ratgreen: See this! , please help with id. (29. Mär 2008 21:48)

i had a tree chopped down today, and while i was moving logs about i found this huge colony in the centre of a dead piece of wood. i tried to save the colony as it was in half when i found it so i split the wood in half frantically searching for the queen.sadly i did not find her i think this was because it was cut in half so the queen might be in the other bit of wood but i could find the other bit. i am hoping this species has one or more queen per colony so i can adopt one, seriously i was so happy when i found it and there is about 5000 ants in there see the pictures in a second.

the ants are same size as lasius niger, but have a reddish brown colour to them.

ratgreen: (29. Mär 2008 21:54)

loads of them, are they formica rufa or fusca? no i doubt it but a guess, also can i add a queen to this colony.

KiamCameron: (29. Mär 2008 23:29)

myrmica rubra or myrmica ruginodus ?

mpir: (29. Mär 2008 23:42)

No way, this is looks like a formicinae and NOT Myrmicinae... so I doubt it is Myrmica.

More info on where the colony was found might help.

ratgreen: (30. Mär 2008 00:37)

er well location wise, pretty much London UK and it was in the centre of a tree that was cut down, which was rotting wood.
i think i have found the other half of the nest so i will check tomorrow to see if i can find a queen.
if i cant find a queen does anyone know if i could adopt a new queen too this colony, if it is polygyny or not.

Anonymous: (30. Mär 2008 01:12)

Looks like Lasius brunneus or Lasius emarginatus. Both of them are monogynous.

Sphecomyrmex: (30. Mär 2008 08:46)

I think it's a Lasius specie too, or another similar Formicinae ant...

tail__: (30. Mär 2008 09:20)

Lasius for sure, I'm not 100% sure if it is emarginatus or brunneus, but i'd say brunneus, I think L. emarginatus has darker head and they probably don't live in UK. Unfortunately both species have only one queen.

Messorus: (30. Mär 2008 13:50)

This is Lasius specie, brunneus or emarginatus, I know because I have them domesticated at our house, it is Lasius bruneus or L. eumarginatus, believe!

JimmyVe: (30. Mär 2008 15:18)

I hope you find the queen it is worth a try to let them adopt a queen but i don't think it is going to work, the colony is to big.