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Care Sheet - Camponotus nicobarensis (please review for accuracy)

camponotus nicobarensis

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#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 2 2020 - 9:43 PM

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Scientific Name:  Camponotus nicobarensis
 
Common Name:  Sugar ants
 
Distribution:  Bangladesh, India, Laos, Nicobar Island, Thailand, Vietnam, China
 
Queen size:  13-15 mm (in a small colony) 

Worker size:  5-7 mm
 
Median size:  9-11 mm
 
Major size:  10-12 mm
 
Natural Habitat:  Rotting wood, underground
 
Circadian Activity:  Mostly nocturnal, but if provided with food, they are willing to come out and feed.
 
Mating Flight:  Warm sunny days or after a light rain during July to August.
 
Queen Founding Method:  Fully Claustral
 
Monogyne or Polygyne:  Polygmous, though it is best to introduce a queen to another when none have brood or a lone queen to a large colony.
 
Average time from egg to worker: 1 Month
 
Recommended Temperature:  Summer: 72 - 82 F/ 22 - 28 C, Winter: 57 - 73 F/ 14 - 23 C
 
Recommended Humidity: 
 
Preferred Foods:  A steady supply of honey water and sugar water, i supply a cricket every 3 days, they have a social stomach.
 
Hibernation Details: None, thought their reproduction rate slows down during the winter.
  
Escape Barrier Methods:  Alcohol + baby powder works best for me.
 
Difficulty rating: Very easy: Great for beginners. Hardy and do not panic (much) when put in broad daylight. Reproduce at a medium rate. Do not sting or squirt formic acid of any sort. Will accept many types of food.
 
Bite and/or Sting rating:  Can bite but the bites are hardly noticeable. Her majesty though will not hesitate to give you a mean chomp.

Special Care or Interesting Notes:  None
 
Additional Links: https://www.antweb.o...is&rank=species


Information submitted by Leo


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#2 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 3 2020 - 4:59 PM

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Polygynous and quick to develop? These contradict pennsylvanicus behavior completely. But what do you expect from a tropical species, anyways?

Edited by AntsDakota, March 3 2020 - 5:00 PM.

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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


#3 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted March 3 2020 - 5:39 PM

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coupled with their unique colors, the difference doesn't surprise me...


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


#4 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 4 2020 - 5:29 AM

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Although color doesn’t affect growth rate any.

"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


#5 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted March 4 2020 - 5:40 AM

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Yeah, I mean the North American species, Camponotus socius, has the exact same coloration, and they are strictly monogynous. Being tropical and having a bright coloration has no affect on polygyny.


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Currently Keeping:

 

Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipesStrumigenys brevisetosaStrumigenys clypeataStrumigenys louisianaeStrumigenys membraniferaStrumigenys reflexaStrumigenys rostrata

 

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#6 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 4 2020 - 3:32 PM

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True. nearcticus is polygynous and temperate. I'm sure there is a long and tiring list of monogynous tropical species as well.


"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


#7 Offline Mdrogun - Posted March 4 2020 - 8:35 PM

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On the care sheet it says they are "polygmous." I am assuming this is a typo?

I would also like to add, as with all ants, the temperature requirements will vary form region to region. Obviously specimens from Southern Vietnam will not need to spend winter at a cool temperature.

 

I have heard from many keepers that depending on where you get them from, they may not be polygynous at all. It seems that at the very least there is a fair degree of variation within the species. Possible that this is really a species-group that needs taxonomic work.

 

 

True. nearcticus is polygynous and temperate. I'm sure there is a long and tiring list of monogynous tropical species as well.

Camponotus nearcticus is not scientifically known to be polygynous, at least when I last checked. I couldn't find any papers published that contradict that, but if they exist, I'd happily change my views :)

 

Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.


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Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega


#8 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 5 2020 - 3:41 PM

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Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.


"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


#9 Offline ponerinecat - Posted March 5 2020 - 5:34 PM

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I have found that polygyny does not only depend on genetic lineage and location but also on the past experiences of certain queens. Queens introduced to each other early on get used to it and think this is normal, solitary queens sometimes simply refuse to be put together after a period of solitude because polygyny is abnormal to them. 



#10 Offline Mdrogun - Posted March 8 2020 - 10:45 PM

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Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.

 

In a colony with multiple queens, each individual queen has to share her resources with other competing queens. Therefore, a queen in a monogyne colony is more reproductively successful than a queen of a polygyne colony, even though the colony's collective output is less.

