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

Kael's Prenolepis imparis Journal

prenolepis imparis ant keeping journal winter ants

  • Please log in to reply
18 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 9 2021 - 12:25 PM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Introduction:

 

Like a lot of antkeepers right now, I have also caught some Prenolepis imparis queens. I currently have 7 or 8, but some of them could be infertile. Some have dropped their wings, but still have not laid eggs, while others act like they are waiting to fly. They are all being housed in a THA Mini-Hearth as of right now. I don't have any spare test tubes (my THA tubes broke, and my one crappy plastic one is being used for a Myrmica queen I found foraging), so I worked with what I had. 

 

Photos:

 

IMG_1197 (2).JPG IMG_1188 (2).JPG IMG_1210 (2).JPG


Edited by Kaelwizard, April 13 2021 - 6:54 AM.

  • Chickalo and mantisgal like this

#2 Offline mantisgal - Posted April 12 2021 - 7:21 AM

mantisgal

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 147 posts
  • LocationGolden Horseshoe, Ontario

They are very pretty, i hope they do well for you



#3 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 12 2021 - 7:34 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

They are very pretty, i hope they do well for you

Thanks and good luck with yours.
  • mantisgal likes this

#4 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted April 12 2021 - 7:37 AM

Antcatcherpro3

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 637 posts
  • LocationBoston, MA

Good luck! Everyone right now is catching Prenolepis queens. If they don't lay for a week or so, it's no big deal. Mine didn't lay for a week and a half, then all of my queens laid....


  • Kaelwizard and mantisgal like this

#5 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 12 2021 - 8:56 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Good luck! Everyone right now is catching Prenolepis queens. If they don't lay for a week or so, it's no big deal. Mine didn't lay for a week and a half, then all of my queens laid....

Yeah I'm guessing mine will take that long too. My individual queen 2 years ago laid eggs in a day or 2, though.


  • mantisgal likes this

#6 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted April 12 2021 - 9:02 AM

Antcatcherpro3

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 637 posts
  • LocationBoston, MA

If they don't lay in like a day or two, then they probably will in another week or so.



#7 Offline Bobby_Hill - Posted April 12 2021 - 9:16 AM

Bobby_Hill

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 70 posts

I wish I could of found some!



#8 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted April 12 2021 - 10:23 AM

Antcatcherpro3

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 637 posts
  • LocationBoston, MA

What state do you live in?

 

I wish I could of found some!



#9 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 15 2021 - 9:26 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Update 1:

 

The queens have now laid some eggs, albeit not as much as I expected, though I am sure there are more to come. It's always fun to see the queen's interactions with each other. These are probably the most friendly queens I have seen (to each other, not to me). Not much else to say other than that the next update will be when they have larvae.


Edited by Kaelwizard, April 15 2021 - 9:26 AM.

  • Antcatcherpro3 and mantisgal like this

#10 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 27 2021 - 9:05 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Update 2:

 

Well I'm pretty sure there are some miniscule larvae in there, as I saw an "egg" that was completely curved and it seemed more, what's the word? Developed. I can get pictures some time today as I haven't shown any pictures of them after they laid eggs. I believe more queens have removed their wings as well, but I'm not certain. They just leave them everywhere. I was hoping they would put them in a pile in the corner or something but I guess they prefer littering.


Edited by Kaelwizard, April 29 2021 - 5:13 AM.


#11 Offline Antcatcherpro3 - Posted April 27 2021 - 10:03 AM

Antcatcherpro3

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 637 posts
  • LocationBoston, MA

already larvea? I must have lots of larvea also. Miniscale larvea.



#12 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted April 27 2021 - 10:34 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

already larvea? I must have lots of larvea also. Miniscale larvea.

On AKE I was told I wouldn't get workers for 3 months so if I do have larvae then I expect they will take forever to pupate and eclose.


Edited by Kaelwizard, April 27 2021 - 10:34 AM.

  • ZTYguy likes this

#13 Offline ZTYguy - Posted April 27 2021 - 12:22 PM

ZTYguy

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,678 posts
  • LocationNorthridge, California

Hoping it doesn’t take too long!


  • Kaelwizard likes this

Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#14 Offline Bobby_Hill - Posted April 29 2021 - 5:12 AM

Bobby_Hill

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 70 posts


What state do you live in?


I wish I could of found some!

Florida

#15 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted May 3 2021 - 5:38 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Update 3:

 

Figured I would update it since it looks like the brood pile has grown and one of the queens died (thankfully one of the ones who didn't seem to be fertile). It looks like her abdomen was torn up and eaten a little so at least she contributed somehow.

 

Photos:

 

I'm pretty sure I was mistaken in my last post about miniscule larvae. Not the best picture, but you get a nice view of the brood pile.

IMG_1212 (2).JPG


Edited by Kaelwizard, May 4 2021 - 6:32 AM.

  • Polyacanthus, Antkeeper01 and mantisgal like this

#16 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted May 4 2021 - 6:33 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Added photos.


  • Antkeeper01 and TacticalHandleGaming like this

#17 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 2 2021 - 3:03 PM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

This journal will no longer be updated. Some queens have died and because I am moving in July, these girls will probably be euthanized.


Edited by Kaelwizard, June 2 2021 - 3:04 PM.

  • Antkeeper01 likes this

#18 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 2 2021 - 3:30 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

Why not just sell them?


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#19 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 3 2021 - 4:48 AM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Why not just sell them?

It isn't really up to me (I'm still a minor). I don't actually know (actually know as in know outside of FC and Discord) any antkeepers in MI.


  • Antkeeper01 likes this





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: prenolepis imparis, ant, keeping, journal, winter ants

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users