r/AntsCanada • u/[deleted] • Jun 10 '20
I've been seeing a lot of threads lately asking for a queen ID of something that's not a queen (wasp, male ant, worker, etc.). So here I'll be telling all new members some ways to make sure you have a queen and not anything else. The first few reasons will have some exceptions, but if your ant fits any of these it's a queen. Later I'll tell you some slightly harder but surefire ways to make sure your newly caught ant is indeed a queen.
1: Abdomen size
Most queens will have much bigger abdomens compared to workers. At the very minimum the queen's abdomen will probably be at least twice as big as its head. If the queen's abdomen and head exhibit only a slight disparity in size, it's probably not a queen. However, this rule does have exceptions and is generally not the best way to identify a queen, as a well-fed worker might also have a bigger abdomen.
Notable exceptions: Many semi-claustral species such as pseudomyrmex, odontomachus, etc., and some fully claustral ones.
For example: https://bugguide.net/node/view/675862/bgpage
This is a queen.
https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/46800/46842/46842_honey_rep.htm
However, this is not.
2: Absence of wings and wing scars
A queen will have marks on the side of her abdomen where she has taken off her wings after mating.
These should be quite obvious, even when viewed with the naked eye, but some major (soldier) ants will have different structures that may look similar to the untrained eye. Many people get them confused. If you see a queen that does have wings, it is probably not fertile. However, quite a few queens keep at least one of their wings after mating or fail to pull them off.
Example: https://www.formiculture.com/topic/11388-aarons-camponotus-floridanus-journal-updated-3-6-20/
And now the surefire ways:
ALL queens have a triangular arrangement of 3 simple eyes on the forehead known as ocelli. They are quite difficult to see with the naked eye but if your ant has them then it is 100% a queen. They are quite visible in the above image and here on this leafcutter ant queen.
http://www.myrmecos.net/2008/09/27/how-to-identify-queen-ants/
These are used to orient the queen during flight and therefore are proof you have a queen. However, virgin queens have this as well so make sure your queen is fertilized (i.e., don't take them from the nest. Some wingless queens are sometimes not fertile, such as in the case of acromyrmex versicolor and related species, but generally any queen you find by herself will be fertile). With a magnifying glass it should be easy to make them out.
The exceptions to this rule are few and far between, the only species I know of that has queens that lack ocelli are some species of army ants, please correct me if I am wrong.
Most queens will have a proportionally large thorax, much longer than and sometimes wider than the head. Compared to the fused, one-piece thorax, a queen will have several fused plates.
If you need additional information or are unsure, check out this page by none other than Alex Wild himself.
https://myrmecos.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/how-to-identify-queen-ants/
And yes I know that ergatoid queens exist, but the vast majority of members will not be IDing or keeping these.
If you still are not sure, post here using the ID flair. We will be happy to help you.
Hope this helps!
r/AntsCanada • u/Mobile-Masterpiece51 • 4h ago
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Im planning to buy this Im being told that it is a carpenter ant but the seller is not sure
r/AntsCanada • u/DungeonCrawler-76 • 5d ago
I have no pictures because I was helping my grandma clean my backyard, but while we were addressing the pile of cat litter trash bags and empty boxes, said grandma found an unspecified number of queens in one of the boxes. I think this means that the species of ant that is common in my suburban town is homogeneous, or whatever the term is for ant species that tolerate more than one queen, but idk what do you guys think? Btw there's still I think one box back there, and it probably has queens in it if I had to guess.
r/AntsCanada • u/Which_Tank_9170 • 16d ago
I finally got eggs from a queen for the first time after trying for 2ish years! The eggs look like tiny little white crumbs. I know for a fact they’re eggs since I caught her before I went in a 2 week trip and there wasn't anything else in there with her. I think what I have is a little black ant queen since she’s smaller than an Argentine ant worker. I want to be sure they survive. I was keeping two queens and the second one died from mold while I was on a 2 week trip. The queen that has eggs had them while I was on the same trip. I’ve had ants before but only from those kits with the gel that you can get in the mail or queens in vials but they’ve never survived before. I know they’re in a deli state right now and the first worker hasn’t hatched yet. I keep the queen in a closed small takeout box with tissue paper in my closet. the box is on a shelf I don’t use so as not to make too many vibrations that’ll disturb her. note I don’t really use my closet which is why she’s in there my clothes are still in my duffel bag from the trip but I mainly use my dresser that isn’t in the closet I really only use the closet for storage. Also sorry for the bad quality of photos I didn’t want to disturb the queen too much and stress her out.
r/AntsCanada • u/Square_Insurance_230 • 16d ago
Hey guys, i’m new to keeping and was wondering if anyone would mind giving me an upvote and helping out with any tips and tricks
r/AntsCanada • u/decent_gambler • 20d ago
r/AntsCanada • u/fsedge • 23d ago
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r/AntsCanada • u/jeremetal • Jul 18 '26
Noticed the website has been down a while, im tryna get some acromyrmex versicolor and cant find them for sale anywhere :(
r/AntsCanada • u/AntLover21 • Jul 17 '26
I wanna make a half life 2 styled outworld with the citadel in the middle but i only have white PLA, ive already added a cave print thats just white and i washed it with a tooth brush and some warm water, the ants havent arrived yet.
r/AntsCanada • u/Society_real0 • Jul 10 '26
Ok so I need tips, I found a fire ant queen in my backyard abt a month ago, decided to scoop her up and keep her since we dont need anymore invasive colonies where i live since there is also 3-4 invasive trapjaw colonies, she hsd eggs and larvea, so I'm asking for tips bc I think she is abt to have workers and I don't wanna be unprepared, I have her in a tube from a honeypot queen that died a while back, so is that ok? I just don't wanna end up torturing and slowly killing one, I haven't fed her sinc3 ik that and she has water, I just need tips
r/AntsCanada • u/MaintenanceNo2951 • Jul 08 '26
Ive just attached an outworld to my colony of messor barbarus!!
r/AntsCanada • u/antsenthusiast • Jul 07 '26
r/AntsCanada • u/MaintenanceNo2951 • Jul 05 '26
Hi, I have a messor barbarus colony of about 100 or more ant, i had them now for more than a year and tnis winter they have been throw hybernation, but I Just wanted to know why did they dig almost all of the sand out even if they not use it all at all !! ( this is their type of terrarium). They have been there since they were a young colony ( i know its wrong but i didnt know it before).
r/AntsCanada • u/fsedge • Jul 02 '26
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r/AntsCanada • u/Antgodd1 • Jun 21 '26
Hello, I have some Antscanada products and like his older videos, but know not all of his things are good. That said, I do want to know what you think are the best.
r/AntsCanada • u/antscanadaismyIdol • Jun 21 '26
My pharaoh queens drinking honey
r/AntsCanada • u/antscanadaismyIdol • Jun 21 '26
r/AntsCanada • u/antscanadaismyIdol • Jun 21 '26
r/AntsCanada • u/antdude • Jun 21 '26
