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Dspdrew's Crematogaster mutans Journal [213] (Discontinued)

crematogaster journal dspdrew

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#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 18 2015 - 9:18 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
6-18-2015
 
I found these Crematogaster sp. queens on my black light in Trabuco Canyon, California, around 9:00 PM 6-9-2015.
 
ID Thread: https://www.formicul...n-ca-5-12-2015/
 
1. Location of collection: Trabuco Canyon, California.
2. Date of collection:  6-9-2015.
3. Habitat of collection:  Chaparral, oak forest.
4. Length (from head to gaster):  7.5 mm.
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture:  All brown.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Hairier than most Crematogaster I have seen. Relatively small gaster and large head.
 
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I found a few of these a while back, but they all died. So far most of these that I caught on 6-9-2015 have died also. Only a couple of them removed their wings too.
 
I decided to collect these and try to raise them because of how unique they look. The heads are so large and the gasters are so small that they look like the typical parasitic queen. I have no idea if they could be parasitic or not, but since they all have done horribly so far, I decided to boost the three remaining queens I have, giving each one some brood and at least one worker from another Crematogaster species I have. Even though only one of those workers was callow, they all excepted each other, and at least one of the queens seems to care about her new adopted brood. We'll see if I can actually get any of these to lay eggs this time.
 
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#2 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted June 21 2015 - 2:10 PM

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Nice... I think mine is a dud.



#3 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 10 2015 - 11:38 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 7-11-2015
 
Well none of these laid any eggs before thy all died.



#4 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 13 2015 - 2:31 AM

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Do you think they are actually parasitic?



#5 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 13 2015 - 6:52 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Who knows. I think I even gave some of them workers, but that didn't seem to help.



#6 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 13 2015 - 2:20 PM

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Mine died without laying an egg too, so it has to be something. I even supplied her with a protein and sugar source with the slim chance of her being semi-clausteral and that did not go anywhere either. Maybe these could be like Pogonomyrmex colei is to Pogonomyrmex rugosus? Even though I doubt that is it possible?



#7 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 4 2016 - 11:19 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
Update 6-4-2016
 
I found another five of these on 6-3-2016 in Trabuco Canyon, CA. Two of them removed their wings before I collected them, and one removed its wings the next day.
 
This time I gave them all about 15 pupae from my large Crematogaster colony (http://www.formicult...ex.php/topic/5-). So far only two queens seem interested in the brood. A few of the pupae have already eclosed and the callow workers of those two colonies are feeding the queens. Maybe last time the queens died because they didn't get fed in time. I just hope one of these lays eggs and doesn't die right away this time.
 
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#8 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted June 5 2016 - 12:07 AM

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Nice. I think you'll do better this time.



#9 Offline Subverted - Posted June 5 2016 - 12:41 AM

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I did have two of these that I caught last year lay eggs...but they kept eating them. Hopefully the callow workers can play keep away with the queen!


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#10 Offline LC3 - Posted June 5 2016 - 2:56 PM

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They look like a mix of Lasius umbratus and Crematogaster.


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#11 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 10 2016 - 12:51 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
Update 6-10-2016
 
Two queens have laid some eggs. One has laid two eggs, and the another has laid 20!
 
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I just fed them all some cricket pieces tonight.

#12 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 14 2016 - 8:31 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-14-2016
 
The queen that had two eggs doesn't have any now. I'm not sure what happened to them. The queen that had twenty eggs now has almost 40! I can also tell they are starting to turn to larvae, so I'm pretty sure she is fertile. :) Right now it's just that one queen with eggs; the other four queens have nothing.



#13 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 21 2016 - 8:55 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
Update 6-21-2016
 
They now have larvae! The queen is definitely looking fertile now. She even has over 100 eggs now too. :D I can't believe that many eggs came out of that tiny gaster.
 
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#14 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 29 2016 - 8:57 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
Update 7-29-2016
 
The queen got her first biological worker today. Once it darkens, I probably won't even be able to tell it apart from the others.
 
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#15 Offline Mdrogun - Posted July 29 2016 - 9:18 PM

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What happened to all the eggs she laid?


Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega


#16 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 29 2016 - 9:26 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

They probably ate most of them.



#17 Offline T.C. - Posted February 1 2017 - 9:50 AM

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Is this still a colony you have, any updates? 


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#18 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 2 2017 - 4:21 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 1-2-2017
 
This colony is still alive. Production has slowed down quite a bit, but they seem to be doing fine.


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#19 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 7 2017 - 2:33 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-7-2017
 
Production kept slowing down and finally a few days ago, I found the queen dead. :(



#20 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 12 2019 - 6:03 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 10-12-2019
 
I gave this another try this year, but shortly after the queen got its adopted brood and workers, it died.

 







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