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YsTheAnt's Liometopum occidentale Journal (Discontinued)

liometopum occidentale velvety tree ant journal ystheant

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#1 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted June 6 2018 - 3:16 PM

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YsTheAnt's Liometopum Occidentale Journal

On May 4, I caught a Liometopum occidentale queen in my pool. It was quite warm that day, and I saw her floating around at ~3PM. This queen never shed her wings, but I still kept her since I have heard that queens found in pools and on blacklights don't always shed their wings, despite being fertile. It took a long time for her eggs to become larvae, so I was debating whether or not she was fertile. Shortly after, I started seeing some larvae, and a week and a half later, pupae. As of now, she has 10+ pupae and some eggs in her brood pile:

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The queen sitting over her future gremlins 3:) .

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Her brood pile.

I will update this when she gets her first workers, probably in a week or two, or if I catch more.

Edited by YsTheAnt, June 24 2018 - 10:26 AM.

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#2 Offline Scrixx - Posted June 6 2018 - 3:56 PM

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That's pretty interesting, it's as if the brood are synchronized. Does this species lay in batches? That would make more sense. Also that's 18~ nanitics right from the start.


ScrixxAnts Queen Adoption

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Keeping: Camponotus sansabeanus - C. vicinus - Formica francoeuri - Liometopum occidentale -  Pogonomyrmex californicus - P. rugosus - P. subnitidus - Solenopsis molesta - S. xyloni - Tapinoma sessile - Temnothorax sp.

Journals: Camponotus sansabeanus & C. vicinus | Pogonomyrmex californicus & P. rugosus | Solenopsis molesta & S. xyloni

Discontinued: Pogonomyrmex subnitidus


#3 Offline Enderz - Posted June 6 2018 - 5:52 PM

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That's pretty interesting, it's as if the brood are synchronized. Does this species lay in batches? That would make more sense. Also that's 18~ nanitics right from the start.

Scrixx, they have very large amounts of nanitcs, as drew's many journals have shown.


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#4 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted June 6 2018 - 6:45 PM

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That's pretty interesting, it's as if the brood are synchronized. Does this species lay in batches? That would make more sense. Also that's 18~ nanitics right from the start.

I would think so, they have Pupae and eggs, and my guess is when the Pupae eclose, the eggs hatch.

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#5 Offline Enderz - Posted June 6 2018 - 6:50 PM

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Quite cool that the queen didn't shed her wings, goes to show that even winged queens can be fertile. I wonder how big you will be able to grow them to.


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#6 Offline sirjordanncurtis - Posted June 6 2018 - 9:01 PM

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I find that queens which land on wet/shiny surfaces often don’t detach their wings, due to its change in texture and (hardness?)
I had one queen which cut off her wings half way after a few days though... dk how that worked out for her

#7 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted June 24 2018 - 10:24 AM

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Update: 6/24/18

I have decided to give this queen away to a cousin, as I have way too many ants to take care of and she was not doing too great. If I catch more I will probably keep them though.

This queen was up to 18 workers, but then got down to around 5.

Edited by YsTheAnt, June 24 2018 - 10:28 AM.

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Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: liometopum, occidentale, velvety tree ant, journal, ystheant

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