91 replies to this topic

[ForestDragon]

Nice! That is something I have never accomplished. I intend to try again this year as well.

what I did was put some wood chips and dirt from the lasius workers nest I caught them from, kept them calm quite well, as well as since it was multiple pieces they had hiding spots where the queen had trouble getting to if she became aggressive (didn't happen) but she was able to slowly introduce herself into the workers social structure it was cool to watch, they still do a quick dashing motion towards her legs but she's not distressed so its not violent I don't think but her gaster is becoming distended and is swelling a little bit so eggs hopefully in a week

[ForestDragon]

Hey its been a while. TIME FOR THE UPDATE

Camponotus pennsylvanicus  

Queen 1(mini hearth)- she has 6 workers and has loads of pupa, no new eggs just larvae of pupae 

Queen 2(test tube)- she has 8 workers, eggs not many larvae and like 12 pupae both queens are doing well

Formica pallidefulva 

has 5 workers and more pupae and eggs and larvae, I expect around 10-30 workers this season

Temnothorax cf. shaumii

So I am changing the ID of these guys to shaumii, they have one alate larvae yet to pupate, and eggs that were laid are becoming larvae and are growing rapidly, I expect this colony to do well in captivity.

Strumigenys sp.
So I know there are springtails in the setup but idk how their population is doing in the setup, but they are actively foraging and I believe population is growing slightly due to increased amount of foragers from 2 to 4, they are also less active during the day and I plan to introduce 2 more species of springtail on a small piece of wood with bark for them to hunt in and around.

Crematogaster sp.
The queen has large larvae that I am expecting to pupate any day now.

Aphaenogaster tennesseensis 
Lots of eggs, a worker is carrying them at all times, the host larvae from last winter has yet to pupate, they should have some small larvae from the a10(abbreviation of sp) queen soon

Lasius sp. parasite
She has been accepted by the host workers BUT STILL NO EGGS, it has been 3 weeks, should I give them some host brood to get the workers to give a response to protein so that the queen lays eggs? I will probably do that, I SHALL NOT FAIL
 

[NickAnter]

Not to start the sports argument again but.....

Besides anting, sailing is the best. Especially on fast, small, one person boats.

 

Good luck with the parasitic Lasius. Hopefully I am able to find some this year.

[ForestDragon]

SO quick update, I might have a serious problem, Mite outbreak. I noticed mites in the trash pile of my Formica colony in a Mini Hearth, But they werent sticking to workers or brood. but now they are in my Camponotus colonies Mini Hearth, I scooped some out of my Formica colony to try and remove them, but now I found them on the lid of my Myrmecina queens container, <-- yeah new queen, I will expand later on. I don't know if these mites are dangerous or how they got there, I am very worried that they would spread to my other colonies. MOVING ON. NEW QUEEN! Yesterday while I was flipping the logs on my fire pits deck, I found it... A MYRMECINA AMERICANA QUEEN! I thought they flew in fall, But I found one, I thought she was a Tetramorium species worker at first so I just picked her up, she did the thing Mrmecina did when they feel threatened and she curled up, so BINGO. and I saw the thorax and was like BOOM QUEEN. I am still in shock that I found one THIS FREAKING EARLY. I put her in a container with damp mulch(I find workers in it all the time) so I'm hoping she founds

[TheMicroPlanet]

PicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPictures!!!

[ForestDragon]

PicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPicturesPictures!!!

eventually, hold your horses, the myrmecina is diggin away in the mulch I gave her

[ponerinecat]

SO quick update, I might have a serious problem, Mite outbreak. I noticed mites in the trash pile of my Formica colony in a Mini Hearth, But they werent sticking to workers or brood. but now they are in my Camponotus colonies Mini Hearth, I scooped some out of my Formica colony to try and remove them, but now I found them on the lid of my Myrmecina queens container, <-- yeah new queen, I will expand later on. I don't know if these mites are dangerous or how they got there, I am very worried that they would spread to my other colonies. MOVING ON. NEW QUEEN! Yesterday while I was flipping the logs on my fire pits deck, I found it... A MYRMECINA AMERICANA QUEEN! I thought they flew in fall, But I found one, I thought she was a Tetramorium species worker at first so I just picked her up, she did the thing Mrmecina did when they feel threatened and she curled up, so BINGO. and I saw the thorax and was like BOOM QUEEN. I am still in shock that I found one THIS FREAKING EARLY. I put her in a container with damp mulch(I find workers in it all the time) so I'm hoping she founds

I honestly wouldn't worry about the mites. If anything its a wonderful source of food for your Myrmecina. Mites are horribly villainized in the pet hobby, both with vertebrates and invertebrates, when in reality a minuscule portion is harmful and most are simply cleaning trash like springtails or eating other potentially harmful variables like other parasites or mold.

[ForestDragon]

 

SO quick update, I might have a serious problem, Mite outbreak. I noticed mites in the trash pile of my Formica colony in a Mini Hearth, But they werent sticking to workers or brood. but now they are in my Camponotus colonies Mini Hearth, I scooped some out of my Formica colony to try and remove them, but now I found them on the lid of my Myrmecina queens container, <-- yeah new queen, I will expand later on. I don't know if these mites are dangerous or how they got there, I am very worried that they would spread to my other colonies. MOVING ON. NEW QUEEN! Yesterday while I was flipping the logs on my fire pits deck, I found it... A MYRMECINA AMERICANA QUEEN! I thought they flew in fall, But I found one, I thought she was a Tetramorium species worker at first so I just picked her up, she did the thing Mrmecina did when they feel threatened and she curled up, so BINGO. and I saw the thorax and was like BOOM QUEEN. I am still in shock that I found one THIS FREAKING EARLY. I put her in a container with damp mulch(I find workers in it all the time) so I'm hoping she founds

I honestly wouldn't worry about the mites. If anything its a wonderful source of food for your Myrmecina. Mites are horribly villainized in the pet hobby, both with vertebrates and invertebrates, when in reality a minuscule portion is harmful and most are simply cleaning trash like springtails or eating other potentially harmful variables like other parasites or mold.

