1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Winter 13th August 2018 - Queen update


Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm

clump of 1 large, 4 medium, 8 small larvae - heat cable

She's getting there, will have her own colony soon, after being banished.

click to enlarge



Pheidole sp. red 7mm

pupa?, 2 large and smaller larvae - red cellophane wrap - heat cable

There might be some pupa now, hard to see.
Really want to move her to a new test tube ebfore workers arrive, as it's really dirty and low on water.
So I don't have to when they are in full swing during founding.
Will also remove the red cellophane around her test tube, she doesn't need it any more.




3x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm

On heating cable
3 large larvae, and 6 smaller ones - from last week

That's what they had last week, now I'm not sure, I can see 1-2 large larvae, but not much else.

Maybe I feed them as they seem to be not doing much, after having over 30 eggs at the start.
While all the other Pheidole queens have left them far behind. Even the banished queen above laid a few weeks after these!



Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm

No eggs


Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm

Queen 1 - big clump of brood, over 20, some small larvae
double chamber setup
 
Queen 2 - clump of about 6 larvae
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance


 
Pheidole antipodum? 14+mm
in magnetic glass top gypsum founding nest

8 eggs


Lioponera ruficornis/larvata 5mm


I released this queen yesterday.... she didn't seem to be responding to usual methods
And I couldn't be [censored] putting in the effort to make an exception.


Rhytidoponera species 6-7mm
Tub and tubes setup - exposed to light
 
no eggs



Iridomyrmex queens - 8.5mm - multiple test tube setups with aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance
3x singles, 2x dual queens - all exposed to light
Exposed to light setups on heat cable

Week 4 - solo aggressive queen is leading the pack in brood development, with 8 pupa!
The other solo queen has large larvae now and is advancing pretty well, she did not use the heat cable for the first 2 weeks, as she was in the test tube rack covered from light.
But I think she would have been up there with this queen

The two dual queen setups are so far behind. They barely interact with their brood, so no wonder...
Manage

pics of the solo aggressive queen

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole colony B's, 8mm queen, all black species - their first major pupa, has quite large downward curved mandibles.

I've never seen this species in the wild before. Also like the twin fangs on the larvae

 

click to enlarge

 

quite similar to a Pheidole fimbriata major

Edited by CoolColJ, August 12 2018 - 11:25 PM.

[Major]

You know what you should try with your Polyrachis Rufifemur colony? Give them 1 brood from a few other species. Then we will have the first ant journal on Formiculture with different species in one colony!

[YsTheAnt]

That major's mandibles look like spider fangs .

[CoolColJ]

You know what you should try with your Polyrachis Rufifemur colony? Give them 1 brood from a few other species. Then we will have the first ant journal on Formiculture with different species in one colony!

 

I fully expected the queen to eat it, but they didn't and the nanitic carries it around sometimes.

It does not appear to be growing, but it isn't dead either...

[CoolColJ]

That major's mandibles look like spider fangs .

 

It does a bit now that you mention it...

 

I also did a search around of other Pheidole majors, and haven't seen another one with mandibles like this. From the side there are others that curve downwards, but they still appear normal from the front.

But this one looks like something else.

 

Can't wait to see what colour the major is. I assume it will be all black, but you never know, the head might be a different shade or colour

Edited by CoolColJ, August 13 2018 - 6:38 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 14th August 2018

 

Pheidole sp. red 7mm queen

4 pupa, 5 large and 1 small larvae, a few eggs

 

I moved her to a fresh new test tube setup. standard for now, but once the test tube has stopped condensing , and all the brood gathered, I will put in a cotton double chamber setup, and move the test tube back onto the heat cable

That's when I noticed she had pupa and more than I thought. Which were likely to be a week away from eclosing...

And the old test tube was down to 5mm of water!

 

A few eggs and larvae were probably lost in the move. Placed the queen in a container, while I gaffed tape the new test tube to the old and swung in the brood.

Most moved across from this, but a few pupa had to be manually moved via wet cotton bud and kebab skewer.

 

She has currently gathered a few brood together, while others remained scattered around and some soaked in puddles of water.

I hope this works out, but a few brood lost is no big deal, it just delays things a few weeks.

