57 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

Done! Works better now.

Nice!

[Ferox_Formicae]

The queen of my larger colony just laid a nice new batch of eggs. They have also decided to seal off the nest entrance for some reason. I suspect it may be because they have brought half of a superworm into the nest, and they have been feasting on that.

[TennesseeAnts]

I found nothing I was expecting yesterday. I found a 2 queens queen Myrmica colony, and a Stigmatomma pallipes queen. No Aphaenogaster. So how is it I got 2 rare ants, and 0 common ants?!?

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, May 8 2019 - 7:14 AM.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I found nothing I was expecting yesterday. I found a 2 queens queen Myrmica colony, and a Stigmatomma pallipes queen. No Aphaenogaster. So how is it I got 2 rare ants, and 0 common ants?!?

Hmm, I'm not sure, but good job!

[TennesseeAnts]

Thanks! Have any of your alate larvae pupated yet?

[Ferox_Formicae]

Thanks! Have any of your alate larvae pupated yet?

I'll check on the Aphaenogaster lamellidens colony later tonight.

[TennesseeAnts]

Hopefully you can breed them and sell the mated queens! You'll be rich!

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, May 8 2019 - 9:10 AM.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Hopefully you can breed them and sell the mated queens! You'll be rich!

Yeah! That'd be so cool!

[ponerinecat]

Actually seems like a good way to make money.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Actually seems like a good way to make money.

Yeah. I've been considering selling queens for a while now, and selling hybrids would be awesome!

[Ferox_Formicae]

I'm finally gonna extract the largest colony! I currently have them in a small container with lots of wood, so their view is obstructed. Form what I've seen though, the colony is pretty big, with lots of brood, maybe even some alate larva! I also got a glimpse of the queen...

[Ferox_Formicae]

I extracted the colony, and it had alate pupa and larva! I did not, however, have a queen, so I decided to give some of the brood to my other colony, but then, I saw that the colony did in fact have a queen! It was too late though, as the other colony had already taken both of the pupa and two of the three larva into the nest, but they still do have some alate larva. And this species is in fact a separate species from my Aphaenogaster carolinensis, they're larger and darker in color. They are also quite strongly polymorphic, with some individuals being twice the size of others. The queen also look quite different than the A. carolinensis queen. They could possibly be A. miamiana or A. rudis. I'll have to take a closer look at them, however.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Going off of coloration, I have determined that these ants are Aphaenogaster miamiana. I will probably continue writing about them in this journal, but rename the journal Aphaenogaster (rudis complex sp.) Journal. This is my biggest Aphaenogaster colony as of yet, with around 50 workers, probably more.

 

*edit* I'm also thinking that my smaller species is Aphaenogaster rudis.

Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, May 10 2019 - 8:09 AM.

[Ferox_Formicae]

My A. miamiana have unfortunately died, as the cotton ball that was keeping them hydrated while I was away for the weekend, has dried out, killing the ants. Also, I think the A. carolinensis colony is eating the alate brood I gave them, and I have no idea why. In better news, the colonies do have quite a lot of pupa.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The queen of my A. carolinensis colony has laid a nice batch of eggs. The larva are maturing from her first batch, and all of the larva from their capture have either pupated or already eclosed.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The A. rudis colony is dead, leaving me with my A. carolinensis, who are doing really well! They have tons of brood! They have actually sealed themselves off from their outworld with a piece of dead superworm! 

[Ferox_Formicae]

I should have updated this earlier, but about 2 weeks ago, I managed to catch another colony of Aphaenogaster miamiana! The colony is around 35-40 workers strong and has lots of brood. Unfortunately, my Aphaenogaster carolinensis colony is dwindling in population. They do have a lot of pupa though, so they should be hatching soon. There's also lots of mold growth unfortunately. I may try and clean the nest soon.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The A. carolinensis colony has died, and I'm going to release the A. miamiana colony tomorrow morning to make room. I'm going to move my 10 queen Solenopsis invicta colony into their formicarium once their first workers arrive in a day or two, leaving this journal shut down.