2 replies to this topic

[Phoenix]

04/03/2018

Found several dealates staying still, while some running around with wings still intact back on March, 29th. Haven’t found any since then, but considering last year’s haul - I’ll probably find some more queens in the following weeks. Still having some trouble with the identity of these girls; here's an ID thread if you want to look more into it.

 

Edited by Phoenix, April 16 2018 - 10:35 AM.

[Chicken_eater100]

i laughed way too hard at your avatar.  

 

also, cool ants.

Edited by Chicken_eater100, April 2 2018 - 1:31 PM.

[Phoenix]

04/13/2018

I figure now would be a great time to update this journal. While I was checking on my other founding queens, I happened to notice of some of these Tapinoma queens bunched up together on top of one another. Upon closer inspection, I realized that some of them were communicating with their antennae all the while spraying formic acid and jabbing their gasters against one another.

 

A few moments later, they all halted their duels with only a pair wrapping it up after a few minutes of me taking pictures of them. Interestingly though, the victor groomed the losing queen, for a handful of seconds though before rejoining the other queens. I suspect that they were competing to receive the tile of the dominant egg-laying queen, as I spotted some larvae amongst the brood which wasn't there before when I last checked on them.

 

Unfortunately, one of the queens seems to be having a tough time. She is having some trouble gripping onto surfaces properly now as she kept dropping downwards whenever I rotate the setup. As for the ex-colony, they're now down to two queens and will probably die out if this keeps up.