 

edit - gathered them all now, an hour later, apart from a few eggs

Edited by CoolColJ, August 13 2018 - 11:49 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
in magnetic glass top gypsum founding nest

12+ eggs

Well she laid more eggs. I counted at least 12 eggs, as best as I can with my LED lit jeweller's loupe from Ebay, through the red film
At least two have hatched into first instar larvae

She seems to wander off towards the closest port every so often, which I have blocked with cotton wool, in place of the rubber stopper the nest came with.
And chill on the elevated part of the passage.
Not sure why, but it does allow me to peep on the eggs

Edited by CoolColJ, August 13 2018 - 11:39 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 15th August 2018


Iridomyrmex queens - 8.5mm - multiple test tube setups with aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance
2x singles, 2x dual queens - all exposed to light
Exposed to light setups on heat cable

Whatever species these are, they sure develop fast.
The solo aggressive queen's first pupa that showed up a week ago has already turned brown.
So it should eclose in a few days time. 1.5weeks crazy fast, and 5 weeks total is a new record for me for a founding queen's first generation, and it's not even summer!

[CoolColJ]

Solo queen no.2 just got her first pupa, so 1.5 weeks after the solo aggressive queen, but she was not on the heat cable for the first two weeks, but in the red test tube rack.

So she would be right there if she was.

 

Now the 2 dual queen setups, have been on the heat cable from the start, only have small larvae and eggs - they mostly sit on the water dam on the test tubes, barely interact with their brood, and don't place them near the heat cable.... either being paired with another queen distracts them too much, or the fact they accept being paired means they have "fail mum" personalities to begin with...

[CoolColJ]

So week 4.5.

 

Solo aggressive queen's brood. The browned pupa, does not appear to be a bicknelli! Dark gaster and lighter top, kinda like a mini meat ant!

click to enlarge

 

 

solo queen 2 - I was wrong, she has no pupa, but still decent brood growth, for not having a heat cable until week 2 in winter

 

 

 

Dual queen setup no. 2 - terribad...

 

 

 

Dual queen setup no. 1- even worse. It kinda looks like some eggs died and have hairy mold...

 

 

 

--

 

 

So yeah I just might separate the two dual queen setups eventually.... it does seem being grouped causes dysfunction in this species.

I think the queens know when workers arrive, one will get the chop, so they are sand bagging

Edited by CoolColJ, August 15 2018 - 4:02 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 15th August 2018

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
in magnetic glass top gypsum founding nest

clump of 15+eggs

I counted 15 eggs now

 

She does not appear to mind being exposed to light now.

 

click to enlarge - you can also see her green poop stains...

Edited by CoolColJ, August 15 2018 - 1:27 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole colony B's major pupa from another angle and a newly eclosed worker

 

click to enlarge

[CoolColJ]

Winter 16th August 2018


Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen, colony
No eggs. 2 workers

I thought there 3 workers left after 2 nanitics died, but I only see 2...
Then I noticed the cotton wool plugging the entrance was sitting loose!
So one must have escaped and gone foraging, but I left it open overnight and she hasn't returned

Damn, I really hope the queen lays in spring, in a few weeks time.
 

Camponotus suffusus 18+mm - queenless
 
11 workers, 12 brood (9 foreign from a different Camponotus species), 3 pupa
 
Another worker eclosed, and it's suffusus minor.
Still haven't seen a foreign worker yet, and with 3 pupa left, all suffusus most likely, it looks like the experiment failed.

I also fed them the second live silverfish this week
One I found sitting on my camera bag.
The other was chilling inside an unused water feeder test tube I left on the table
They pounced on it straight away when it entered the nest.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 16th August 2018


Iridomyrmex queens - 8.5mm - multiple test tube setups with aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance
3x singles, 1x dual queens - all exposed to light
Exposed to light setups on heat cable

Solo aggressive queen's first nanitic has eclosed. But it appears to be all black, so not a mini meat ant like I thought, but I don't think it's a I.bicknelli either...

So 4.5 weeks from egg to worker, in winter, but on a heating cable, damn fast!

I split off one of Dual queen no. 1, to another test tube.
The original queen of the pairing still seems to ignore whatever brood remains, while the split off queen is settling in, see if she lays a new batch of eggs.

Edited by CoolColJ, August 16 2018 - 1:43 AM.

[DaveJay]

G'day, I was thinking about your Componotus consobrinus Queen that hasn't laid eggs. I fed both my C. consobrinus colonies cut in half mealworm pupae and both Queens emerged to eat them personally, gorging themselves until the halves were empty and their gasters looked ready to pop. The pupae are basically liquid inside so they were drinking really, they didn't chew the outside or anything. They obviously relished the extra protein, they must have needed it, perhaps a feed of what is basically liquid protein might be appreciated by your Queen?
I don't know the circumstances of how you came by her, but if she had already laid before you found her she might be low on protein so is holding off laying until conditions are perfect, just a thought, maybe the extra protein might stimulate her to lay? I know the species is listed as claustal but perhaps as with mine they will emerge and eat for themselves on occasion, if conditions are right and/or they need the nourishment, both of mine didn't hesitate once there was an easy form of nourishment available. One was in the pencil case type set up so emerging wasn't unexpected, but the other had not come out of her nest since settling in weeks before.

