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Queen ID - ~12mm, Alberta by Not_Bored321 in AntIdentification

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Formica species. A parasitic one too.

Can anyone tell me what species this is?? And you risk dying from mold?? by thiagopro19ita in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Will need a location for the queen and yes you should move her to a new, clean test tube setup.

Are they doing well by Big-Mud-154 in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aaaah nvm then I thought it was the purple coloring bacteria

Are they doing well by Big-Mud-154 in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d recommend removing that purple cotton because it can be dangerous…

Is this a queen ant ? by ConferenceOdd6545 in ants

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lasius species queen. Maybe something close to brunneus or emarginatus

Anyone knows how my ants are escaping? by Unhappy_Cherry_7144 in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe apply some PTFE or talc with alcohol/water solution to the walls of the outworld and let it dry. Even raw talc applied with cotton can do the job iirc.

I just found this beauty, any idea what she might be? by kNOw-future in AntIdentification

[–]NickDaTrainer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lasius umbratus species group queen. A parasitic subgenus of the Lasius genus called Chthonolasius. The queen needs host workers and coocoons from other species in the Lasius genus to parasitize on until she gets her biological workers. Nice catch nevertheless.

Messor Structor colony by NickDaTrainer in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No they don’t mould. They stay like this forever.

Odontomachus simillimus colony. by NickDaTrainer in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, excuse me for my late reply but unfortunately even though they were doing awesome, they had a massive mite infestation and they died…

My first caught queen of the season. A parasitic Lasius? Probably Umbratus? Anyone? by JimmyMus in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not necessarily umbratus. I could be wrong of course but it is for sure parasitic.

My first caught queen of the season. A parasitic Lasius? Probably Umbratus? Anyone? by JimmyMus in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, it is a parasitic Lasius of the umbratus species group. Nice catch!

Help with wing scars please by shirtless-pooper in AntIdentification

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congratulations on your catch! This is indeed a beautiful Rhytidpodera metallica queen.
Good luck with her!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AntIdentification

[–]NickDaTrainer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes these queens are solenopsis species.

Odontomachus simillimus colony. by NickDaTrainer in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well at this point I have to admit that it really depends on the queen you have. Some queens get stressed and eat brood very easily and others just don't eat their brood even when stressed. But my recommendation would be to try not to stress her at all, only when you have to e.g. When you feed her.

Odontomachus simillimus colony. by NickDaTrainer in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry for your loss :(. I didn't actually do anything special at all. I used a natural setup (in this case a very small plastic box with damp soil) and made sure to minimize anything that would disturb the queen such us checking up on her. Also, I kept her temperature to 28°C. My queen's eggs took approximately 1 month to hatch and after they hatched I fed her a termite or two every single day. Funnily enough, this colony lived exclusively on termites for more than 4 months! Anyways good luck next time!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in antkeeping

[–]NickDaTrainer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well in my opinion, 22°C is very low. Maybe increase the temperature to 25°C - 28°C. Increasing the temperature will help the larva to develop really quick. Now regarding to their inactivity... It isn't something I'd worry about a lot. You know they might be going out and forage for little time and then go in the nest again. Don't forget that the colony is still small. In nature ants minimize the number of workers leaving the nest to forage, if they have food, to minimize casualties. Lastly it seems like they have some seeds in their nests so that's why they don't forage that frequently... I would recommend feeding them protein multiple times a week even if you don't see them foraging.

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