32 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

Poneriencat, I have my sights set on one species: Stigmatomma trigonignathum.  I plan on taking a weekend camping trip to North Carolina where I believe it is distributed specifically to try to find this species and hopefully a colony, so if Lady Luck has been with me so far, perhaps she will smile on me for this species. 

Good luck with that! Stigmatomma trigonagnathum is one of the rarest ants in existence, with the holotype discovered in 1948 and an accidental discovery in 2008. If you do manage to find a colony of this species, you will be one of the luckiest anters in existence!

[ponerinecat]

 

Poneriencat, I have my sights set on one species: Stigmatomma trigonignathum.  I plan on taking a weekend camping trip to North Carolina where I believe it is distributed specifically to try to find this species and hopefully a colony, so if Lady Luck has been with me so far, perhaps she will smile on me for this species. 

Good luck with that! Stigmatomma trigonagnathum is one of the rarest ants in existence, with the holotype discovered in 1948 and an accidental discovery in 2008. If you do manage to find a colony of this species, you will be one of the luckiest anters in existence!

 

There's actually quite a lot of "rarest ants in existence." Mostly  cryptobiotic, like martialis, but also some above-ground genera.

[Ferox_Formicae]

 

 

Poneriencat, I have my sights set on one species: Stigmatomma trigonignathum.  I plan on taking a weekend camping trip to North Carolina where I believe it is distributed specifically to try to find this species and hopefully a colony, so if Lady Luck has been with me so far, perhaps she will smile on me for this species. 

Good luck with that! Stigmatomma trigonagnathum is one of the rarest ants in existence, with the holotype discovered in 1948 and an accidental discovery in 2008. If you do manage to find a colony of this species, you will be one of the luckiest anters in existence!

 

There's actually quite a lot of "rarest ants in existence." Mostly  cryptobiotic, like martialis, but also some above-ground genera.

 

That I know. There are quite a few ants that have been collected only once, unlike twice like Stigmatomma trigonignathum.

[ponerinecat]

 

 

 

Poneriencat, I have my sights set on one species: Stigmatomma trigonignathum.  I plan on taking a weekend camping trip to North Carolina where I believe it is distributed specifically to try to find this species and hopefully a colony, so if Lady Luck has been with me so far, perhaps she will smile on me for this species. 

Good luck with that! Stigmatomma trigonagnathum is one of the rarest ants in existence, with the holotype discovered in 1948 and an accidental discovery in 2008. If you do manage to find a colony of this species, you will be one of the luckiest anters in existence!

 

There's actually quite a lot of "rarest ants in existence." Mostly  cryptobiotic, like martialis, but also some above-ground genera.

 

That I know. There are quite a few ants that have been collected only once, unlike twice like Stigmatomma trigonignathum.

 

Fun fact: martialis was actually collected twice as well. They just lost the ant.

[Ferox_Formicae]

 

 

 

 

Poneriencat, I have my sights set on one species: Stigmatomma trigonignathum.  I plan on taking a weekend camping trip to North Carolina where I believe it is distributed specifically to try to find this species and hopefully a colony, so if Lady Luck has been with me so far, perhaps she will smile on me for this species. 

Good luck with that! Stigmatomma trigonagnathum is one of the rarest ants in existence, with the holotype discovered in 1948 and an accidental discovery in 2008. If you do manage to find a colony of this species, you will be one of the luckiest anters in existence!

 

There's actually quite a lot of "rarest ants in existence." Mostly  cryptobiotic, like martialis, but also some above-ground genera.

 

That I know. There are quite a few ants that have been collected only once, unlike twice like Stigmatomma trigonignathum.

 

Fun fact: martialis was actually collected twice as well. They just lost the ant.

 

Yeah, I remember hearing about that. I've lost a few rare ants in the past myself. I lost a Strumigenys membranifera queen last year, which isn't too bad considering I now have a colony with at least three queens and then two separate queens, and also considering they're the most common Strumigenys in my area. Not too long after that I also lost the on Hypoponera ergatoid male I've ever seen.

[PurdueEntomology]

Update:  Well the colony is doing fine so far. The alate pupae eclosed but were all female no males.  Some did not make it but that was expected. I have found that these ants will eat Pheidole eggs.  I have not been able to secure and small spider species eggs that would be manageable for this small ant so I tested some of the eggs from various ant queens I have collected and have found that Discothyrea testacea will accept the eggs of Pheidole, though I have not determined the species it is one found in same local as the D. testacea. 

[ponerinecat]

Update:  Well the colony is doing fine so far. The alate pupae eclosed but were all female no males.  Some did not make it but that was expected. I have found that these ants will eat Pheidole eggs.  I have not been able to secure and small spider species eggs that would be manageable for this small ant so I tested some of the eggs from various ant queens I have collected and have found that Discothyrea testacea will accept the eggs of Pheidole, though I have not determined the species it is one found in same local as the D. testacea. 

That's new. I thought they only ate spiders and centipedes.

[ponerinecat]

Any update at all? Most hobbyists have trouble with proceratium, never mind Discothyrea.

[PurdueEntomology]

The Discothyrea could not be coxed into eating any spider eggs provided and I was unable to procure any millipede eggs, though one of our fellow researchers has many species of millipedes in his lab, I could not find any eggs.  As for my Proceratium they are all doing fine so far.  I will not attempt any more Discothyrea.  Their small size and lack of any data on what eggs they actually feed upon leaves me to the conclusion to leave them alone for now.  The fact that in two years I only found two colonies is itself a testament to the fact that if found and one is not confident of their needs then just be grateful to have seen a colony, take some photos and move on.  I would say also that with Proceratium that unless one has a constant source of newly laid spider eggs, i.e., ones that are within a few days of being freshly laid then this genus should be avoided.  

[ForestDragon]

that's pretty amazing, cryptics like this always peak my interest, i actually captured a Strumigenys colony yesterday and i was able to Identify the queen, i am keeping them in a springtail filled vivarium and they are actively foraging above ground, they are really cool to watch

[ponerinecat]

The Discothyrea could not be coxed into eating any spider eggs provided and I was unable to procure any millipede eggs, though one of our fellow researchers has many species of millipedes in his lab, I could not find any eggs.  As for my Proceratium they are all doing fine so far.  I will not attempt any more Discothyrea.  Their small size and lack of any data on what eggs they actually feed upon leaves me to the conclusion to leave them alone for now.  The fact that in two years I only found two colonies is itself a testament to the fact that if found and one is not confident of their needs then just be grateful to have seen a colony, take some photos and move on.  I would say also that with Proceratium that unless one has a constant source of newly laid spider eggs, i.e., ones that are within a few days of being freshly laid then this genus should be avoided.  

That's really too bad. i would expect their care to be near identical.

[PurdueEntomology]

So I have another colony of these girls again: queen and two workers and lots of "eggs" i.e., stored eggs they eat.  After examining these eggs I am more convinced they are centipede eggs and not spider.  I may try to arrange to have some DNA tested to see if they are centipede.  

[TennesseeAnts]

So I have another colony of these girls again: queen and two workers and lots of "eggs" i.e., stored eggs they eat.  After examining these eggs I am more convinced they are centipede eggs and not spider.  I may try to arrange to have some DNA tested to see if they are centipede.  

You should get these documented! They've never been found in TN before, so you'd be the first!