82 replies to this topic

[Alabama Anter]

See Serafine/Anthony! Wow Aaron! Good luck!

[Leo]

that is even faster than mine!

[Aaron567]

March 24, 2017

 

It has now been exactly 1 month since I caught this queen, and 23 days since she has laid eggs.

She has 3 pupae, 1 large larva, a few small larvae, and some eggs. I have never seen a queen so protective over her brood. When I check on her, she stands in front of them and guards them.

 

I can't wait for nanitics!

 

Edited by Aaron567, May 13 2018 - 8:51 AM.

[Mdrogun]

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

[Goldsystem]

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

How was this helpful? Anyways good luck with your Queen! I'm excited to see her first workers!

Edited by Goldsystem, March 28 2017 - 9:58 AM.

[Ants4fun]

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

I find them awesome! I would totally jump for a chance to keep these ants!

Not sure where your from, but you don't really just 'decide' to keep ants all the time. I wish I could 'decide' to keep honeypot ants, but they aren't in my area. Being negative doesn't really help the hobby grow.

[endervale]

i find them exquisite! that is a really nice bicolored and fast developing Camponotus, here in europe we have only slow-developing, black and destructive Camponotus like Camponotus vagus

Edited by endervale, March 28 2017 - 1:20 PM.

[Aaron567]

March 30, 2017

 

30 days ago, my Camponotus decipiens queen laid her eggs, and now she has her first nanitic! She just eclosed today and is still callow. She will eventually be the same red color as the queen.

 

She is 4mm in length. As the colony grows, of course, there will be larger workers.

 

Edited by Aaron567, March 12 2019 - 8:25 PM.

[Alabama Anter]

Oh my god! SO pretty!!!! Good Luck Aaron.

[Aaron567]

April 6, 2017

 

This colony just got their 3rd nanitic yesterday. They are doing well. I tried to feed them some mealworms but they didn't seem to enjoy them very much. I also fed them a drop of honey which they weren't crazy for. The fourth nanitic will hatch from her cocoon very soon, and there are already more larvae getting ready to pupate (with several other larvae that vary in size) and the queen has been laying eggs frequently.

 

Does anyone have suggestions on what foods you think they would enjoy? They already seem to be kinda picky, and this is my first time keeping Camponotus. 

 

Edited by Aaron567, May 13 2018 - 8:56 AM.

[Kai]

Fruit flies, spider legs and sugar water.

[Cindy]

Beautiful pictures. Keep up the good work!

[Superant33]

Sweet organic fruit juice, with a small amount of added sugar. Sunburst from byformica. Fruit flies, crickets, and termites for protein.

[nurbs]

Great shots! Best of luck with them, looks like they are doing really well. The real test will come with winter and their first diapause.

 

Try soft bodied insects (wingless fruit flies are great, put them in the fridge for 15 min and then let them thaw), grubs, diluted honey/hummingbird nectar/sunburst, and soft MOIST white meat chicken diced into very thin and small pieces. They will not take anything large or dry. This is from my own experience with Camponotus species here in CA, but I do not see any reason why it cannot apply to yours. 

[Aaron567]

April 22, 2017

 

It has been over two weeks since the last update when they had three workers. Now, they have all four nanitics and are about to get the first second-generation workers. Their brood pile has grown quite a bit. They have seven pupae, and several larvae, many of which are small and you can't see in the picture.

 

Last week, I found a Camponotus snellingi colony which I stole a single larva from and gave to this colony. They accepted it, and it is now a pupa. So when it hatches, it will likely not participate much with the rest of the workers, and will probably do nothing. It will still look cool to have a larger, differently colored worker with this colony.

 

I have also found which foods they enjoy. They will not drink regular honey, and they will not eat mealworms or anything large. As a sugary source, I feed them mixed sugar, water, and honey, and they love it and will completely fill their gasters up within an hour. I have found that for their protein source, they enjoy dead fruit flies and small moths.

 

Today I just made them a new setup where they are in the same nest, but the nest in inside an outworld that I made with beach sand, a twig, and a rock. So now they can get to their outworld easily without having to go through a tiny tube that the workers barely fit through.

 

Overall, everything is going great, and I can't wait for this colony to get to even 20 workers. The egg to worker time for them is one month.

Edited by Aaron567, July 7 2017 - 12:02 PM.

[AntswerMe]

Great pictures Aaron! They look great. Camponotus floridanus are extremely common here in northeastern Florida, I find them everywhere from the beaches, to Jacksonville, to even rural areas. My first nanitics that enclosed of this species never had their exoskeleton harden to this orange color however. They became sort of dark with an orange tinge. Only later ants that emerged had the Queen's orange look. These ants are such a beauty. Good luck!

Edited by AntswerMe, April 22 2017 - 7:22 PM.

[Mdrogun]

 

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

I find them awesome! I would totally jump for a chance to keep these ants!

Not sure where your from, but you don't really just 'decide' to keep ants all the time. I wish I could 'decide' to keep honeypot ants, but they aren't in my area. Being negative doesn't really help the hobby grow.

 

 

 

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

How was this helpful? Anyways good luck with your Queen! I'm excited to see her first workers!

 

I was joking. 

[Alabama Anter]

Wow! Hope they get really big!

[Aaron567]

Great pictures Aaron! They look great. Camponotus floridanus are extremely common here in northeastern Florida, I find them everywhere from the beaches, to Jacksonville, to even rural areas. My first nanitics that enclosed of this species never had their exoskeleton harden to this orange color however. They became sort of dark with an orange tinge. Only later ants that emerged had the Queen's orange look. These ants are such a beauty. Good luck!

 

Are the queens common for you to find? The colonies here are pretty common but this queen is the only live queen I've ever found.

[Goldsystem]

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

I find them awesome! I would totally jump for a chance to keep these ants!

Not sure where your from, but you don't really just 'decide' to keep ants all the time. I wish I could 'decide' to keep honeypot ants, but they aren't in my area. Being negative doesn't really help the hobby grow.

Camponotus floridanus are one of the ugliest species I've ever seen. I don't know why you've decided to keep this queen.

How was this helpful? Anyways good luck with your Queen! I'm excited to see her first workers!

I was joking.

Oh sorry I couldn't tell