Jump to content

  • Gallery
  • Members
  • Member Map
  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Acutus' Camponotus castaneus Update THRIVING! 2/14/20

Started By Acutus , May 16 2019 8:10 PM

  • Please log in to reply
77 replies to this topic

#41 Offline Acutus - Posted July 12 2019 - 2:37 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

We were talkin' about activity and the underground activity has definitely picked up! This is also during the day only 6 foragers in the Out World.

 


  • ANTdrew likes this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#42 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 13 2019 - 2:22 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,409 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Mine actually ate a June beetle while I was asleep. Whoah!
Anecdotally, these love beetles of all kinds.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 13 2019 - 2:56 AM.

  • Acutus likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#43 Offline Acutus - Posted July 13 2019 - 8:14 AM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

Mine actually ate a June beetle while I was asleep. Whoah!
Anecdotally, these love beetles of all kinds.

 

Yeah and right now is a great time to get beetles they're all over! :D I just started a colony of Dubia Roaches too! :D


  • ANTdrew likes this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#44 Offline Acutus - Posted July 21 2019 - 1:23 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

So the colony is doing Great in the new Tar Heels Ants Mini Hearth XL! they really seem to be thriving! There's activity all the time in the nest area and I haven't been around at night to observe any nocturnal activity but the foos definitely is being taken. In addition to honey, which they don't seem to eat as much as my C. chromaiodes, crickets and june beetles along with fruit flies are accepted readily! 

It's very cool to watch them hunt down the fruit flies! :D

 

Of the 5 Queens I collected only one has ever laid eggs and she is now on her second batch. The first just never progressed. After seeing how well the colony has done in the Mini Heath XL I decided to get a Mini Hearth and put the Queen and her eggs in there! :D the transfer went well and the Queen collected the eggs back and is caring for them. I guess now it's a watch and wait thing. Fingers crossed!!! :D       (sorry so blurry didn't realize)

 

20190720 163608
 
20190721 143317

  • PacificNorthWestern likes this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#45 Offline Acutus - Posted July 22 2019 - 9:58 AM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

Crossing my fingers but I think the Queen has turned a corner!! :D Yesterday I put in a dead fruit fly and she ate it! today I added 2 more and she's eating them now!!!  :yahoo:


  • TennesseeAnts and PacificNorthWestern like this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#46 Offline Acutus - Posted July 22 2019 - 6:40 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

I can't get over how much better these gals seem to be since moving them to this Mini Hearth XL!  (y)  (y) Looks like I got a lot of new workers too! might need to think about expansion in the not too distant future!! :D

 


  • FeedTheAnts likes this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#47 Offline Acutus - Posted July 24 2019 - 5:11 AM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

Got to see my first ever Callow Super Major! :D Thought I'd share some pics! :D Seems like in this colony I see a couple new workers everyday! May need to start thinking about attaching another Mini Hearth for expansion! :D

 

20190723 170754
 
20190723 170757
 
20190723 170754crop

  • FeedTheAnts, TennesseeAnts, rbarreto and 2 others like this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#48 Offline Acutus - Posted July 29 2019 - 1:08 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

Ok so I had put out a poll asking if I should expand the existing C. casaneus colony and overwhelmingly voters chose YES!!! Thanks to the 10 of you that responed!  :lol:  :lol:

 

So I got 2 new Tar Heels Ants Mini Hearths today and decided to go for it! :D

 

expansion1
 
And in True Camponotus Castaneus form they pretty much ignored it!  :lol:  :lol:  They'll appreciate it one day right?  :facepalm:
 
expansion2

 


Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#49 Offline Acutus - Posted July 29 2019 - 2:25 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland
Uh oh! Can it be? 1 , 2 , wait for it, Yes! 3 Brave Souls!


  • TennesseeAnts and PacificNorthWestern like this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#50 Offline Acutus - Posted August 6 2019 - 11:44 AM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

Repletes?? I just wanted to ask am I seeing this correctly? Remember this is my first year and I haven't seen this in either of my C. chromaiodes colonies either.

Do I slow down on the food? I posted both pics Red is normal, Blue is what I think are Repletes.

 

P1020522
 
P1020522marked

 

 

Ok so just a small update on the Mini Hearth expansion they are slowly taking advantage of the new space! :D they also enjoyed the Half-Cicada Feast! :D

 

 

 


  • rbarreto, ANTdrew, PacificNorthWestern and 1 other like this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#51 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted August 6 2019 - 11:50 AM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,920 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee
Yup. Repletes they are! Less pronounced than in Myrmecocystus, but Camponotus do have repletes.
  • Acutus and PacificNorthWestern like this

My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

#52 Offline rbarreto - Posted August 6 2019 - 12:24 PM

rbarreto

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 645 posts
  • LocationOttawa, On
I don't believe they are true repletes. More similar to Prenolepis imparis.

My journal featuring most of my ants.

My other journal featuring Formica Bradleyi.

Check our my store here!

#53 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted August 6 2019 - 12:51 PM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,920 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

I don't believe they are true repletes. More similar to Prenolepis imparis.


A replete is any ant that is used as food storage.
  • Acutus and PacificNorthWestern like this

My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

#54 Offline rbarreto - Posted August 6 2019 - 2:00 PM

rbarreto

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 645 posts
  • LocationOttawa, On
You know for some reason I had it dead set in my mind that repletes were a separate caste whose sole purpose was food storage. I read the link below and now I'm pretty sure you're right.
https://www.antwiki....ste_Terminology
  • TennesseeAnts, ANTdrew, Acutus and 1 other like this

My journal featuring most of my ants.

My other journal featuring Formica Bradleyi.

Check our my store here!

#55 Offline ANTdrew - Posted August 6 2019 - 3:29 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,409 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Those are some happy looking ants! Well done! I really miss my colony.
  • Acutus likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#56 Offline Acutus - Posted August 6 2019 - 4:04 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland

https://www.antwiki....ste_Terminology


Cool article!

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#57 Offline Acutus - Posted August 6 2019 - 4:06 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland
Ok so the article above says they store "liquid food". Does that meany only like water or honey? Or is it digested liquified food?

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#58 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted August 6 2019 - 4:13 PM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,920 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee
Ants can only intake liquids. The larvae, however, do have the ability to digest solid foods. What little protein the adults need comes from the larvae, as they regurgitate some liquid food for the ants. The workers can drink the liquids from prey though.
  • ANTdrew, Acutus and PacificNorthWestern like this

My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

#59 Offline Acutus - Posted August 6 2019 - 4:15 PM

Acutus

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 835 posts
  • LocationMaryland
Thanks Ant_Dude! Maybe this explains why this colony seems to take very little honey

Edited by Acutus, August 6 2019 - 4:16 PM.

  • TennesseeAnts likes this

Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea

#60 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted August 6 2019 - 5:11 PM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,920 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

Thanks Ant_Dude! Maybe this explains why this colony seems to take very little honey


That is exactly why they take very little honey at a time.
  • Acutus likes this

My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

Back to Ant Keeping Journals · Next Unread Topic →


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users