hedge
Leaf Cutter Ant
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Post by hedge on Aug 25, 2016 23:22:43 GMT
Wed 24/08/16: Myrmica sp. Lasius flavus
Thur 25/08/16: Lasius niger Lasius flavus Lasius umbratus (finally)
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Post by Wood~Ant on Aug 26, 2016 6:14:07 GMT
Wed 24/08/16: Myrmica sp.Lasius flavusThur 25/08/16: Lasius niger Lasius flavus Lasius umbratus (finally) Did you collect any newly mated umbratus queens Hedge, as they not as commonly found as the others?
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Post by Honeydewman on Aug 29, 2016 19:21:33 GMT
Do the Lasius umbratus range to the East Midlands? I took a Queen from my garden path that although dark in colour, like the Niger, looked too sleek in appearance to be one. Her body was extremely shiny in sunlight which again contrasted to the Niger.
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Post by jeoff82 on Aug 29, 2016 20:46:21 GMT
Do the Lasius umbratus range to the East Midlands? I took a Queen from my garden path that although dark in colour, like the Niger, looked too sleek in appearance to be one. Her body was extremely shiny in sunlight which again contrasted to the Niger. From your description it doesn't sound like Lasius Umbratus but its worth putting a picture up if you can. I found what I think is a Lasius Umbratus or Mixtus queen last week, they are brown/red in colour, large head and small gaster.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Aug 29, 2016 23:03:37 GMT
Do the Lasius umbratus range to the East Midlands? I took a Queen from my garden path that although dark in colour, like the Niger, looked too sleek in appearance to be one. Her body was extremely shiny in sunlight which again contrasted to the Niger. From your description it doesn't sound like Lasius Umbratus but its worth putting a picture up if you can. I found what I think is a Lasius Umbratus or Mixtus queen last week, they are brown/red in colour, large head and small gaster. Honeydew man, was the queen you found very coal black and glossy? She could be a fuliginosus if she is slim and jet black? Like jeoff82 says, a photo would help us to identify her better.
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hedge
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 70
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Post by hedge on Aug 31, 2016 1:38:15 GMT
Wed 24/08/16: Myrmica sp.Lasius flavusThur 25/08/16: Lasius niger Lasius flavus Lasius umbratus (finally) Did you collect any newly mated umbratus queens Hedge, as they not as commonly found as the others? Caught three queens, that was all I could find. Found two on my driveway, went on a long walk around likely spots looking for more, which of course didn't work, and found the third on the front step when I got home. I've had a tube of about 50 L. niger workers with some pupae ready for a few weeks in the hopes of finding umbratus. One queen was introduced at night, but was dead by morning. Second queen died in her holding tube for no obvious reason. Third queen has been in with the niger workers for a day and a half now. They're showing her no aggression, she's grooming them and I've observed what appears to be trophylaxis.
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Post by Honeydewman on Aug 31, 2016 13:31:14 GMT
The Queen was indeed Coal Black and Glossy/Shiny. Her Gastor was about 2/3 the size of a Niger, where I would describe the Gastor of the Niger as loose this one was tight and unfortunately I returned her to my garden without taking a photograph. It was only because of this post that my memory was jogged.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Aug 31, 2016 14:37:54 GMT
The Queen was indeed Coal Black and Glossy/Shiny. Her Gastor was about 2/3 the size of a Niger, where I would describe the Gastor of the Niger as loose this one was tight and unfortunately I returned her to my garden without taking a photograph. It was only because of this post that my memory was jogged. This video and pics are of a L. fuliginosus queen which may help.
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hedge
Leaf Cutter Ant
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Post by hedge on Sept 5, 2016 18:09:50 GMT
More parasitic Lasius that I think are L. umbratus today. Found a dealate queen at 18:00 actually, so an earlier flight than I've seen before.
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Post by jeoff82 on Sept 5, 2016 19:15:00 GMT
More parasitic Lasius that I think are L. umbratus today. Found a dealate queen at 18:00 actually, so an earlier flight than I've seen before. Thanks for the tip off I have just been out with the dog and caught 3 queens.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 5, 2016 23:06:34 GMT
More parasitic Lasius that I think are L. umbratus today. Found a dealate queen at 18:00 actually, so an earlier flight than I've seen before. I have never found umbratus near me, which is odd considering all the L niger nests around where I live?
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hedge
Leaf Cutter Ant
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Post by hedge on Sept 6, 2016 0:57:44 GMT
More parasitic Lasius that I think are L. umbratus today. Found a dealate queen at 18:00 actually, so an earlier flight than I've seen before. I have never found umbratus near me, which is odd considering all the L niger nests around where I live? Guess they're probably locally abundant. That and the workers are super easily mistaken for L. flavus if you don't get them under a microscope and start counting ommatidia. Same though, despite the fact that L. fulginosus is parasitic on L. niger and umbratus, as well as several other species, I've never seen a nest here.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 6, 2016 7:25:18 GMT
Lasius fuliginosus are very abundant in the coniferous pine forests in Norfolk around the town of Thetford, as the soil is sandy and they are fairly common in East Anglia. L. umbratus is a species I fancied keeping as unlike its cousin L. flavus the species is an above ground forager, as well as being the same bright yellow colour. The New Forest in Hampshire and across into Dorset is a haven for many ant species if you know where to look for them.
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hedge
Leaf Cutter Ant
Posts: 70
Likes: 50
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Post by hedge on Sept 6, 2016 7:49:25 GMT
I've heard about them foraging above-ground, but I've never actually seen it, though I will say they have much better developed eyes than flavus.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 6, 2016 8:02:10 GMT
I've heard about them foraging above-ground, but I've never actually seen it, though I will say they have much better developed eyes than flavus. L. flavus to my knowledge will forage above ground in cloudy weather, and at night; but seem to avoid the sun except during the nuptial mating flight times. Lasius mixtus is another yellow species which will actively forage during the day, but many ants are less active at night except during hot weather during the summer and early autumn months (July to September).
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