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Antscanada's Microcerotermes termites (his youtube video)


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#1 Offline Vendayn - Posted September 15 2018 - 10:10 AM

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(edit: I guess they are Microcerotermes. I'm surprised because from the video, it looked like Coptotermes to me. But in fact, they are Microcerotermes that also grow fast)

 

 

At least its termites, since there isn't much videos about termite keeping.

 

But, its some type of Coptotermes, a highly invasive termite. The soldiers give it away, and the alates look the part. Plus the mounds do resemble Coptotermes that they can build (as far as I've seen in pictures).

 

Explains their insane growth from just two alates in a period of 4 months.

 

Any termite footage is good though, and maybe other people will get into the termite hobby. Requires more patience than ants though...unless its Coptotermes, then they grow faster than most ant species do lol.

 

For confirmation on Coptotermes though

 

http://www.padil.gov...ain/136465/1926

 

Soldier looks just like it. Once you get to one of the soldiers in the video, can pause and look between the two for comparison and see all the awesome details. Even the mandibles look the same. 

 

Even though its an exotic termite, Antscanada does take amazing quality footage. Plus can open the way to introduce a lot of other people to termite keeping.


Edited by Vendayn, September 15 2018 - 11:20 AM.

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#2 Offline Vendayn - Posted September 15 2018 - 10:36 AM

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As for the video. Its actually really decent. Like how he used to do for ants, informative and no drama.

 

The ending was the only "dramatic" part with too much humidity. But I don't think he did it for drama, but as a beginners mistake. I did that in the past with termites. He fixed it right away and didn't act dramatic at all. Actually a good thing because people watching can know to watch out for humidity.

 

His termite video is pretty much like his older videos of ants.


Edited by Vendayn, September 15 2018 - 10:36 AM.

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#3 Offline ZllGGY - Posted September 15 2018 - 10:39 AM

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well they may be invasive they are probably at this point an established species in his area. think people had the same problem with his ghost ant colony that he released and people didn't realize that the ghost ants he released literally came from his apartment so releasing them wasnt a big deal. Now if people have the APHIS permit and can keep exotic ants as long as they don't release them into the wild. but keeping invasive ant, termite, or w/e keeping shouldn't be that big of a deal for the people who know how to do it responsibly but would advise the younger crowd of his audience to stick to local species. i enjoyed the video though something a little different to break up the same material he puts out 


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Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile


#4 Offline Vendayn - Posted September 15 2018 - 11:21 AM

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According to LC3, they are actually Microcerotermes

 

I'm surprised, because from the link I posted showing the Coptotermes soldier it looked really similar to that. But, it looks like they are actually Microcerotermes, which also grow fast and common according to LC3.

 

But, I guess Coptotermes in Australia actually look different than Coptotermes from elsewhere. I'm not going to use that picture as a guide anymore for Coptotermes. Actually a few months ago (about 5-6 months when I found the picture), that Australian link it was labeled as the invasive Coptotermes formosanus, that was why I linked to it. I guess they put the wrong name though and it got fixed to one of the native Australian Coptotermes.

 

Was curious why it looked different than the invasive Coptotermes, since it didn't have the tear drop head soldiers. Guess they accidentally put in the wrong name, so that explains it lol.


Edited by Vendayn, September 15 2018 - 11:30 AM.


#5 Offline LC3 - Posted September 17 2018 - 12:37 AM

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So according to the species that are currently known from the Philippines, it seems to be either M. distans or M losbanosensis. I am guessing the former one but I am mostly clueless.

 

Some vocab so you won't need to google as much.

Spoiler

 

 

M. losbanosensis

Spoiler
 
M. distans
Spoiler
 
Ignoring these two there's also the possibility of M. sabahensis, M. "sp. B" and M. "sp. A". All of these 3 are based from these images on a website about the biodiversity of Singapore. All of these were chosen due to their head shape.

 

 

As for AntsCanada's termites here's a rough description from what I can gather from the video:

Soldiers: Antennae segments: 13, head is roughly twice as long as broad, soldier head capsule is yellow with brown tinge along the margins, which gradually deepens to a rusty orange colour at the anterior (although it seems to appear as a uniform reddish colour when in low light). The head capsule in profile is curved, with the posterior raised and rounded, and the front truncated. It appears to be rectangular however and not cylindrical. Fontanelle reservoir seems to be visible.  Can't tell anything from the labrum other then its small. The mandibles appear to be completely black except the base that attaches to the head which is the same colour as the head, they are slightly curved but for the most part straight until the end, somewhat rather broad for Microcerotermes. Possibly slightly serrated and are roughly 2/3rds the length of the head. Nearly a 1:1 ratio in terms of head to body length (including mandibles). 

 

Workers: Head capsule is sort of rectangularish and oval (dorsal view). The colours possible for the head seem to be white, pale yellow, yellow and orange for the minor worker and white, pale yellow and yellow for the major workers. The clypeus (or post-clypeus, I don't know) appears to be slightly swollen.

 

 

I just have too much time to waste on my hands or whatever. Go make what you will out of this, with luck it will probably be a species completely unknown to science or something.  Suffice to say M. sp. A seems to be the most likely, but its also one of the 3 that has a picture but not a description. Being your standard termite paper both of the keys for the Philippine species are really old and vague, with no pictures on the copies I used. 


Edited by LC3, September 17 2018 - 12:42 AM.

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