want to disturb the girls.

 

One of them has started laying eggs! Is this normal for queens caught only two days ago?

Yup, I've had some lay within hours.

[Mettcollsuss]

Formica sp., most likely F. subsericea as I see them all over whenever I visit Michigan. Fully claustral. Queens are very timid and easily susceptible to eating their own eggs, but workers are energetic and aggressive. Easy and fun to keep. Provide the queens with heat if possible, as brood development is slow otherwise. When mature, colonies are massive and polydomous, meaning they would have no problem with multiple nests connected with tubing. These ants enjoy large outworlds. Wild colonies are occasionally found to be oligogynous, but it’s still best to keep queens separate.

[Kaelwizard]

Looks like Formica subsericea to me. We need better pictures of the pubescence on her gaster and mesosoma.

we don't have formica subsericea in MI i live there too. might be formica fusca. i had a queen it died tho

[rbarreto]

You most certainly do have Formica subsericea in MI. There is no Formica fusca in North America.

[Kaelwizard]

You most certainly do have Formica subsericea in MI. There is no Formica fusca in North America.

 look on antweb. i caught a formica fusca queen.

You most certainly do have Formica subsericea in MI. There is no Formica fusca in North America.

also look on the maps on antwiki's article about formica fusca

[Batspiderfish]

Genetic testing has so far not shown Formica fusca to exist in North America, and from what I understand it is now considered to be Formica subaenescens. This genus is difficult to identify, and so it's easy to confuse one black Formica with another. Antweb is a decent resource, but its distribution data is spotty -- I think they only count whatever specimens wind up in their collection.

[Major]

Probably Subserica.

[AntsAreUs]

Wild colonies are occasionally found to be oligogynous,

I disagree. I found several colonies where there were many queens in contact near surface and likely many more underneath. You can found queens together as well.