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Anders' Manica rubida colony


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#1 Offline AndersT - Posted September 13 2015 - 2:30 AM

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Hello Formiculture!

 

After a long ant hiatus, I recently decided to start keeping them again. This friday, I received a new queen of the species Manica rubida. It's a species I've wanted to keep ever since I got into ant-keeping, so receiving the queen was obviously very exciting. I got her along with a small amount of brood. 

 

However, I've never kept a semi-claustral queen before. Therefore, this colony is mostly a test to find out how this is done.

 

I've currently put down the test-tube in a small temporary outworld. I've built a better one plus made a nest, but the grout is still curing. 

 

Since friday, I've fed her a couple of times. I gave her some honey diluted in water the day I got her, which she promptly drank. Since then, I've tried finding a source of protein that she will accept, as she has a couple of larvae that no doubt needs feeding. I've tried with a small moth, a crane fly and even peanut butter. She almost ignores it completely. Is it just a question about her needing to settle down?

 

There's also another thing that I have been wondering. I remember keeping Lasius niger queens a couple of years ago. They all laid eggs a couple of days after catching them, as far as I remember. I've given this queen lots of alone time, but I don't see any eggs as of yet. Is it perhaps too late in the season? Or does she just need more time?

 

Underneath is a picture of her current setup:

2015-09-13%2012.30.23.jpg



#2 Offline LC3 - Posted September 13 2015 - 11:55 AM

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Cool. I don't think a lot of people on FC have Manica so this should be interesting :D 



#3 Offline dermy - Posted September 13 2015 - 11:56 AM

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Cool, I like your setup. Neat little watering device :)



#4 Offline BrittonLS - Posted September 15 2015 - 4:38 PM

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Very cool. Might need to provide a dark place for her to be comfortable laying eggs? Did she spend time in her nest or wander around a lot?

#5 Offline AndersT - Posted September 16 2015 - 8:47 AM

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15th September, 2015

I finally found some protein that my queen is interested in! After giving her a mosquito, she quickly took it and put it near the larvae. Today, the only remains are its legs, which the queen have put outside. I'll keep an eye out for more to give her.

 

LC3 & dermy: Thanks!

 

BrittonLS: She's been wandering a bit, but I suppose that's what semi-claustral queens do, isn't it? She still hasn't laid any eggs.






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