10 replies to this topic

[cpman]

Hi everyone!

Today, I caught a Pseudomyrmex gracilis queen as she was foraging. Right now she is in a standard test tube setup covered with foil to help her calm down.

I know this is a semi-claustral species, and I've got fruit flies that I can feed her, but I'm wondering about how to keep them. I know drew had issues keeping P. apache.

Any tips?

 

EDIT: After reading that they like DRY nests, I've moved her to a plain glass test tube.

Thanks!

-cpman

Edited by cpman, June 18 2015 - 11:30 AM.

[Ants4fun]

Umm how will she have access to water? If they like it drier, perhaps add a bit more cotton when using the test tube setup. She still needs a bit of hydration...

[Ants4fun]

They are really common, and I found 2 queens foraging in my trip to Florida last week, along with tons of other queens. BTW Floridan ant keepers, Brachymyrmex, Camponotus, and Solenopsis is flying now...

[cpman]

Umm how will she have access to water? If they like it drier, perhaps add a bit more cotton when using the test tube setup. She still needs a bit of hydration...

 

I'm going to provide it through the outworld. I've read that they have LOTS of issues with humidity within the nest being high. I found this about keeping this species, but that's about the extent of what I've seen. I'm going to provide hydration in a similar way.

Edited by cpman, June 18 2015 - 11:45 AM.

[drtrmiller]

Since they live in twigs, they prefer extremely narrow nests.  I kept a smaller species that I made a home for out of a small spray bottle tube that had an interior diameter of about 1.5 mm.  Is this species small enough to fit in aquarium tubing?  If so, I'd think that might make a nice home for them.

 

Mine did fine on a diet of Formula Blue 100 and the rare fruit fly, until argentine ants invaded my office last summer and killed many of my ants.

[cpman]

That's a good idea. This species is pretty large (head width is right at 2 mm for my queen, and she is right around 12 mm long), so I don't know if she'll fit in tubing. In that post I linked to, he said he kept this species successfully in tubes up to 20 mm in diameter, so my 16 mm diameter test tube she's in should be OK...

[drtrmiller]

Sure, it might be okay to keep them in larger tubes.  My old colony, having come from a twig, took up residence in that small and confined tubing as soon as I introduced it, so it was clear they really preferred the smaller space.

 

The fact that others have kept them in larger setups is simply an indication that the ants are adaptable, even though a smaller tube may actually be more attractive.  People, in general, are more likely to overestimate the amount of space and clearance ants require, than to underestimate it.

Edited by drtrmiller, June 18 2015 - 12:11 PM.

[cpman]

I don't have anything of what would probably be the right size (3 - 4 mm maybe?). Otherwise, I would put her in something smaller. I've seen them inside of oak galls, inside of benches, and inside of twigs. The only nest chambers I've seen of this species were those in oak galls, which were around 5 mm in diameter. This is the first queen of this species that I've seen, despite the fact that these are one of the most common ants around here.

[drtrmiller]

With a head width of 2 mm, you may want to try 1/4 inch ID or smaller vinyl tubing.  You can probably go to a hardware store (I'd try Lowes) and get a foot cut of several different sizes, for less than $2-3 total.  Then stick cotton in one end, and every once in a while squirt some water in the cotton, since they don't need too much moisture.  You can then connect the tubing directly to a foraging area hole.  They will always prefer the tubing because it is less space, even if there is ambient lighting, which would otherwise bother them.

Edited by drtrmiller, June 18 2015 - 12:13 PM.

[cpman]

Thanks for suggesting this. You made me remember that I had some tubing. I just checked it, and it has an ID of 4 mm! I cut a short piece because she is just a lone queen. I'm going to tape foil on it.

 

EDIT:  Thank you so much! This queen is acting so much more secure in the tubing than in the test tube. I'm going to add a wingless fruit fly to her outworld when I see her foraging.

Edited by cpman, June 18 2015 - 12:32 PM.

[dspdrew]

They are really common, and I found 2 queens foraging in my trip to Florida last week, along with tons of other queens. BTW Floridan ant keepers, Brachymyrmex, Camponotus, and Solenopsis is flying now...

 

Could you provide some specifics on the Mating Chart thread?