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Leo's Leptogenys colonies =) Update 22/04/19


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#1 Offline Leo - Posted October 9 2017 - 4:56 AM

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5/10/17

 

Capture a 200 worker colony of leptogenys sp, large and very very very aggressive I was stung 20-15 times in the process of capture, felt like getting stabbed by needles, the marks are still on my arm  :( . they have a few eggs and attack anything that moves. their rear end is quite shiny while their front half resembles black sandpaper army-antish behavior, very interesting ants.

I have dubbed them leptogenys sp 1

 

9/10/17

 

new colony of leptogenys sp, a smaller and SLIGHTLY (emphasis on slightly) less aggressive, captured 97% of the colony quite alot of brood . gaster is shiny but the front is less rough than species 1. still sorting them out, once again army-antish behavior and very fast. This genus of ants seems to produce a sound similar to a rain stick when alarmed/panicked and can be heard 60-70 cm away. pics soon  :D .

 

 

pro tip: never ever never ever use a 20 second aspirator, I swallowed a worker+dirt, dirt tastes like really badly made coffee powder and sand mixed together  :bad:


Edited by Leo, April 22 2019 - 2:33 AM.


#2 Offline Leo - Posted October 9 2017 - 4:57 AM

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eeep! double posted  :blush:



#3 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted October 9 2017 - 5:24 AM

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Leptogenys sound interesting to keep. Did you get the queen?



#4 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted October 9 2017 - 8:02 AM

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Awesome! I love leptogenys!
I used to live in Hawaii, which had Leptogenys falcigera running around everywhere. I never caught any, but a friend of mine caught a small colony (it died pretty fast).


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#5 Offline Leo - Posted October 9 2017 - 4:28 PM

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not sure, they HAVE laid some eggs so maybe they have a gamergate, also I figured that sp 1 could be Leptogenys kitteli.

 

Also, I once kept a small 1 queen leptogenys diminuta colony, forgot to feed them and died in a day :( .

 

 

edit: Leptogenys falcigera look so cool!


Edited by Leo, October 9 2017 - 4:31 PM.


#6 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 9 2017 - 5:06 PM

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Argh, always wanted any ponerine species...ps I believe Leptogenys are sort of army- ant like in behavior. Feed them centipedes, millipedes, and mealworms. Army- ant like in behavior, make sure you have many nests ready for them. They'll provide a good challenge for you!


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Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#7 Offline Leo - Posted October 9 2017 - 7:15 PM

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yeah, they march in trails, I give them a superworm segments ever other day! sp2 took down a centipede in 20-25 seconds and dragged it off  :D

 

Argh, always wanted any ponerine species...ps I believe Leptogenys are sort of army- ant like in behavior. Feed them centipedes, millipedes, and mealworms. Army- ant like in behavior, make sure you have many nests ready for them. They'll provide a good challenge for you!



#8 Offline Ants853 - Posted October 9 2017 - 7:37 PM

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Leo,

 

They like to move from nest location once in a while. If you can replicate the same conditions, I would advise attaching a new area every two or three weeks.

They tend to create a lot of garbage in every nest they stay in.

good luck with them!



#9 Offline Leo - Posted October 10 2017 - 4:35 AM

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Leo,

 

They like to move from nest location once in a while. If you can replicate the same conditions, I would advise attaching a new area every two or three weeks.

They tend to create a lot of garbage in every nest they stay in.

good luck with them!

Thanks man! I finally got sp 2 into a testube and found they had LOADS of eggs! sp1 only has 2 pupae and 1 egg.



#10 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted October 10 2017 - 9:32 AM

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Argh, always wanted any ponerine species...ps I believe Leptogenys are sort of army- ant like in behavior. Feed them centipedes, millipedes, and mealworms. Army- ant like in behavior, make sure you have many nests ready for them. They'll provide a good challenge for you!

When I lived in Hawaii I thought that Leptogenys species were army ants... I'd see large trails of Leptogenys falcigera pouring through shrubbery and massacring isopods. 
I once saw a trail of Leptogenys falcigera with a queen in the middle, but I was too afraid to snag the colony (their stingers are veeeerrryyy large)

 

Here's how I would keep them:

I'd prepare a (very) large bin and fill it with coconut fiber/reptile sand/shredded leaf litter. Then I would place several test tubes in the bin, each one being maybe a foot away from the other (cover the tubes with rocks/leaves). Since Leptogenys species are pretty terrible climbers, I would not worry about escapees, but I would make a lid just in case. 
You should attach the bin to another smaller bin/container. The connection point between the two should be small enough to be plugged with cotton. Every so often, place the prey animals inside of the smaller bin and unplug the container. This way, you can make the ants think that they are making a raiding trail. You can also place prey animals directly in the main bin if it is large enough.

 

I'll draw a picture of what I mean when I get home.


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#11 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 10 2017 - 11:01 AM

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Yeah these guys are nomadic, if you don't want them to move around nests too much try doing as little as possible to disturb them. Also...
Pictures?
  • Leo likes this

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#12 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted October 10 2017 - 3:59 PM

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From me? I'm trying to draw a good example. I'll finish it after i finish my homework.


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#13 Offline Leo - Posted October 10 2017 - 4:16 PM

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PICTURES !!!!!  :lol:

 

sp1

 

sp2

 

extras! :)

 


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#14 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted October 10 2017 - 4:59 PM

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I can't access it


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#15 Offline Leo - Posted October 10 2017 - 5:02 PM

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as in the pictures?



#16 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted October 10 2017 - 7:16 PM

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Yeah, sorry if I wasn't clear. Can you post on imgur?

 

EDIT: Wait! My computer was just acting up! Awesome pics!


Edited by Connectimyrmex, October 10 2017 - 7:18 PM.

Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#17 Offline Leo - Posted October 10 2017 - 7:45 PM

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THANKS!



#18 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted October 10 2017 - 9:27 PM

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The mantis is adorable :D


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#19 Offline Leo - Posted October 10 2017 - 10:59 PM

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its a creobroter gemmata, quite uncommon around here. Probably a male.



#20 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 11 2017 - 3:38 AM

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Yeah, the mantis is a male C. Gemmarus, vut sunce there's a bunch of different specues in the crobroter genus and yhey all look alike, it cpuld be elongatus, puctipennis, etc...
I am so jealous of your colony btw...I have always wanted army ants(species like labidus and neivamyrmex).

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 





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