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Formica pallidefulva Journal

formica formica pallidefulva journal polygynous queen

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18 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 21 2019 - 5:20 PM

Antennal_Scrobe

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Today I caught two Formica pallidefulva queens outside the Mitchell Park Domes. I know Formica are polygynous, so I introduced both queens to a test tube setup, and they moved in together. They are like two peas in a pod, huddled up together. Both are slightly bloated, but not to the extent that I can see any white flesh showing. I like this species, and I hope they do well.


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Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#2 Offline Acutus - Posted July 21 2019 - 5:21 PM

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Good luck!! :D


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Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea


#3 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted July 22 2019 - 6:32 AM

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Formica are not polygonous. Not usually anyway. The will suffocate in the acid they try to kill each other with if they fight.
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#4 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 22 2019 - 6:48 AM

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Formica are not polygonous. Not usually anyway. The will suffocate in the acid they try to kill each other with if they fight.


Formica in the pallidefullva group are polygynous. Some in the fusca and neogagates groups are.
  • Canadian anter, VoidElecent and Antennal_Scrobe like this

#5 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 22 2019 - 10:42 AM

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I know F. montana is as well. A small colony in my yard has 5+ queens. 


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Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#6 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 24 2019 - 10:14 AM

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The gaster of one of the queens is very swollen. There may actually be a couple eggs already, but I can't get a good look at them.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#7 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 24 2019 - 10:53 AM

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They certainly have a few eggs! I can't tell how many, but the off-white clump that is currently captivating the queens sure looks like an egg pile to me. If the one queen's gaster is any indication, there will be many more where those came from.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#8 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 24 2019 - 2:23 PM

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I caught two more queens today, one of which I started a journal for before realizing it was the same species. Both are in their own test tubes, I would not mix queens that I caught at a different time or place. Is there a way I can delete the accidental journal?


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#9 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 24 2019 - 3:48 PM

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The two new queens are combined now. I really needed a test tube.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#10 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 25 2019 - 6:41 AM

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The two queens from yesterday are separate again. The 2 queens I am keeping together are getting along together very well. One of the recent queens twitches her legs constantly.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#11 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted July 29 2019 - 5:12 PM

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Queens 1 and 2 are still getting along, and have a nice amount of eggs. Queen 3, who is a bit smaller and darker than the others, has about two eggs as of today. Queen 4, appears to have no eggs, but she stares intently at one point on the cotton ball, indicating that there may be unseen brood.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#12 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted August 7 2019 - 6:18 AM

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All queens now have eggs. Queens 1 and 2 have a large pile, and possibly small larvae as well.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#13 Offline Acutus - Posted August 7 2019 - 7:12 AM

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Sounds like things are going well!  (y)


Billy

 

Currently keeping:

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus castaneus

Formica subsericea


#14 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted August 7 2019 - 9:44 AM

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Do you have any tips about this species, like what to expect, what to watch out for etc.? It seems almost too good to be true that I would have so much success with a genus I always heard was full of brood-eating, acid-spraying nervous wrecks.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#15 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted August 7 2019 - 9:54 AM

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It seems almost too good to be true that I would have so much success with a genus I always heard was full of brood-eating, acid-spraying nervous wrecks.


When most people say this, they really mean Coptoformica and Raptiformica, the parasitic Formica. They are exactly what you said: nervous wrecks. But Serviformica are not, in my experience.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, August 7 2019 - 9:55 AM.

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#16 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted August 7 2019 - 10:01 AM

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Oh, good! So how long will it take for an egg to grow to an adult worker. The temperature is about 73-75 F consistently, sometimes higher or lower.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#17 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted August 7 2019 - 10:02 AM

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About a month and a half.
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#18 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted August 7 2019 - 3:16 PM

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So I will have workers by early September.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#19 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted August 10 2019 - 10:47 AM

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All queens have some brood, but the co-op test tube has a colossal pile of larvae.  

IMG 1357
IMG 1358
IMG 1359
IMG 1360

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: formica, formica pallidefulva, journal, polygynous, queen

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