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ANTdrew's Pheidole bicarinata Journal - The Phatheads

pheidole bicarinata

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#301 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 8 2024 - 11:08 AM

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Update 7-15-24
This colony is four years old now, and not showing any signs of slowing down. They have fully recovered their population, but I don’t see signs of alates just yet. They staged a massive jailbreak about a month ago when they managed to chew through a rubber plug. Several hundred were lost at that point, but they have since been replaced. Here are some photos of the adobe chambers in their UtahAnts nest.

075-F7-F2-C-4-A6-A-4-A9-A-8-A99-5-A3-F96imagehost

B427-CF0-F-660-D-4-A0-E-BCC2-6969-C10351

4-CD3-E5-C9-CF9-A-41-E2-A50-A-C702-EB36-

have they grown out of their nest yet?


 

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Myrmecocystus depilis

 


#302 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 8 2024 - 1:05 PM

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No, this colony has capped out at their max size basically, so they won’t be needing a new nest really.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#303 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 19 2024 - 12:57 PM

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Update 9-19-24

This colony has had a successful fifth growing season. They got a few queen alates recently, but not as many as in year’s past. It’s almost like they realize it’s not worth the effort in captivity. Their UtahAnts nest continues to function perfectly, and I basically plan to keep them in there unless it becomes too dirty inside.
Full nest:
0-DA6-B15-D-D328-4120-942-F-3-A6-B168-EA
Close ups of brood piles:
3-D12862-A-5-A78-4-E62-B0-E9-4734-A072-B
5-F2-D51-E6-7-D23-4655-9-FDF-AF924142900
  • TennesseeAnts, RushmoreAnts, UtahAnts and 1 other like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#304 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 19 2024 - 1:01 PM

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In other Pheidole news, a P. piifera queen I found back in July has raised a successful colony, which is getting it’s first majors. The heads on the majors are so massively huge! I may spin these off into their own journal, or else tack them onto this one.
13-BA08-BD-E1-FF-4-BAC-A77-A-0903-FB9-A1
  • TennesseeAnts, RushmoreAnts and AntsGodzilla like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#305 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 19 2024 - 1:11 PM

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Wow that is huge!


 

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Myrmecocystus depilis

 


#306 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted September 19 2024 - 1:13 PM

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Update 9-19-24

This colony has had a successful fifth growing season. They got a few queen alates recently, but not as many as in year’s past. It’s almost like they realize it’s not worth the effort in captivity. Their UtahAnts nest continues to function perfectly, and I basically plan to keep them in there unless it becomes too dirty inside.
Full nest:
0-DA6-B15-D-D328-4120-942-F-3-A6-B168-EA
Close ups of brood piles:
3-D12862-A-5-A78-4-E62-B0-E9-4734-A072-B
5-F2-D51-E6-7-D23-4655-9-FDF-AF924142900

They are massive!


 

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Myrmecocystus depilis

 


#307 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 3 2024 - 1:07 PM

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Update 10-3-2024
My new Pheidole pillifera colony is doing very well! They are eagerly feeding on the insects and seeds I’ve offered, and they really love fruit flies. They currently have three majors. The heads of these majors are as big as the queen’s gaster!
5-EA7-A667-D14-D-452-D-9-BA1-7972-C1-EEE
39273-FF4-359-B-46-B9-854-D-88-E49126964
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#308 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted October 4 2024 - 10:03 AM

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I may spin these off into their own journal, or else tack them onto this one.

I wouldn't be opposed for these having their own journal!


"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

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis


#309 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 4 2024 - 10:05 AM

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I’ll consider it if they continue to thrive!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#310 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted October 4 2024 - 10:37 AM

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I look forward to it! I hope to catch some bicarinata or pilifera next season. 


Edited by RushmoreAnts, October 4 2024 - 10:38 AM.

"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

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis


#311 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 14 2024 - 1:12 PM

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Update 10-14-2024
Both of my Pheidole colonies are doing very well. The bicarinata have two massive brood piles, one over each water tower in their UtahAnts nest. I’m thinking of just keeping them in my kitchen this winter to cool down a bit since we keep our house in the low to mid 60s F.
I’ll do the same with my new pilifera colony, but I may heat them to continue their growth. This colony now has four majors and more minors than I can easily count. They have an impressive brood pile, and their feeding responses are awesome. The majors look like the impressive Pheidole species I’ve seen in Guatemala and Bolivia. I’ve named the queen Idiberug, which is a woman’s name found on the oldest rune stone yet discovered in Norway a few years ago. These ants like seeds much more than my bicarinata. This week I offered them dandelion seeds and Oenothera biennis seeds from yard, and they eagerly collected all of them into their tube. I’ll try Rudbeckia seeds next.

Feeding response GIF:
56-E0329-A-2-AC4-482-B-A844-698-A7-A12-F

Brood pile:
9-D61-A510-1-DEB-47-DE-ABA3-517-FA003-DD

Seed pile:
34-A14-C86-BA06-4478-B1-AA-D60-C1507-C98multiple image upload
  • Karma, RushmoreAnts, UtahAnts and 3 others like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#312 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted October 31 2024 - 5:29 AM

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Update 10-14-2024
Both of my Pheidole colonies are doing very well. The bicarinata have two massive brood piles, one over each water tower in their UtahAnts nest. I’m thinking of just keeping them in my kitchen this winter to cool down a bit since we keep our house in the low to mid 60s F.
I’ll do the same with my new pilifera colony, but I may heat them to continue their growth. This colony now has four majors and more minors than I can easily count. They have an impressive brood pile, and their feeding responses are awesome. The majors look like the impressive Pheidole species I’ve seen in Guatemala and Bolivia. I’ve named the queen Idiberug, which is a woman’s name found on the oldest rune stone yet discovered in Norway a few years ago. These ants like seeds much more than my bicarinata. This week I offered them dandelion seeds and Oenothera biennis seeds from yard, and they eagerly collected all of them into their tube. I’ll try Rudbeckia seeds next.

Feeding response GIF:
56-E0329-A-2-AC4-482-B-A844-698-A7-A12-F

Brood pile:
9-D61-A510-1-DEB-47-DE-ABA3-517-FA003-DD

Seed pile:
34-A14-C86-BA06-4478-B1-AA-D60-C1507-C98multiple image upload


Congratulations! I think you'll enjoy these. They're my personal favorite TN native Pheidole species to keep. Those aren't even full size majors! Just wait til your colony gets to max size. It's worth the wait!
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