Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Pogonomyrmex Californicus workers laying eggs


  • Please log in to reply
13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Chromerust - Posted December 4 2014 - 5:22 PM

Chromerust

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 305 posts
  • Locationsouthern California
I have a queenless colony of Pogonomyrmex laying eggs and raising larvae. The queen died a couple of months ago and Drew took the excess brood to boost one of his own colonies. At first I thought they hid some eggs somewhere, but now those are big larvae and there is a large pile of new eggs. How is this even happening? Has anyone ever experienced anything like this?

#2 Offline dean_k - Posted December 4 2014 - 5:29 PM

dean_k

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 845 posts
  • LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

There are species of ants that, once they lose queen, one of workers start to lay eggs.



#3 Offline LAnt - Posted December 4 2014 - 5:35 PM

LAnt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 211 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles
Make sure to keep us updated

#4 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted December 4 2014 - 8:41 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Pogonomyrmex do not have gamergates! Is this concolorous, or bicolor?



#5 Offline LAnt - Posted December 4 2014 - 9:15 PM

LAnt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 211 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles
DUN Dun dun

#6 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted December 4 2014 - 9:25 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Well this sure makes Pogonomyrmex a lot cooler! I imagine you would actually need a mature colony like this to have its queen die, in order to start making brood. I doubt you can just dig workers from the ground and one would assume egg laying...



#7 Offline Chromerust - Posted December 4 2014 - 9:42 PM

Chromerust

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 305 posts
  • Locationsouthern California
This is a young colony of Bicolor. I picked the queen up in the desert with Drew this summer. She had over a hundred large workers already then stopped laying eggs and died a few weeks later. Actually that last two weeks before it died she came out of the test tube and refused to go back. The workers tried to drag her back in with no luck

#8 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted December 4 2014 - 9:46 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Very interesting behavior! :thinking: Well, I hope Dr Ant can log on soon and read this, I would love an answer! :D



#9 Offline Chromerust - Posted December 4 2014 - 9:50 PM

Chromerust

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 305 posts
  • Locationsouthern California

Very interesting behavior! :thinking: Well, I hope Dr Ant can log on soon and read this, I would love an answer! :D


Yes I'm anxious to hear if doctor ant may have any insight

#10 Offline dspdrew - Posted December 5 2014 - 5:31 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Are the eggs smaller than what the queen was laying? Are these eggs developing at all?



#11 Offline Chromerust - Posted December 5 2014 - 11:54 AM

Chromerust

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 305 posts
  • Locationsouthern California

Are the eggs smaller than what the queen was laying? Are these eggs developing at all?


The eggs appear normal size. They have 15 larvae that look about normal size too. This next clutch of eggs will tell us for sure if they start developing.

#12 Offline dspdrew - Posted December 5 2014 - 1:09 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Well nothing can be fertile without mating, but supposedly unfertilized eggs can turn into males.



#13 Offline LAnt - Posted December 5 2014 - 4:19 PM

LAnt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 211 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles
Same with bees

#14 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted December 5 2014 - 4:59 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

All euosocial insects except termites I think.






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users