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Antennal_Scrobe's Ant Journal

journal antkeeping queen formicarium

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387 replies to this topic

#61 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted September 9 2019 - 1:00 PM

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Lasius neoniger flew there? It's been far too cold here for any flights. Hoping for some tomorrow.



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#62 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 9 2019 - 2:39 PM

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They actually flew on Labour Day, but I missed the flights. I found this one under a rock a few days later.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#63 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 12:24 PM

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I'm beginning to think the Camponotus queen might actually be C. chromaiodes. First, the colony now contains one completely fine nanitic and one dead nanitic, and since half the brood came from a different queen, I could easily have mixed up two species I didn't expect to find together, resulting in worker and brood death as the queen killed off the foreign species. Second, she does appear to have reddish legs, which puts my original ID into doubt, along with her golden gaster hair, which rules out novaeboracensis. It's also possible I crushed some pupae during collection or transfer.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, September 10 2019 - 12:38 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#64 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 12:41 PM

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I think C. chromaiodes has hairs all over its body, though, and this queen is smooth. I guess damaged pupae might make the most sense. Who knows.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#65 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted September 10 2019 - 12:59 PM

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Pics?

#66 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 1:56 PM

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Nevermind. I have looked at pictures of C. pennsylvanicus and it seems the slightly reddish legs aren't unheard of. I'm pretty sure I hurt the pupae by accident, they just unwrapped one and it looks like it has a dent. The Formica pallidefulva have one pupa that is on the cusp of eclosing.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#67 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 4:27 PM

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So just a normal Tuesday, caught 16 queens, nothing special. So what have you guys been doing?


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#68 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 4:33 PM

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Oh my bad it was 17.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#69 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 4:40 PM

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Actually just got an 18th one.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#70 Offline DDD101DDD - Posted September 10 2019 - 4:41 PM

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What is your secret to finding so many?


He travels, he seeks the p a r m e s a n.


#71 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 4:48 PM

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What is your secret to finding so many?

Nothing. I walked outside, found a Lasius queen, put it away, then wandered around some more and saw males everywhere and swarming Brachymyrmex workers. Then came the queens. 6 Lasius brevicornis, 1 Crematogaster cerasi, 9 Brachymyrmex depilis, 1 Lasius latipes, 1 Stigmatomma pallipes. And those are just the ones I took. It was the perfect storm. It was hot, humid, and it just rained last night.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, September 10 2019 - 5:16 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#72 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 5:15 PM

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Umm, how do I actually care for Stigmatomma? Has anyone raised a colony from a single queen before?


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#73 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 5:20 PM

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Crematogaster queen is trying to get as close to the heating cable as possible.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#74 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 10 2019 - 6:27 PM

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Went out in the middle of the night to catch queens. Got another Lasius and a Myrmecina americana. Not sure how to care for the latter. All normal fully claustral queens are in test tubes, or, in the case of the Brachymyrmex, the old Temnothorax formicarium. The rest are in temporary containers. also I'm out of test tubes so it's not like I had a choice. Sadly one of the Lasius from earlier has died. I think I squished her by accident while collecting her and didn't notice.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, September 10 2019 - 6:27 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#75 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 11 2019 - 1:16 PM

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The Stigmatomma queen died.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#76 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 11 2019 - 1:45 PM

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Let the L. latipes queen go. Then it started pouring and I feel really guilty for putting her out there.


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Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#77 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 11 2019 - 1:47 PM

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Wait did I forget to say I caught 3 more Crematogaster queens today? I also got to see two Ponera alates mating.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#78 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted September 11 2019 - 2:27 PM

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Cool, my P. occidentalis got here.
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#79 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 11 2019 - 2:40 PM

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Cool, my P. occidentalis got here.

Mine should be here today or tomorrow.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#80 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted September 12 2019 - 12:39 PM

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Formica pallidefulva got their first worker! I also released two Formica queen who were obviously not going to produce anything. Camponotus also got their second ant.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis






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