Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Miles' Crematogaster sp. Journal (Discontinued)


  • Please log in to reply
22 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Miles - Posted January 11 2015 - 2:53 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

Species: Crematogaster sp.1 & Crematogaster sp.2 (Both Unidentified)

 

January 11th, 2015

 

This journal will be about my two Crematogaster colonies. Both queens were collected in Arizona at the Ants of the Southwest Course (end of July, 2014). The larger queen, referred to as C. sp.1, was found winged in a hotel swimming pool the night before I arrived at the course. I placed her into a test tube with a moist cotton ball. She removed all but one of her wings a few days after. She laid 2 eggs while in Arizona, but ate them during transport. She produced a new batch a few weeks after returning. The eggs were very slow to develop into larvae, but since becoming larvae about a month ago, they have grown considerably and are now pupae, as you can see in the photos below. The darkening pupae will soon eclose, an activity that I very much hope to film. This queen has been fed a few drops of sugar water and a Drosophila fruit fly yesterday.

 

Here is her about two weeks ago:

 

IMG_5569_zpsbd8caa17.jpg

 

IMG_5567_zps348d6779.jpg

 

IMG_5583_zpseeb73170.jpg

 

(The cotton has since been changed out - yes I know the setup is different than normal. I really hate using test tubes, and the ability to change out the cotton has been helpful. She is a desert species and has reacted well.)

 

Here she is as of yesterday:

 

IMG_5658_zps2bb80522.jpg

 

IMG_5659_zps6b881f07.jpg

 

The second queen, C. sp.2, was caught as a dealate. She has survived since then without eggs, only laying a half dozen or so in the past week after she was transferred to a new test tube (Not enough devolve chambers for her to have one). Her gaster has become quite distended with what I am hoping are more eggs.

 

IMG_5685_zpsad74b684.jpg


IMG_5688_zps5a889ad3.jpg


Edited by Miles, October 15 2015 - 5:26 PM.

  • Chromerust likes this

PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#2 Offline Mercutia - Posted January 13 2015 - 1:31 AM

Mercutia

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 621 posts
  • LocationToronto, Canada

So pretty. Crematogasters are my favorite of all.



#3 Offline InsideAntz - Posted January 13 2015 - 5:02 PM

InsideAntz

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 44 posts
  • LocationBensalem PA (Philadelphia)

Nice! I really like her style - would like to see what the rest look like. 



#4 Offline dean_k - Posted January 13 2015 - 6:27 PM

dean_k

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 845 posts
  • LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

According to Wikipedia,

 


As with many social ant species, in acrobat ants, a queen mates with a single male during a nuptial flight. During the flight, the winged queen and winged male will mate, and the male will die shortly afterwards. The female will eventually land and remove her own wings, which she will no longer need.

In these ant species, there is also a variation that exists to this mating strategy. There can exist large, female workers that have a size that is smaller than winged queens and larger than small workers. They also have many anatomical features that are intermediate to small workers and the queen, including ovary size and composition, and patches. These females can produce unfertilized eggs that can eventually develop into males in colonies that do not have a queen. If these eggs are produced in a colony with a queen, the queen can devour them. Larvae can also devour the eggs. Large workers normally will produce more eggs in ant colonies that are queenless. Large workers can be tended to by small workers in a similar manner to ant queens.[9]

"Large workers" have sizable implications for acrobat colonies. Given that large workers create eggs that can develop into functioning ants, they can actually create new colonies. They can also shift or shape the population dynamics of an ant colony that already exists. Also, for the large workers who produce these eggs, if they are eaten, this denotes a waste of energy on failed reproduction. Not all eusocial ant species have large workers, so acrobat ants are unique in this respect.

 

Is that true? If so, have you seen large workers in captivity?



#5 Offline Miles - Posted January 13 2015 - 6:54 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

According to Wikipedia,

 

 


As with many social ant species, in acrobat ants, a queen mates with a single male during a nuptial flight. During the flight, the winged queen and winged male will mate, and the male will die shortly afterwards. The female will eventually land and remove her own wings, which she will no longer need.

In these ant species, there is also a variation that exists to this mating strategy. There can exist large, female workers that have a size that is smaller than winged queens and larger than small workers. They also have many anatomical features that are intermediate to small workers and the queen, including ovary size and composition, and patches. These females can produce unfertilized eggs that can eventually develop into males in colonies that do not have a queen. If these eggs are produced in a colony with a queen, the queen can devour them. Larvae can also devour the eggs. Large workers normally will produce more eggs in ant colonies that are queenless. Large workers can be tended to by small workers in a similar manner to ant queens.[9]

"Large workers" have sizable implications for acrobat colonies. Given that large workers create eggs that can develop into functioning ants, they can actually create new colonies. They can also shift or shape the population dynamics of an ant colony that already exists. Also, for the large workers who produce these eggs, if they are eaten, this denotes a waste of energy on failed reproduction. Not all eusocial ant species have large workers, so acrobat ants are unique in this respect.

 

Is that true? If so, have you seen large workers in captivity?

