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Invasion!?


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11 replies to this topic

#1 Offline JohnTX - Posted March 8 2018 - 8:29 PM

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Looks like I had a tragedy with my favorite colony during a recent business trip.  Was wondering if anyone else had experienced this.

 

The story: 

 

My best performing colony was :( a Crematogaster sp. queen I got last summer.  She had about 20 workers and was living in a Mini Hearth formacarium and doing well.  I was just getting ready to move the colony to something a bit bigger.  I was heading out on a 5 day business trip so dropped in a feeder with some Sunburst Ant Nectar and another water filled feeder to tide them over until I got back.  When I arrived home tonight I checked on them and saw a ton of small workers swarming around the outworld and though "man, this colony just exploded!"  That's when I noticed the queen laying in the outworld, barely moving.  Looking closer I noticed a pile of Cermatogaster workers in the corner and that the smaller ants were of a different species.  

 

The queen looks mortally wounded, barely moving, and missing parts of legs.  One of the workers was moving a bit.  I moved them into a spare Mini Hearth I had, along with what brood I could find, but don't have any hope they will survive. 

 

A bit upset with this; it was an awesome, active colony that fed well and were growing.

 

 

Can anyone help me identify the invaders?  They are 1-2mm and move very fast and erratically.  They emptied the byFormica feeder and there is a good picture below of them sitting fat and happy underneath it.

 

 

 

The crime scene photos:

 

The outworld as I found it, with the injured queen:
 
queen
topdown

 

 
 
 
Pile of dead workers:
 
dead
 
 
 
Invaders in the nest when I uncovered it:
 
nest
 
 
 
Close up of the invaders (found under the feeder):
 
invaders

 

 
 
Injured queen:
 
queen2
 
This is how the invaders breached the nest.  Hole on the right is the fill port, the one on the left is a new hole into the nest (see the tiny ants coming out).
 
entrance

Edited by JohnTX, March 8 2018 - 8:51 PM.


#2 Offline LC3 - Posted March 8 2018 - 10:03 PM

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I think these are Brachymyrmex.



#3 Offline CoolColJ - Posted March 9 2018 - 12:48 AM

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man those invaders have some full gasters...


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#4 Offline gcsnelling - Posted March 9 2018 - 3:29 AM

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I agree, Brachymyrmex.



#5 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 9 2018 - 7:56 AM

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Well that sucks. I'm assuming those nests are not designed to house Brachymyrmex or other ants that size. This would also mean they can invade them too.



#6 Offline nurbs - Posted March 9 2018 - 12:48 PM

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That hole on the left... did the ants make that? Or did it come like that?


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Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#7 Offline Vendayn - Posted March 9 2018 - 1:31 PM

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yeah brachymyrmex


Edited by Vendayn, March 9 2018 - 6:25 PM.


#8 Offline JohnTX - Posted March 9 2018 - 3:42 PM

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That hole on the left... did the ants make that? Or did it come like that?

 

There was a chip in the paint and a small divot when I got it, but it seemed cosmetic.  There was not a tunnel, they did that.

 

I taped up the hole last night and trapped them inside to see what they would do.  I can see where they are slowly trying to dig a new tunnel next to the water tower and making progress.

 

This was a 2017 type II version, which is supposed to be harder, but I guess they are able to work the seams around the water tower.



#9 Offline nurbs - Posted March 9 2018 - 4:01 PM

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That hole on the left... did the ants make that? Or did it come like that?

 

There was a chip in the paint and a small divot when I got it, but it seemed cosmetic.  There was not a tunnel, they did that.

 

I taped up the hole last night and trapped them inside to see what they would do.  I can see where they are slowly trying to dig a new tunnel next to the water tower and making progress.

 

This was a 2017 type II version, which is supposed to be harder, but I guess they are able to work the seams around the water tower.

 

 

That's crazy! They CHEWED through the Type II? Wonder if the hole or crevice was already there.


Instagram:
nurbsants
 
YouTube
 
California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#10 Offline JohnTX - Posted March 9 2018 - 4:12 PM

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That's crazy! They CHEWED through the Type II? Wonder if the hole or crevice was already there.

 

 

Here's a picture I took just now.  You can see the tunnel they are digging.

 

(I promise the smashed invader was not in retaliation!)  ;)

 

escape


#11 Offline nurbs - Posted March 9 2018 - 5:10 PM

nurbs

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That's crazy! They CHEWED through the Type II? Wonder if the hole or crevice was already there.

 

 

Here's a picture I took just now.  You can see the tunnel they are digging.

 

(I promise the smashed invader was not in retaliation!)  ;)

 

 

 

A lot of the Mini Hearths have that "crevice", check out the below video at the 1:55-1:58 marker. Just surprised they were able to chew through it. 

 


Instagram:
nurbsants
 
YouTube
 
California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#12 Offline nurbs - Posted March 9 2018 - 5:16 PM

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You're also not the only person to have squished them between the glass. Welcome to the club  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

AY71IGvl.jpg


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Instagram:
nurbsants
 
YouTube
 
California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/





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