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Myrmecophile Silverfish & Queen Invicta (More off-topic than ant journal)

silverfish ant symbiosis experiment

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#1 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted February 11 2017 - 11:16 PM

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Hi!
There was a pretty crazy rainstorm today going from like 8:00 am-4:00 pm. After it stopped, my dad and I went to the park to hit tennis (I am pretty serious about that sport). At the park, all the Fire Ants were building crazy mounds to escape the drenched ground. During this time, a tiny Brachymyrmex colony nearby was getting massacred by the aggravated Fire Ants. After some useless attempts to scare the fire ants off the colony, I eventually had to leave to practice. Later, when I returned, the Brachymyrmex colony was wiped out and some fire ant workers were transporting eggs and larvae from the colony for use as food. Amongst those fire ants I noticed some myrmecophile silverfish darting through the raiding line. After closer inspection, I realized that the silverfish were going in and out of the Brachymyrmex nest with the fire ants. I captured one silverfish individual and brought it home for identification. I could not find the exact species of silverfish, sadly, and I decided to put it with my last remaining fire ant queen, who is ironically named Queen Invicta even though she is Solenopsis Geminata. At first the queen was aggressive towards the silverfish but now they seem to get along just fine. The silverfish seems to occasionally snuggle under the queen with the eggs. I will be updating their progress here!

 

I was half asleep when I wrote this so forgive me if you can't understand my grammar :P


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#2 Offline Leo - Posted February 12 2017 - 2:45 AM

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aaaawwww



#3 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted February 12 2017 - 11:50 PM

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I think I saw the queen and the silverfish (dubbed "Dusty") sharing a trophic egg. Aww <3. Either that or the queen was eating an egg and the silverfish was leaning against the queen.


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#4 Offline Leo - Posted February 13 2017 - 12:57 AM

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pics plssss



#5 Offline Martialis - Posted February 13 2017 - 4:16 AM

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Or, ya know, maybe they're parasitizing her and her eggs.


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#6 Offline Alabama Anter - Posted February 13 2017 - 6:22 AM

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Naming her invicta like boy!


YJK


#7 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted March 2 2017 - 6:57 PM

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The eggs have hatched and Queen Invicta quite happy. Dusty is quite happy as well, and I noticed that he loves to snuggle under the one loose flap of cotton in the corner. I see him grooming Queen Invicta occasionally.


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#8 Offline Leo - Posted March 2 2017 - 7:13 PM

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nice!



#9 Offline Martialis - Posted March 3 2017 - 7:35 AM

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Alex Wild has encountered silverfish with Solenopsis as well.

 

http://blog.wildabou...h-in-ant-nests/


Edited by Martialis, March 3 2017 - 7:35 AM.

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#10 Offline Serafine - Posted March 3 2017 - 9:25 AM

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Silverfish rub against the queen (and callows) to get the colony scent. Without the colony scent they would be attacked and eaten by the workers.

We should respect all forms of consciousness. The body is just a vessel, a mere hull.

Welcome to Lazy Tube - My Camponotus Journal


#11 Offline Jamie_Garrison - Posted March 3 2017 - 10:06 AM

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This is interesting 


 

 


#12 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted March 4 2017 - 4:32 PM

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Silverfish rub against the queen (and callows) to get the colony scent. Without the colony scent they would be attacked and eaten by the workers.

Oh, that's why he cuddles with the queen. Its quite cute. 


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps

#13 Offline Martialis - Posted March 4 2017 - 4:36 PM

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Is there any way to get pictures of the insect in question?


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Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: silverfish, ant, symbiosis, experiment

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