ANTSTORE World of Ants

[KiamCameron]

Has anyone seen a nupital flight or caught a black queen ant ? I have just captured one when I was catching flies in the back garden :p I almost killed her with a tea towel i was using for flies then found her and she is in a test tube she is much smaller than lasius niger even lasius flavus queen ants... I have no idea what species she is

So Im going to wait till she has workers I might boost her with a few lasius niger or flavus cocoons just to ensure she survives...

[tail__]

In my region now there are nuptial flights of Formica rufa, Manica rubida and Lasius fuliginosus. Probably also some Myrmica, because i found a few queens, though i didn't see any males. Try to make a photo, we will identify your ant. Maybe you found a parasite queen, and she won't live without adopted workers.

[KiamCameron]

I cant take no pictures my cameras cannot see the ant :/

[tail__]

Then borrow a better camera or at least try to describe your ant. "Black and smaller than Lasius niger" isn't very detailed description! Give exact size and color, size of head and abdomen (compared to species known to you) , and of course precise if it is Formicinae or Myrmicinae...

[KiamCameron]

Well I think its formicinae, Ill have to measure her I will do that later...

[ratgreen]

KiamCameron were abouts do you live, i did not know that ants have their flights at this time of year in the UK?

[KiamCameron]

Around Surrey do you know where that is ? It might be a queen that came from the ground as we were doing gardening today and this thing we had ate the ground up lol but it didnt go down deep enough to get a colony So its gotta be a young queen

[ratgreen]

wow, im from slough area, so not to far away,please try and get a photo so we can id the ant as im pretty interested now

[Pugberto]

I can't seem to think of any flights in our region although recently I was walking down my local river and on the embankment next to a tree was a nest of Messor Barbus (Sorry for the misspelling) and this is in Kent. I don't know how they could of found the country unless they escaped from captivity.

[ratgreen]

messors in the uk!!? are you sure? please try and get a picture so we can id it, as this is big news if it really is messor barbarus.

[Messorus]

Pugberto, this is big mistake, Messor barbarus is mediterraneal ant, and they coudn´t live in UK, there is hard winter for them! In the midle Europe lives Messor structor var. muticus, but this ant also love bigger temperatures, and it could live in the UK.... Messor barbarus submajors have size about 10mm, they have red head ant black thorax and gaster...

[Pugberto]

Pugberto, this is big mistake, Messor barbarus is mediterraneal ant, and they coudn´t live in UK, there is hard winter for them! In the midle Europe lives Messor structor var. muticus, but this ant also love bigger temperatures, and it could live in the UK.... Messor barbarus submajors have size about 10mm, they have red head ant black thorax and gaster...

Yeah I know, they are mainly from Spain but the winter where I live has been very mild this year. When I saw them at first glance it was the size that got me and the unusually red head. I did check when I got home but I forgot to report it, I haven't been on here for a while due to a lot college work. It's hard to deter which species it is but it isn't British, I may have to return to the site.

[tail__]

Definitely you should return there and take a good camera!

[JimmyVe]

In deed, we would like to see some pictures of this one.

[Pugberto]

I'll try my best to get the pictures I need.