 

Typically, you only see polygyny in ants when the queens have a certain level of genetic relatedness, and when there is another external pressure to encourage it.


Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega


#11 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted March 9 2020 - 3:36 AM

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Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.

 

In a colony with multiple queens, each individual queen has to share her resources with other competing queens. Therefore, a queen in a monogyne colony is more reproductively successful than a queen of a polygyne colony, even though the colony's collective output is less.

 

Typically, you only see polygyny in ants when the queens have a certain level of genetic relatedness, and when there is another external pressure to encourage it.

 

Some species actually require polygyny, as is the case with Crematogaster minutissima. Without more than one queen, the single queen will die before producing any workers. It is unknown why they require polygyny to survive, but I suspect it's because they're egg-laying rate is so slow, due to their eggs being enormous, about 1/3 the size of their entire gaster. I'm beginning to doubt this however, as the related species, Crematogaster missouriensis, lays similarly sized eggs, and yet, they are strictly monogynous. Maybe they can produce faster than minutissima though.


Currently Keeping:

 

Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipesStrumigenys brevisetosaStrumigenys clypeataStrumigenys louisianaeStrumigenys membraniferaStrumigenys reflexaStrumigenys rostrata

 

All Strumigenys Journal

Shop

 

YouTube

Twitter


#12 Offline AntsDakota - Posted March 9 2020 - 12:37 PM

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Also, while I'm at it, many tropical species of Camponotus spp. are slow growing, monogynous, and keep tiny colonies. Camponotus tortuganus and Camponotus conspicuus inaequalis of Southern Florida, for example, have a max colony size of well under 500 workers as well as being strictly monogynous.

What I don't understand is how this could be beneficial for them.
In a colony with multiple queens, each individual queen has to share her resources with other competing queens. Therefore, a queen in a monogyne colony is more reproductively successful than a queen of a polygyne colony, even though the colony's collective output is less.
 
Typically, you only see polygyny in ants when the queens have a certain level of genetic relatedness, and when there is another external pressure to encourage it.
True, although having multiple queens helps reduce the chance of an attack killing all the queens. Also, queens can take breaks more frequently when there’s another queen or so to take over when she’s resting.

"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


#13 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted June 3 2020 - 11:10 AM

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Care sheets are back! I've always been jealous of European antkeepers who can get this species. Easy, fast-growing, huge, non-hibernating, and interesting coloration as well.


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


#14 Offline T.C. - Posted May 19 2022 - 8:50 PM

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Polygmous, though it is best to introduce a queen to another when none have brood or a lone queen to a large colony.

 

This is false to the best of my knowledge. Specifically I am speaking of introducing a new queen to an already existing colony. There are some rare cases of success in this when certain species are introduced "slowly" but in general, if you just threw a queen in the colony it would be dismembered within a few short minutes.


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#15 Offline OiledOlives - Posted May 20 2022 - 5:12 AM

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Polygmous, though it is best to introduce a queen to another when none have brood or a lone queen to a large colony.

 

This is false to the best of my knowledge. Specifically I am speaking of introducing a new queen to an already existing colony. There are some rare cases of success in this when certain species are introduced "slowly" but in general, if you just threw a queen in the colony it would be dismembered within a few short minutes.

 

Leo is right.


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#16 Offline T.C. - Posted July 10 2022 - 1:36 AM

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Shortly after my OP, I asked a friend who has quite a few colonies and queens of this species to test the results of adding queens to his colonies. He added a queen to one colony but he could not find it afterwards. I'm assuming it was dismembered somewhere in their trash piles or eaten. I am not sure. He also attempted adding two queens together that where founding. This you would think would go smoother than being introduced to a whole colony, but that was also a negative.

 

e17hWqE.jpeg


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#17 Offline futurebird - Posted July 10 2022 - 3:45 AM

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Queen introductions go badly! I agree. Two queens lived together for a month then suddenly for no reason one was killed by the workers. 

I'm very curious about this "introducing a queen to a large colony" How is this anything other than "lunch" ?


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#18 Offline NicholasP - Posted July 17 2022 - 8:56 AM

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Queen introductions go badly! I agree. Two queens lived together for a month then suddenly for no reason one was killed by the workers. 

I'm very curious about this "introducing a queen to a large colony" How is this anything other than "lunch" ?

This is not entirely true. All known records show Camponotus pennsylvanicus being purely monogynous but my colony has 2 queens and 17 workers with 25 new larvae for their second generation and there's been no aggression whatsoever.







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