Ant id

[Jerry]

Just got interested in any and looking to start a colony wondering what species this is and if I got lucky and found a queen

 

[Sarkhan42]

Looks to me like you have a queen, as to what species I'm not quite sure.

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

Location, location, location. Species can vary dramatically the next state over, and many look very similar.

This is a queen of the genus Lasius, and based on time of year and the picture she may be a social parasite, possibly L. umbratus. Some better pictures (from the side and above) will be needed for a more solid ID.

 

[Jerry]

Location is Nebraska

 

[Jerry]

I was thinking maybe lasius flavus

 

[Jerry]

There are two colony's around my house that I know of

 

[1Lord Of Ants1]

Lasius flavus has no records in Nebraska, and it's too early for any to be flying right now. There are several species of Lasius with bright orange workers, many of them of temporary parasites. Lasius umbratus is one of them and I'm sticking with that until more pictures can be provided.

Assuming you don't have a young colony of Lasius neoniger or L. alienus to introduce her to, if you wish to raise her she must be provided with the next best thing; Lasius pupae. 20-30 should do.

The social parasites have a notoriously low success rate, however. No one in the states has ever reared a colony even close to maturity to my knowledge.

 

[Jerry]

So I would need to dig up and obtain pupa from an existing colony inorder for her to raise and creat a colony

 

[schmiggle]

An easy Lasius colony to find for this is Lasius neoniger, the little ant that makes all of those anthills along the side of the road, in fields, etc. You could probably dig one of those up and take out some pupae. For lots and lots of information, see:
http://antfarm.yuku.com/topic/11917/The-keeping-of-Lasius-umbratus-and-other-socialparasites

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

That's not Lasius umbratus. Indeed, it doesn't even appear to be Lasius- it looks more like a Prenolepis imparis queen.

 

[schmiggle]

That's not Lasius umbratus. Indeed, it doesn't even appear to be Lasius- it looks more like a Prenolepis imparis queen.

I knew there was a very common species with dark workers and light queens that I was forgetting! I think that ID makes more sense.

It's pretty hard to get much info from that photograph, though.

 

[shutout2000]

That is prenolepis imparis. Crazy finding them this time of year! Where did you find it exactly?

 

[Jerry]

In my garden was planting veggies

 

[shutout2000]

Huh, crazy. I'm 99% sure that's P. Imparis

 

[Jerry]

There are two colony's of what I think are the same kind of ants up by my house under cement blocks ill take some epicks of the workers when I get a chance

 

[shutout2000]

Yeah post them. That would help alot! Also don't be afraid to stop on into formiculture.com There you could get ID opinions from lots of people. I'm T.C. around there.

 

[Jerry]

Here you go some workers

 

[myrmecophile]

The workers are definitely a Lasius species.

 

[schmiggle]

If the queen is the same species as the workers, you should be able to put her in a wire cage and leave it with the workers for a few days. You need to leave her in a cage because otherwise the workers will tear her limb from limb; however, if ants are anything like bees (and I believe in this regard they are), the workers will eventually adopt her scent and you can release her. However, I would only try this if you are absolutely sure that the two are the same species.

 

[Jerry]

If the colony these guys came from and the other one wasn't so close to the foundation of the house I might dig it out