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Cindy's Prenelopis Imparis Journal


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#1 Offline Cindy - Posted April 11 2017 - 3:24 PM

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4/9/17

 

4:00 PM- I caught a single queen (#1) in my neighborhood. I suspect she is infertile as she still has her wings. Currently in a test tube set-up.

 

Temperature: 65 F

 

4/10/17

 

12:30-1:30 PM- Witnessed my first nuptial flight during my lunch break. When I stepped out of my work building, I saw a female and male alate mating (#2). I followed a trail of flying male alates and ended up on a grassy hill, where I saw hundreds of males flying in the air. Going further up the hill, I discovered a nest entrance- workers and female alates were emerging from the entrance. It seems that male alates would swarm first, after which female alates would follow. I spent an hour outside and caught queens #3-10 during that time. Queens #9 and #10 were dug up from their founding chambers and had already removed their wings.

 

I put 1 de-alate queen in a THA atom nest and the rest were put into test tubes. Two of the winged queens removed their wings later that night.

 

Temperature: 73 F

 

4/11/17 

 

12:30-2:30 PM- Same colony had another flight. Less males alates and more female ones were seen this time. The flight itself lasted an hour and a half. Caught 12 more queens, 3 of which were dug up from founding chambers.

 

I put them all into test tubes and put two de-alate queens into the same tube. 

 

Temperature: 83 F

 

Currently I've color-coded the queens with post-it flags.

Red- Caught as de-alate

Yellow- Caught with male attached

Blue- Winged queens without males attached 
Green- Old original (Queen #1) unsure if mated.

Orange- Caught with wings, later removed wings

 

They are currently stored between egg crate foam and inside my desk drawer. My room temp is at 67 F. I may consider moving them to a cooler area if temps reach >80 F later this week.

 

IMG 20170411 164203

 

 


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#2 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted April 11 2017 - 4:30 PM

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Seems everyone is starting their P. imparis journals. Good luck with these, very interested in what the outcome is of how these do.


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#3 Offline Deluga - Posted April 11 2017 - 9:56 PM

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Good luck!
I'll follow.
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Keeper of:

1x Camponotus herculeanus

1x Camponotus sylvaticus

1x Formica cinerea

1x Formica fusca

1x Formica lemani

1x Lasius flavus

2x Lasius niger

 


#4 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 11:07 AM

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4/13/17

 

The queen inside the Atom nest has started laying eggs. When I checked up on her last night, she was carrying them and sticking them to the glass lid


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#5 Offline MikeMc - Posted April 13 2017 - 11:08 AM

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4/13/17

 

The queen inside the Atom nest has started laying eggs. When I checked up on her last night, she was carrying them and sticking them to the glass lid

 

Super quick to lay eggs, that's exciting!


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Prenolepis imparis:  founding queens x15 | Journal


#6 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 11:29 AM

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4/13/17

 

The queen inside the Atom nest has started laying eggs. When I checked up on her last night, she was carrying them and sticking them to the glass lid

 

Super quick to lay eggs, that's exciting!

 

I thought it was sand at first, until I saw them coming out her gaster. It's interesting to see how she chooses to organize the chamber. She was taking sticky clumps of eggs and placing them directly above a wet bit of cotton that I added to the inner chamber earlier that day (the nest-mate included with the Atom had not been dispensing water properly d/t an air bubble trapped within the tubing).



#7 Offline MikeMc - Posted April 13 2017 - 11:31 AM

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4/13/17

 

The queen inside the Atom nest has started laying eggs. When I checked up on her last night, she was carrying them and sticking them to the glass lid

 

Super quick to lay eggs, that's exciting!

 

I thought it was sand at first, until I saw them coming out her gaster. It's interesting to see how she chooses to organize the chamber. She was taking sticky clumps of eggs and placing them directly above a wet bit of cotton that I added to the inner chamber earlier that day (the nest-mate included with the Atom had not been dispensing water properly d/t an air bubble trapped within the tubing).

 

 

Got some photos for us?


Prenolepis imparis:  founding queens x15 | Journal


#8 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 11:35 AM

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4/13/17

 

The queen inside the Atom nest has started laying eggs. When I checked up on her last night, she was carrying them and sticking them to the glass lid

 

Super quick to lay eggs, that's exciting!

 

I thought it was sand at first, until I saw them coming out her gaster. It's interesting to see how she chooses to organize the chamber. She was taking sticky clumps of eggs and placing them directly above a wet bit of cotton that I added to the inner chamber earlier that day (the nest-mate included with the Atom had not been dispensing water properly d/t an air bubble trapped within the tubing).

 

 

Got some photos for us?

 

Will definitely upload some when I get home later today!



#9 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted April 13 2017 - 2:25 PM

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She's a quick one.


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#10 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 2:27 PM

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IMG 20170413 181844

 

This is what she was sticking to the lid. Upon closer inspection I'm not really sure what it is. Maybe Mike can give some input as to whether they are eggs or sand? 



#11 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted April 13 2017 - 2:30 PM

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Hmmmm... Is she gathering them up with her mandibles in a ball?



#12 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 2:34 PM

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Hmmmm... Is she gathering them up with her mandibles in a ball?

 
Yeah she was definitely carrying whatever it is in her mandibles and "gluing" it onto the glass lid in clumps. 


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#13 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted April 13 2017 - 2:35 PM

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Hmmmm... Is she gathering them up with her mandibles in a ball?

 
Yeah she was definitely carrying whatever it is in her mandibles and "gluing" it onto the glass lid in clumps. 

 

Maybe eggs then. If it is sand, She COULD be moving it around for humidity control?



#14 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 3:14 PM

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Could be. I'm going to think of it as sand for now. :D



#15 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted April 13 2017 - 3:16 PM

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Could be. I'm going to think of it as sand for now. :D

Definitely think negative in this hobby, or else it will let you down.  :P

 

Its done a lot of good for me.


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#16 Offline MikeMc - Posted April 13 2017 - 3:33 PM

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I'm no expert, but my initial thought is that is not eggs. Can you get a photo with the queen so I can estimate the size better?

Prenolepis imparis:  founding queens x15 | Journal


#17 Offline Martialis - Posted April 13 2017 - 3:51 PM

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They are larvae. My colony put their substrate on the glass nest lid and now I can't see them. :/


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#18 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 3:52 PM

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I rubbed some of the sand off of the outworld and it looks exactly the same as whatever she glued onto the glass lid. At this point I'm betting it's sand and that she is using it to close up any openings. I'm hesitant to take the lid off and alarm her so I'll just wait patiently for the next few weeks.


They are larvae. My colony put their substrate on the glass nest lid and now I can't see them. :/

Guess we'll have to wait and see if they pupate :D



#19 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted April 13 2017 - 3:57 PM

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Larvae? Definitely not 3 days after capture.  :/



#20 Offline Cindy - Posted April 13 2017 - 4:09 PM

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Larvae? Definitely not 3 days after capture.  :/

 

What good publicity that would be for THA if it were true. XD


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