I believe that is true for one species, but not all. I would like to see the citations for that article.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#6 Offline dean_k - Posted January 13 2015 - 6:59 PM

dean_k

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 845 posts
  • LocationWaterown, Ontario, Canada

http://en.wikipedia....i/Crematogaster



#7 Offline Miles - Posted January 13 2015 - 7:26 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

Ah yes. Crematogaster smithi! The exception. I found some of those in Arizona, along with one of those larger workers you mentioned. Very interesting ants, but that characteristic certainly doesn't apply to all Crematogaster.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#8 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted January 13 2015 - 7:29 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

what's unique about Crematogaster smithi?



#9 Offline Miles - Posted January 13 2015 - 7:32 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

They have an odd caste of larger workers that produce infertile, and thus maleeggs on a regular basis, even with a queen present. In most species in which workers (no special physical characteristics) can lay eggs, the presence of a queen is enough to discourage them from doing so. Not the case in this species. 

 

Read more here.


Edited by Miles, January 13 2015 - 7:34 PM.

PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#10 Offline Miles - Posted January 15 2015 - 7:03 AM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

January 15th, 2015

 

The C. sp1 queen has her first nanitic! It eclosed overnight. I’m a little bummed, because I had my camera all set up in the hopes that it would happen this morning. Regardless, I am excited. This is my first time raising this genus, and they sure are cute little gals. I’ll be feeding the queen and her new worker some THA ant juice this afternoon, and maybe a fruit fly tomorrow.

 

Here are a few pictures:

 

IMG_5695_zps9d8edfca.jpg

 

IMG_5700_zps7e136605.jpg

 

The C. sp2 queen has laid some more eggs and has them organized near the moist end of the test tube. The far end of the tube, like the setup for the othe queen, is touching a 15 watt ExoTerra heating cable. I did not take pictures of this queen in an effort to limit disturbance.

UPDATE: Two more workers eclosed this afternoon while I was at school, and now there are 3 nanitics. I have introduced some ant juice via cotton swab and they have yet to discover it.


Edited by Miles, January 15 2015 - 7:53 PM.

PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#11 Offline Barristan - Posted January 15 2015 - 11:22 AM

Barristan

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 884 posts
  • LocationBindlach, Bavaria, Germany

Thank you for your great journal. I love Crematogaster species.


  • Miles likes this

#12 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted January 15 2015 - 2:20 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Thank you for your great journal. I love Crematogaster species.


I have a Crematogaster journal, and dspdrew has multiple. This journal is unique to the fact that these species are from Arizona, and not from California.

#13 Offline Miles - Posted January 15 2015 - 5:25 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

 

Thank you for your great journal. I love Crematogaster species.


I have a Crematogaster journal, and dspdrew has multiple. This journal is unique to the fact that these species are from Arizona, and not from California.

 

Gregory,

 

Are you upset? I don't understand the point of your post.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#14 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted January 15 2015 - 5:58 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

No, I was wondering if he was interested in the genus Crematogaster. I simply pointed out there was more journals on keeping this genus. :) Sorry if that post sounded bad, I did not have bad intention.



#15 Offline Miles - Posted January 15 2015 - 6:01 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

No worries. I may have read it an unintended tone.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#16 Offline Miles - Posted January 15 2015 - 7:52 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

See original post from 1/15/15 for an update.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#17 Offline InsideAntz - Posted January 15 2015 - 8:27 PM

InsideAntz

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 44 posts
  • LocationBensalem PA (Philadelphia)

Really nice Miles... great start, gonna be a great looking family.



#18 Offline Miles - Posted January 24 2015 - 3:22 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

January 24th, 2015

 

The C. sp1 colony is doing well. I have been away from them, but had the chance to visit for a minute or so today. The colony now has 4 workers and one more will eclose sometime late tonight, by the looks of it. The queen has laid a nice sized batch of eggs and many of the larvae previously pictured are pupae. This colony is off to a really nice start.

The C. sp2 queen has about a dozen eggs and her gaster is quite distended. 

Sorry guys, no pictures today. Like I said, I have been away and only had a few minutes to see my ants today.


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#19 Offline Miles - Posted February 9 2015 - 10:30 PM

Miles

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 540 posts
  • LocationFlorida & Arizona

February 9th, 2015

 

The C. sp.1 colony is doing great! Up to 12 workers now. The workers are voracious eaters! They've had sugar water, honey water, apple, and a handful of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Feeding them in their tube is starting to become difficult because there are almost always three or more workers at the cotton plug. I made a new outworld for them tonight, and I'll attach it to the tube tomorrow, once the base layer is cured. Hopefully this makes feeding a bit easier! 

 



 

The C. sp.2 queen still has a dozen or so eggs. They have yet to become larvae, even though her tube is heated. She doesn't seem attracted to the heat, however. Interesting, since the C. sp.1 colony will move all of the brood and the queen to the warmest part of their tube.

 

No pictures of this queen today.


Edited by Miles, February 9 2015 - 10:30 PM.

PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#20 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted October 15 2015 - 4:48 PM

Gregory2455

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,286 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Any updates?






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users