[CoolColJ]

G'day, I was thinking about your Componotus consobrinus Queen that hasn't laid eggs. I fed both my C. consobrinus colonies cut in half mealworm pupae and both Queens emerged to eat them personally, gorging themselves until the halves were empty and their gasters looked ready to pop. The pupae are basically liquid inside so they were drinking really, they didn't chew the outside or anything. They obviously relished the extra protein, they must have needed it, perhaps a feed of what is basically liquid protein might be appreciated by your Queen?
I don't know the circumstances of how you came by her, but if she had already laid before you found her she might be low on protein so is holding off laying until conditions are perfect, just a thought, maybe the extra protein might stimulate her to lay? I know the species is listed as claustal but perhaps as with mine they will emerge and eat for themselves on occasion, if conditions are right and/or they need the nourishment, both of mine didn't hesitate once there was an easy form of nourishment available. One was in the pencil case type set up so emerging wasn't unexpected, but the other had not come out of her nest since settling in weeks before.

A friend sent her to me. She apparently had eggs before the trip, and none when she arrived.
From stress, she ate them.
So she should have enough protein as a result, but being around the start of winter means she will not lay again until spring.
Will see how things go a few weeks into September

[CoolColJ]

So with this gypsum nest that I am housing my antipodum queen




She no longer stays in the middle chamber, but at the end of the right side passage in this pic




I found a 9mm OD tubing, with 7mm ID fits perfectly into the side ports - really hard to get these here in Australia, it's either 8mm or 10mm tubing...
So I had to order some from Aliexpress. Food grade ones which feels much softer than the typical vinyl tubing here

Anyway a short piece of this wedges nicely into as 12mm x100mm graduated plastic test tube, since it has a slight taper.

With this wedged into a side port, with water and a cotton dam placed at the right depth, in the test tube, it all fits together neatly.
So now I have a drinking port, and possible some hydration from it.

I raised dual Pheidole queens in this test tube for a few months before the water got low, and without the queens in there, you can hold more water.
So it should last ages if the ants don't drink from it.
Far longer than any dedicated water feeder I know of!

I tried a 15mm x50mm tube with cotton dammed water in the foraging area, and it only lasted a week [ ]

Edited by CoolColJ, August 16 2018 - 4:23 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 17th August 2018
 
Pheidole sp. red 7mm queen
4 pupa, 5 large and 1 small larvae, a few eggs
 
Her first nanitic pupa has turned brown, so it should finally eclose in a day or so


Rhytidoponera species 6-7mm queen
Tub and tubes setup - exposed to light
no eggs
 
I haven't been keeping a close look at her, but had a look just then, and I see she has brought in some red dirt from the outworld.
Lining the path from the cotton double chamber entrance to the test tube exit.
As well as some in the chamber itself.
These ants have poor traction on glass and smooth plastic, and can't climb them, so this should help her feel more comfy
 
She has also dragged back in the cricket bit I left for her a few days back.
Since these ants do not have a social stomach I was worried the cotton double chamber structure would inhibit her dragging food in for her brood, when she finally has some.
 
I dropped in an almost dead baby wood roach. She's too scared to approach it....
 
 
Iridomyrmex queens - 8.5mm - multiple test tube setups with aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance
3x singles, 1x dual queens - all exposed to light
Exposed to light setups on heat cable

 

1) Solo aggressive queen1's first nanitic is just about all black now. it's about 3mm. 3 more pupa are starting to brown, so should eclose tommorrow

 

2) Solo queen 2 has 4 pupa now

 

3) The queen I split off into a new test tube has been curled over a lot, and prodding her gaster tip, so she may lay a new batch of eggs for herself.

Although I haven't seen any eggs yet, but it could be like a reluctant turd on the toilet, you can feel it in your bowel passage, but it doesn't want to come out

 

I may just keep the two queens with pupa and release the rest, we shall see...

Edited by CoolColJ, August 16 2018 - 7:49 PM.

[CoolColJ]

My backyard Iridomyrmex colony went crazy yesterday - these are larger than I.bicknelli

Don't know when they will fly, it's been so dry lately. And no rain for a while...

 

https://www.instagra.../p/BmhftSXA8h1/