I have found a queen(2-3 days ago) but im not sure if is Caespitum or Pallidula...
I watch many photos and I have comparated but seems to me very similar....
Someone can confirm that the big differences of this two queens are that Pallidula is more light-brown than caespitum, and that the caespitum have on gaster two parallel very marked light colored lines?
thanks in advance for any advice sorry for bad english....
cheers
what colour is it?
She is dark brown with two more light brown lines on the gaster....with one line more wide...
then its probably Caespitum as Pallidula are light brown
Thanks for confirm... also I think is Caespitum....and....she have just layed some eggs.....
I think it is not caespitum , they swarmed month ago here in Central Europe and you´re from Italy on South. Remember you cannot identify palidula by color ! , it has not that same colour everywhere , pallidula is specific , its color depends on locality - somewhere dark brown , elsewhere light brown , orange-brown up to yellow etc...
lets wait for the eggs to hatch then to see who's right and its still possible for it to be Caespitum
@Skippy
Yes swarm time is a little bit wrong for Caespitum but some changement in nature during season course...are possible...
what you think about the gaster? Seems to me pallidula have not two very marked lines on it.....
@gabranth
Caespitum and Pallidula have not same hatch? I must wait first pupa to see worker dimension I think....
cheers
well i found a lasius niger queen the other day and they flew ages ago
but dont lasius niger have like 4 flights?
Consider that im in north Italy very near to the alps...