 

I just came back from vacation and they are EVERYWHERE in all but a couple of my setups, but none are attached to ants so i believe they are phoretic, its just annoying how there are so many they kinda make everything look dirty

[ForestDragon]

SO I AM BACK, I just came back from vacation in florida and here are some updates

 

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

queen 1- mini hearth- 2 workers left and some larvae, she went downhill pretty quickly and i don't know if they are going to make it, there are 2 larvae so there is hope

queen 2-test tube- small die off of 4 workers, down to around 8 or so, not bad still eggs larvae and a pupa or 2

Formica pallidefulva

9 workers and 2 larvae, they need to be fed, I'm going back to work tommorow so I will pick up some honey to feed them, then eggs should be boppin, this queen is very productive

Crematogaster sp,

no workers yet, she ate some of her brood including all the pupa, there are eggs and larvae and I will order a heating cable for all these guys so production will go up in all my colonies

Temnothorax cf, shaumii 

SO MUCH LARVAE!!!! its unbeleveable, there are eggs, and no pupa, but there should be some pupa soon a lot of the larvae have "whited out" so I'm hoping pupa soon
Strumigenys pergandei

I got a look into their nest as they put a piece of pear skin against a large wood mulch piece I have in there nest and folded it up and blocked the wide part so now I have a look into their nest and they have larvae, and workers, which is all I know, the queen is buried into the wood but at least I know they are surviving
Myrmecina Americana
SO I shined a light under her mulch setup and her founding chamber is visible, SHE HAS EGGS!!! and since mites are her diet, i plan to scoop out a bunch of mites from my other setups for population control and try to start a mite farm using the trash piles for my other ants, to give her a natural diet, since there are eggs, I'm doin' something right I say!
Aphaenogaster tennesseensis

I neeed to heat these guys, eggs going for a month, all my other ants are like that too , I believe my room is too cold since I technically live in the basement, Ima make a heating setup so I can heat everything
 

 

THAT CONCLUDES TODAYS EPISODE ON FOREST SUCKS AT ANTKEEPING!!!

[ForestDragon]

Long time no see, I've been busy lately.
Camponotus Pennsylvannicus 
queen 1- all workers died and she is doomed
queen 2- 8 workers and some larvae

NEW ENTRIE(s)

Camponotus chromaiodes  

 this is a species I have wanted again for a couple years now, she has around 10-11 larvae and plenty of eggs to spare. I have been feeding her while she's been founding just to see what will happen, beautiful queen. My specimen is very high red with the red reaching around half her gaster and going almost to her head in some places. Beautiful queen
Camponotus Subbarbatus 

This is a queen I caught a couple weeks ago, I have been feeding her as well. she has only 2 eggs but is caring for them both. GORGEOUS SPECIES 

Formica pallidefulva
-no brood but workers are fine
Formica subsericea
-back up to 3 workers no brood I can see

**NEW ENTRY** Formica Difficilis
This is a very rare parasite species I managed to aquire last night by chance, I took her home in between my fingers so her back legs are a little messed up, she is fine and alert. This species is very small and is about half the size of my other Formica queens and I need some brood from Formica incerta but I believe that any pallidefulva group brood would work just fine. This species seems to be endangered if not critically because it is a prairie/grassland species. It does make sense that they are around due to a large field/orchard is behind my grandparents house across the street which is suitable habitat for them. I am honored to have this species in my care and I will happily raise her
Strumigenys pergandei
-doing well, had a couple worker deaths from condensation drowning on the side of the setup/ I have noticed that this species likes the higher humidity
Temnothorax cf. shaumii
-this colony is doing well with brood of all stages in a nice pile, they have taken a while to develop but they have pupae larvae and eggs now. I barely have to feed this colony as they just always have food reserves in their gasters. I like this colony a lot
Crematogaster sp

dangit, she ate her brood SHE HAD PUPA TOO. these guys hate me for some reason
Myrmecina Americana
-she has been great to me, I have her in a small container with mulch and a rock in it. I have been feeding her the NATURAL DIET of her species which is mites, she has larvae and eggs and i'm so happy to have this species found for me

 

IN OTHER NOTES
I have recieved around 50 test tubes and will be trying to get more cryptic species (I will get stigmatomma, MadBiologist you lucky son of a gun.) and will become THE CRYPTIC KING OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[madbiologist]

Shh I haven't done an update yet haha!

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[ForestDragon]

SO I have a quick update
I caught 56 formica subsericea queens yesterday. all by hand no blacklight. I picked them out of the grass there were that many it was a sight to behold. I am testing polygeny in my area so I have them in groups

a 12 queen group (now to around 10 since there was one or 2 deaths not by fighting) 4, 5 queen groups a 4 queen a 3 and a couple 2 queen groups and 15 solo queens of which one has died(she was weak to begin with) but I am going to see how they all do. this is exciting

p.s the formica difficilis died

p.p.s I'm very sad about that

p.p.p.s I also have a dual queen colonyof formica pallidefulva so that's good

that's all folks