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

Ants_Dakota's Myrmica Species Journal

ants_dakotamyrmica south dakota ants_dakota journal

  • Please log in to reply
4 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted July 18 2022 - 10:05 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,059 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

Ants_Dakota's Myrmica Species Journal

 

Introduction

 

Hello! I am Ants_Dakota, one of just a few antkeepers from South Dakota. This journal will be covering my single colony of Myrmica sp. with 7 queens that i will be attempting to raise. I have never had good luck with myrmica, so i do hope this works out.

Colony status

Myrmica sp. - 7 Queens - (Latest Update)

 

Journal Updates

 

Update #1 - Monday, July 18th, 2022 - Intro to the 7 Myrmica Sp. queens.


Edited by Ants_Dakota, July 18 2022 - 10:34 AM.

  • AntsDakota likes this

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)


#2 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted July 18 2022 - 10:15 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,059 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

Update #1

 

Monday, July 18th, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Myrmica Sp.

 

      I collected these seven queens over a two day period, July 15-July 16th, in Iowa, on an anting trip. They were walking around a trail, near either a huge colony of the same species of Myrmica, or many small ones. This species dominated the landscape along with Lasius neoniger and americanus. I collected the queens and got them into a test tube, and fed them honey and a mealworm piece, because they are semi claustral(meaning they need food before they can raise their first workers). For some reason, one of the Myrmica queens appears to be either a different species, or a darker color variation. And, also for some reason, the ants were attacking it while i transported it back home. However, now that they are in a test tube, test tube wide peace seems to have been achieved. I will be interested in seeing how the queens cooperate in the future, and I hope i can get them to raise brood. All of my past attempts at raising Myrmica queens from founding have failed, as the queens have not even laid eggs(which is funny considering my profile picture is of my one successful Myrmica sp. colony i dug up[before ANTdrew came along] and it was also one of my most successful colonies before the queens died in hibernation).

 

P1050193.JPG

 

P1050194.JPG

 

P1050195.JPG

 

I would love to hear any tips you have on Myrmica! Also if you wish to take a stab at species, i would love to hear it as well.

 

⬅ Previous update                                                                               Next Update 

   This is the First Update!                                                                                  This is the most recent update!


Edited by Ants_Dakota, July 18 2022 - 10:17 AM.

  • AntsDakota likes this

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)


#3 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 13 2022 - 5:43 AM

Ants_Dakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,059 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

I would like to fully update this journal in the future, but this 7 queen colony has died. I seriously don't know why or what to do. Perhaps myrmica require a constant supply of food? less space? Does literally anyone else on this forum keep myrmica? I would love to hear how you kept your queens.


Edited by Ants_Dakota, October 13 2022 - 5:43 AM.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)


#4 Offline Puddingtempest - Posted July 18 2023 - 4:43 AM

Puddingtempest

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 21 posts

I know this is old but myrmica are semi-claustral, meaning the queens will forage for food during the founding stage.  You need to feed them.



#5 Offline BleepingBleepers - Posted July 18 2023 - 8:43 AM

BleepingBleepers

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 227 posts

Since this post was bumped up already

 

I would like to fully update this journal in the future, but this 7 queen colony has died. I seriously don't know why or what to do. Perhaps myrmica require a constant supply of food? less space? Does literally anyone else on this forum keep myrmica? I would love to hear how you kept your queens.

I'm still new and learning but one thing you said made me remember something I read:

 

They were walking around a trail, near either a huge colony of the same species of Myrmica, or many small ones

 

 

I read to never collect queens that were near or on ant trails as they either just become like the other workers or just freeload off the colony. Someone said he advised against it because he also collected many queens that were like that and none ever produced any eggs.

I don't know if this applies to just the species he was dealing with (which I can't remember) or others as well.

 

 

 

I know this is old but myrmica are semi-claustral, meaning the queens will forage for food during the founding stage.  You need to feed them.

 

Quoted from Ants_Dakota 7/18/22 "I collected the queens and got them into a test tube, and fed them honey and a mealworm piece, because they are semi claustral(meaning they need food before they can raise their first workers)"

 


Edited by BleepingBleepers, July 18 2023 - 8:54 AM.

JOURNAL: Camponotus CA02 - First Time At Ant Keeping CLICK HERE

JOURNAL: Ectomomyrmex cf. astutus - Ant Species #2 CLICK HERE






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: ants_dakotamyrmica, south dakota, ants_dakota journal

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users