11 replies to this topic

[sweetgrass]

Title:
1. Location     In my yard in SE Alberta.
2. Today's date     Sept 27, 2018
Body:
1.  I was splitting wood in my yard and a few ants came out of the piece I was splitting. Wood pile has only been there since April 2018

2. Collected Sept 26, 2018
3.Semi arid environment here
4.not sure how long. 
5 Head and abdoment dark, thorax red.
6
8. Nest would be small and inside the innermost layer of the very hard wood. i've seen them going in and out.  Not sure how many.  Queen never came out thru the pounding during splitting.

 

Sorry for the poor pics.  I put the wood inside large container.  Made up a test tube with attached portal and put maple syrup and a cut up mealworm.  This is in my kitchen now - its big!  Needs to move lol

 

Not sure what to do next.

[AnthonyP163]

Likely Formica ulkei. However, nesting in wood doesn't seem like a regular for this species.

 

This may be Camponotus vicinus.

Edited by AnthonyP163, September 27 2018 - 5:03 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

Definitely Camponotus, the rounded thorax gives it away. May be C. vicinus but we need measurements and more pictures. Since it was only there for a few months, you likely have yourself a starting colony. That's a great opportunity to collect a small wild colony from one piece of wood, the queen shouldn't be hard to find.

[sweetgrass]

This ant has a larger abdomen.  She is 3 mm long.

 

Another one with a larger abdomen.

 

They have a bronzy colour thorax and legs and the abdomen has gold bands

 

I worked for 3 difficult hours delicately splitting the wood with a splitter and hammer.  Only squished one worker.  2 more died overnight. 

 

I can't split the wood into any smaller pieces. 

 

No more ants emerging despite the horrific pounding - the wood is VERY hard.  

 

Will see what happens.

 

Do you think any of these are queens?

[dermy]

I can't really tell from the pictures since I can't get a good view on the thorax of the ants, but if you can try and get a larger shot showing them all [maybe even put them in a fridge for a few minutes you live in Canada they'll be fine for a few minutes in the fridge] then maybe we can see if any of them are queens. Queens have generally a bulkier build and you can see [on Camponotus esp.] the wing scars usually.

[sweetgrass]

OK.  I will chill them a bit. and try to get a better picture

 

I am thinking no queens as I thought they should be wayyyy bigger.  

[dermy]

OK.  I will chill them a bit. and try to get a better picture

 

I am thinking no queens as I thought they should be wayyyy bigger.  

There is a possibility that this might have been a satellite nests as well. Which would mean no queen sadly

[TheRealAntMan]

When identifying Camponotus from Forimca look at the workers' thorax from its side view (requires a close view). If the back forms a single, unbroken curve you know you've got Camponotus. If however the worker's thorax has two, distinct curves it's Formica.

 

 

[sweetgrass]

 

I am sooooo excited.  Checked my log ants and I spotted 2 eggs!!!  I am in shock.  None of them look like queens!!  I was thinking what was I going to do with them???  I gave them some syrup and they ate it all.  Going to give them a mealworm.   WOOOO HOOOO!!

[rbarreto]

Whether it's Camponotus or Formica the queens should be easy to spot. I think those are either eggs layed by a worker, or eggs that they already had with them when you caught them.

[sweetgrass]

The eggs are gone this morning.

[Joehostile85]

They look like Camponotus novaeboracensis workers.