While on a walk with mom a few days ago, I found some rather odd-looking alates. These were Lasius claviger alates, aka citronella ants. These ants smell like oranges, hence their fruity name. Unlike most ants, citronella ants do not start colonies on their own. Instead, after mating, they search for a colony of their host species, probably Lasius neoniger. After parasitizing (taking over) their host colony, the citronella queen raises her first brood with the help of the now-enslaved workers. As the host workers inevitably die off, the parasite’s own workers take over, and the colony functions just like any other. This peculiar behavior is known as social parasitism, and it is unbelievably tough to replicate in captivity. To my knowledge, no antkeeper has successfully raised a citronella ant colony. It is for this reason that I never intend to attempt keeping Lasius claviger as pets.
