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Becky's Myrmica sp [discontinued]

myrmica journal

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#61 Offline Becky - Posted January 16 2020 - 8:17 AM

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They're little litter bugs! No signs of a gabage pile, they just throw it everywhere.

 

 

 

 

This is where all the shrimp goes.

The arrows mark egg piles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pupae are stored at the front (and on top) of the pile and the larvae are closer to the wet cotton.

 

 

 

 

They built themselves a little DIY feeder "improvement".

 

 

 

Here you can see the size difference in the workers. They have some bigger ones now (the worker in the middle is bigger than the two others).

 

 

 

They also vary in color. The younger ones are more yellowish while the older ones tend either towards a vibrant blood red or a more brownish dark red.

 

 

 


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#62 Offline Becky - Posted January 24 2020 - 11:18 AM

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These are ants.

Some of them moved into the outworld's tube.

 

 

 

These are more ants and more brood.

Day 144 since the first egg.

 

 

 

 

 

These are ants doing pathfinding.

 

 

 

 

These are ants eating stuff.

Today they broke a new record with around 30 workers in the outworld.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are ants crossing a gap.

 

 

 

 

This is an ant cleaning itself.

 

 

 

:sarcastic:  :crazy: :snicker:


Edited by Becky, January 24 2020 - 11:21 AM.

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#63 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted January 24 2020 - 1:57 PM

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I'd love to create a setup for my Myrmica large enough to see them trailing.


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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


#64 Offline Becky - Posted January 25 2020 - 2:35 PM

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Today I finally overcame my fear of touching ants with the help of my boyfriend's Camponotus ants! :party:

 

I needed some tries but in the end it was a great experience. I could hardly feel it on my hand but on the forearm it tickled. :snicker:

The ant was very calm but had some trouble to keep a grip on my forearm and almost dropped a few times - maybe my skin is too smooth. :D

 

 

 

 

No ants were harmed in the production of these pictures (and she was brought back safely to her sisters :)).


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#65 Offline FSTP - Posted January 25 2020 - 2:42 PM

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nice!


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#66 Offline Becky - Posted January 31 2020 - 1:21 PM

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I refilled the feeders today, one with sugar water and the other one with maple syrup.

They also got their favourite food - shrimpies. :yum2:

At first the ants gathered around the feeders and drank some sugars, later they switched to the shrimps.

 

 

 

 

In the evening they got some mini-roaches and showed great interest.

Right now they are still busy dragging them around.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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#67 Offline Becky - Posted February 7 2020 - 10:59 AM

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A few days ago I gave them minced meat and they liked it.

They licked it and chewed a bit on it until became dry.

 

 

 

 

 

They started digging a small hole inside the farm. This morning there were up to seven workers in the farm and the tube nearby.

Their small test tube is slowly getting dry. Maybe they are building their new home. :pardon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have a lot of new pale workers and many of the big larvae are pupating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have also become more active. Every morning there are some ants sitting on top of the shell in front of the tube.

 


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#68 Offline Becky - Posted February 15 2020 - 1:35 PM

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They got a bigger cockroach because they are more ants now. They have been working on it for half the day.

 

 

 

I didn't expect they would have so much brood in comparison to last week. :blink:

Also I never saw so many pale workers at once. :)

 

 

 

 

It's getting hard to count them all for a census. :D


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#69 Offline DDD101DDD - Posted February 15 2020 - 1:48 PM

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https://crazyants.de/antcounter/ Try this ant counter, it might be useful.


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


#70 Offline Becky - Posted February 15 2020 - 1:57 PM

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Haha thank you, I was actually on the page just a few minutes ago and used the app but didn't include a screenshot as the post was already sent. :D

Counted 80 workers plus some I couldn't see because of the camera angle and around 10-20 outside of the nest. So the colony likely has something around 100-120 workers. :)


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#71 Offline AntsDakota - Posted February 15 2020 - 7:36 PM

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I'm impressed with their growth.


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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#72 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted February 15 2020 - 9:09 PM

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Haha thank you, I was actually on the page just a few minutes ago and used the app but didn't include a screenshot as the post was already sent. :D
Counted 80 workers plus some I couldn't see because of the camera angle and around 10-20 outside of the nest. So the colony likely has something around 100-120 workers. :)

Wow! Great job!
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#73 Offline Becky - Posted February 22 2020 - 11:10 AM

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During the last days I gave the ants different food such as shrimps, cockroaches and little mealworms to find out what is their favourite one.

The result: There is no winner - only food! :yum:

 

The ants now already react when I remove the cover and they send scouts to see what is going on.

They can smell the shrimps halfway across the outworld. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm wondering how the workers notice when the new larvae hatch because the eggs lie at the bottom of the brood pile. :unknown:

That pile probably has ten levels by now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their current tube is getting dry and a little dirty and 7 - 10 workers spend their time in the new tube in the big outworld.

I think the remaining ones will move soon into the outworld's tube.

 

 


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#74 Offline AntsDakota - Posted February 22 2020 - 3:29 PM

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They'll need a nest soon, or several test tubes.


"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#75 Offline Serafine - Posted February 22 2020 - 9:05 PM

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They'll need a nest soon, or several test tubes.

Um... not sure if you missed it but there's two 30x200mm test tubes in their outworld and then there's that gimongous farm that can probably hold 15-20.000 of them. I'm fairly sure she got that covered ;)


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

Welcome to Lazy Tube - My Camponotus Journal


#76 Offline AntsDakota - Posted February 23 2020 - 6:28 AM

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Oh, I forgot about the farm.......

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#77 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted February 23 2020 - 6:35 AM

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wow that's some crazy ant growth! This journal is amazing, and good job on raising them!


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike


#78 Offline Becky - Posted March 5 2020 - 10:04 AM

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The hole in the farm is getting deeper. They are very industrious :)

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an ant carrying a larva into the farm. I am not entirely sure but I think they already have brood in the farm.

 

 

 

A week ago I accidentally found the chamber on the backside of the farm. There are a dozen workers working on it around the clock.

 

March 3rd.

 

 

March 5th. (There are at least four ants in that picture, can you find them all?)

 

 

 

The main part of the colony is still in the tube. Reinforcements are on the way :D

 

 

 


Edited by Becky, March 5 2020 - 10:06 AM.

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#79 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 5 2020 - 12:48 PM

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Cool! Keep up the good work!


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike


#80 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 5 2020 - 3:43 PM

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Now that's my kind of ant.  :D  B)


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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version






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