10 replies to this topic

[dboeren]

I got my first ant colony (Camponotus floridanus) back in January 2024.  It was going well for a while, then something happened and the colony sort of crashed.  Lately, I've been thinking of getting a new colony to try again.  I've got a Mini-Hearth from Tarheel as well as a Labyrinth for when the colony gets larger, and a heating cable.  I'm located in Georgia, USA and have been looking at Stateside Ants, Tarheel, and Buckeye Myrmecology.  If there is another good vendor in the US I should look at let me know.

 

The things I liked about C. floridanus were:

  Fairly large for watching (the colony would live on my work desk so I can see them through the day)

  Fairly active and not sensitive to vibrations, light, etc...

  No diapause needed

  They have majors

  Grow faster than most Camponotus

 

Things I didn't like as much about them:

  They seem to leave a lot of trash in their nest rather than moving it to the outworld

  A bit faster growing would be nice

 

 

The species that I'm looking at which are available now are:

  Camponotus floridanus again, they still have the same pretty good set of traits

  Pogonomyrmex badius.  Decent size, easy to feed, bad climbers, majors, not sure on their growth speed vs. C. floridanus

  Pheidole bicarinata.  Very small, majors, the colony grows fast and they eat anything, big heads

  Pheidole dentata.  A little bigger, fast grow, less seed oriented, big heads

  Tetramorium immigrans.  Small but bigger than Pheidole, fast growing, but no majors

 

 

Those of you that have had big and little ants, how do you feel they are for watching?  I could get a magnifying glass

For seed eating species, is it OK to just buy seeds off eBay?  These are a lot cheaper than from the ant vendors.

Which of these species are your favorites and why?

Are any of these species more prone to have colony problems?  They need to be able to survive through a 10 day vacation.

Will any of these species outgrow a Tarheel Labyrinth (or Labyrinth + Mini-hearth linked together)?

Is there another good option in stock somewhere I'm overlooking?

 

Thanks!
 

[Ants_Dakota]

Hey! I wanted to throw my hat into the game as a small vendor here on FC, I have a few species available with nationwide shipping if you are interested: https://www.formicul...pping/?p=162039

Stateside Ants is a reputable vendor though if you want to go larger scale, I would consider his stock first.

Liquid feeders are your friend for vacations, I usually by from Byformica.

Several of the species you mentioned, such as the minors of Pheidole bicarinata and early nanitics of Tetramorium immigrans can escape TarHeelants formicaria. Something a little more modular like Por Amor Art formicaria are best suited for them.

I will let someone more personally experienced answer your other questions!

Edited by Ants_Dakota, Yesterday, 9:07 AM.

[RushmoreAnts]

Based on your criteria I would recommend Pogonomyrmex badius, as they are almost as large as Camponotus, have majors, and grow very fast (all Pogonomyrmex do).

[Hiromilovesmealworms]

Pogonomyrmex! They grow quite fast though, and require heating. Happy anting!

[ANTdrew]

Get some Crematogaster! They’re the best, hands down.

[dboeren]

Thanks for all the answers so far!

 

 

Liquid feeders are your friend for vacations, I usually by from Byformica.  Several of the species you mentioned, such as the minors of Pheidole bicarinata and early nanitics of Tetramorium immigrans can escape TarHeelants formicaria. Something a little more modular like Por Amor Art formicaria are best suited for them.

 

I do have one ByFormica liquid feeder, and can pick up another if needed when the colony is bigger.  Good tip on very small species being easier to escape.  Since I've already invested in these Tarheel setups I would rather just stick with a species that will work well in them.  I wish there were bigger Pheidole species available in Georgia because they look really cool but that seems not to be the case.  There is pilifera but they are a bit rare and expensive.

 

 

Based on your criteria I would recommend Pogonomyrmex badius, as they are almost as large as Camponotus, have majors, and grow very fast (all Pogonomyrmex do).

 

Sounds like they might be a good match then.  I'll do some more reading and videos on the species.  I know occidentalis is more common but I figure if you can get the same thing with majors added why not do that?  I've read that Pogonomyrmex like a very humid nest, do I need to worry about mold, etc...?  Will it fog the glass and interfere with viewing them?

 

 

Get some Crematogaster! They’re the best, hands down.

 

The only Crematogaster I found in stock was C. missouriensis which I'd never heard of before and haven't been able to find much information about.  What makes Crematogaster your favorites?  I've heard they are escape artists, would this cause an issue with the Tarheel formicaria?

[Hiromilovesmealworms]

Pogonomyrmex do not need a very humid nest, they just need a strong gradient. In fact, too humid of a nest prevents them from storing seeds long-term, as they will either mold or germinate. As long as there are a few good water towers inside the formicarium, they will have enough humidity for their brood.

[Ants_Dakota]

C. missouriensis is a newly described species of Crematogaster if i remember correctly, it will handle like any other Crematogaster species. 

[RushmoreAnts]

C. missouriensis is a newly described species of Crematogaster if i remember correctly, it will handle like any other Crematogaster species. 

I have seen C. missouriensis as a taxa for many years. It is like the thief ant of Crematogaster: small with vibrant, almost neon colors, and highly polygynous. Their body shape is also odd and unique for Crematogaster, though they still have their distinctive heart-shaped gasters.

 

 

The only Crematogaster I found in stock was C. missouriensis which I'd never heard of before and haven't been able to find much information about.  What makes Crematogaster your favorites?  I've heard they are escape artists, would this cause an issue with the Tarheel formicaria?

Crematogaster are some of the fastest-growing, active, aggressive, and fun-to-watch ants around. Their heart-shaped gasters are quite unique, and they love to waggle them around when they get angry. They may not be big in size, but they eat big, grow big, fight big, and do big. They're so quirky and fun. If 'fun' was a top criterion of yours I would have suggested Cremas to you as well. TarHeel formicaria seem to be fine for the most part as long as you keep the glass sealed on and tubes tightly secured. As ANTdrew's journal demonstrates, even the most skilled Crema escape artists can't overcome a simple, homemade rubbing alcohol/talc powder mixture barrier.

[dboeren]

Crematogaster are some of the fastest-growing, active, aggressive, and fun-to-watch ants around. Their heart-shaped gasters are quite unique, and they love to waggle them around when they get angry. They may not be big in size, but they eat big, grow big, fight big, and do big. They're so quirky and fun. If 'fun' was a top criterion of yours I would have suggested Cremas to you as well.

 

Sounds pretty good..  I had it in my mind somehow that Crematogaster were really tiny but looking at actual numbers they're pretty similar to T. immigrans or P. dentata.  I'm going to read some journals and watch a few Youtube videos but I may just go with these.  And then once they eventually grow out of the Mini-Hearth and into the Labyrinth I may look into a slow-growing Camponotus species to live in the Mini-Hearth and fulfill my BIG ant cravings too

 

Thanks!

[ANTdrew]

Crematogaster cerasi workers are bigger than Tetramorium and much bigger than Pheidole. I consider them more of a medium sized ant than a small ant.