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Mettcollsuss's Formica neorufibarbis Journal

journal formica mettcollsuss ant keeping ants colony ant colony formica pallidefulva field ants formica neorufibarbis

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#1 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted February 17 2018 - 4:43 AM

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I caught this queen that I think is Formica incerta last summer. I took her out of hibernation about a week ago, and she had 3 eggs when I last checked up on her. I don't normally start journals for queens until they get to workers, as I explained in my F. subsericea journal. But, this queen is showing several signs of being fertile, so I figured I might as well go ahead and start this journal.

 

Like all Formica queens, she's very paranoid. Unlike most Formica queens, when panicking, she takes some of her brood with her to try and save it. Most Formica queens I've had in the past only try to save themselves.

 

Here are some photos from a couple days ago. While I was taking the photos, she had an egg stuck to the underside of her abdomen.

 

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med_gallery_1963_974_103672.jpg med_gallery_1963_974_94388.jpg

 

 

 


Edited by Mettcollsuss, December 3 2018 - 6:28 AM.

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#2 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted February 17 2018 - 12:27 PM

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Here's what I know about this species: they are in the pallidefulva group, omnivorous, colonies rarely exceed 3,000 ants, and are fairly rare (at least around here).

 

This queen responds very well to heat. She laid the eggs just a day after I added a heating cable.


Edited by Mettcollsuss, February 17 2018 - 12:29 PM.

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#3 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted February 17 2018 - 12:35 PM

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That looks a lot like Formica neorufibarbis. I caught a colony last year. I ended up releasing them three days after capture.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, February 17 2018 - 12:36 PM.

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#4 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted February 17 2018 - 1:29 PM

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That looks a lot like Formica neorufibarbis. I caught a colony last year. I ended up releasing them three days after capture.

Hmm. She does look pretty similar to that. I'll start an ID thread.



#5 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted February 17 2018 - 3:48 PM

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2-17-18

Five eggs now.



#6 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted February 20 2018 - 7:35 PM

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And with my experience with these is they are aggressive and polymorphic.
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#7 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 1 2018 - 6:17 PM

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Update?

#8 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted March 3 2018 - 9:32 AM

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3-3-18

She now has two medium-large larvae and one pupae. I'm starting to think she's actually Formica neorufibarbis. I started an ID thread to be sure.



#9 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted March 3 2018 - 11:21 PM

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I'm pretty sure that's not Formica neorufibarbis

 

They look like this.

 

pupa.jpg


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#10 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted March 5 2018 - 4:03 PM

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3-5-18

Now 2 pupae, 1 large larvae, and 3 eggs.



#11 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted March 7 2018 - 2:24 PM

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3-7-18

The pupae now have eyes.



#12 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 7 2018 - 7:07 PM

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I am excited for this colony! Mine failed to lay.:*(

#13 Offline Ants4fun - Posted March 7 2018 - 8:30 PM

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Definitely one of the prettier queens of this genus.

#14 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 12 2018 - 7:35 PM

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Agreed.

#15 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted March 13 2018 - 5:00 AM

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3-13-18

One of the pupae is getting darker. Nanitics shouldn't be too far away.


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#16 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted March 16 2018 - 5:55 PM

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3-16-18

A worker finally eclosed! Its exoskeleton is still hardening and pale, but it's up and about. She doesn't seem interested in food right now. She's surprisingly small compared to the queen. I'll get photos soon.


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#17 Offline Jadeninja9 - Posted March 16 2018 - 10:30 PM

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I’m exited for the pics
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#18 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted March 17 2018 - 3:11 AM

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I'm going to use the worker to help with the ID, but I'm going to wait a little bit longer since her color hasn't come in completely yet. But from what I can tell, she looks lighter in color than the F. neorufibarbis in the photos above.



#19 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 17 2018 - 12:25 PM

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Nice job!
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#20 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 31 2018 - 8:55 AM

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Pics?







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: journal, formica, mettcollsuss, ant keeping, ants, colony, ant colony, formica pallidefulva, field ants, formica neorufibarbis

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