# Myrmica rubra Ant Colony!



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Hey guys! As few of you know I also keep a few species of ant. Well here is a short video of me talking about a small colony I have.

Its an awesome up close look at a species called Myrmica rubra. They are much like a fire ant(mislabeled) with their powerful stings.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Very Cool and how are the rest of your critters and how are you doing Pat


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## laurahmm (Apr 1, 2010)

Thanks for the video... I didnt realize there were ant colonies that had multiple queens or that the queens were only slightly larger. I'll be sure to let my niece know that


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

pat3612 said:


> Very Cool and how are the rest of your critters and how are you doing Pat


Thanks pat! They are doing great, my mountain horned dragons are doing very well for their age.

Fish are breeding like crazy and I myself am always busy it seems now days. I am loving making videos for YouTube so hopefully I grow on there a lot and get bit of income from it to fund my videos/aquariums.

Going to school in September so looking forward to that too, but school debt sucks lol.



laurahmm said:


> Thanks for the video... I didnt realize there were ant colonies that had multiple queens or that the queens were only slightly larger. I'll be sure to let my niece know that


No problem! Not many species of ant have multiple queens but there are a few around. The most common ant in TO area is Myrmica rubra the ants in that video(though they have a powerful sting).


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

*Secret Society! *

A video for you!

Secret Society!


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

that's fun.
We have multiple colonies of M. rubra in the lab I work in.
Nasty stingers!


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

teemee said:


> that's fun.
> We have multiple colonies of M. rubra in the lab I work in.
> Nasty stingers!


Oh that is awesome, haha yes quite nasty... Very aggressive...
What kind of lab do you work in??

Thanks bigfishy! ill check it out.


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

I work in a lab that studies ant mutualist and community interactions.


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Ahh that is very interesting! next year(fall of 2013) I will be starting Biology at UofT probably. Going roughly in the same direction.

I keep other species like Camponotus novaeboracensis, Lasius neoniger and a Crematogaster species. each colony varies in size atm. Camponotus is at 800, my largest colony so far..


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

Sounds great!
I'm pretty sure 1st years are not allowed to work in labs, at least until summer, but give me a shout this time next year, and I'll introduce you.


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Thanks! Looking forward to it.


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Well the two larvae in the colony are growing really quick, they ate a small spider over night. I am expecting the larvae to pupate in the next 2 weeks tops. and hopefully their 40 or so eggs will hatch soon too.


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

looks awesome

i would love to try and start one for the kids at my daycare. we have one of those ant colony sets with the sand but i assume those are not very good

how did you go about doing this? what does the queen look like?


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Byronicle said:


> looks awesome
> 
> i would love to try and start one for the kids at my daycare. we have one of those ant colony sets with the sand but i assume those are not very good
> 
> how did you go about doing this? what does the queen look like?


It would be very cool for your daycare kids!

The ones with sand usually dont work. Keeping the soil moist is difficult and people often drown them or its too dry. I start colonies in a test tube and once they reach about 20 workers or so I move them up to a home made nest.









Queen Worker Male

Queens have a
bulky thorax. The
Middle part of their
bodies.

This picture shows the distinct difference between workers and queens for the species i have. This species queens are hard to tell apart, unlike some other ones around.

Here is a photo of a Lasius neoniger queen and some larvae/workers

you can notice the huge size difference.


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

Hi Byron!
If you do this for the kids at your daycare, just make sure there is no way they can get their fingers in there. These ants have a sting thats worse than most bee stings. 
There are other species that may be more appropriate (and bigger  )
Good luck!


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

teemee said:


> Hi Byron!
> If you do this for the kids at your daycare, just make sure there is no way they can get their fingers in there. These ants have a sting thats worse than most bee stings.
> There are other species that may be more appropriate (and bigger  )
> Good luck!


Haha that is very true!

do you think a Camponotus species bite would be too strong?

Lasius neoniger would be perfect but they are small.


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