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ANTdrew's Pheidole bicarinata Journal - The Phatheads

pheidole bicarinata

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#81 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 3 2020 - 3:19 PM

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Awesome photo.

Thanks! This species is very photogenic.
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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.

#82 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 13 2020 - 11:09 AM

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Update 9-13-2020

This colony is a real bright spot in my 2020. They are growing like crazy and eat every thing I give them. Another thing I really like about them is that they are very clean with a clearly defined trash pile that's pretty easy for me to vacuum up every few days. They have about ten majors now and send up several every time I drop in an insect.

GIF of feeding time on Friday night:

IMG 8190

Here is their massive brood pile! For such a tiny queen, Alfhild can really pump out eggs.

IMG 8197


Question for Pheidole Phenoms: I've heard these might not even need or benefit from diapause. What is the best practice for this species? I'd enjoy getting a break from them, but it would also be cool to keep a colony going through the dreary winter.


Edited by ANTdrew, February 10 2021 - 6:15 AM.

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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.

#83 Offline AntsDakota - Posted September 13 2020 - 11:15 AM

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I also need to get my hands onto a pheidole colony

Yes, you do.

 

As do I.


"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


#84 Offline DDD101DDD - Posted September 13 2020 - 11:21 AM

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Maybe keep one colony in diapause and the other out, to see how they are affected.


He travels, he seeks the p a r m e s a n.


#85 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 13 2020 - 11:49 AM

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I also need to get my hands onto a pheidole colony

Yes, you do.
As do I.
Yes, you do.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#86 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 13 2020 - 11:51 AM

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Maybe keep one colony in diapause and the other out, to see how they are affected.

I actually am down to one colony now. Sold my extra yesterday.
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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.

#87 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 24 2020 - 10:32 AM

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Update 9-24-2020

 

 The growth rate of this colony has been exponential. With each feeding, more and more workers and majors come up to swarm the food. The only other species I've seen that attacks food with such voracity would be Tetramorium immigrans. When I fed them a bunch of termites last night, at least ten majors came up to help out, and now a days one or two majors are usually out cruising the foraging area like six-legged bulldogs.

 Another similarity they have with the Tetramorium I've kept is how they like plastering larvae all along the walls and ceiling of their mini-hearth chamber. I can't wait to move them into something even bigger next season.

 

 

 
 I'll try to get some good shots of their feeding frenzies soon.

Edited by ANTdrew, September 24 2020 - 10:34 AM.

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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.

#88 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 24 2020 - 10:41 AM

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Wow i wish you had one of these for sale still because there so cool how small but big they are if that makes sense.


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We don’t talk about that

#89 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 25 2020 - 4:56 AM

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Phathead photo-dump!

 

 
 
 
IMG 8307
IMG 8304

Edited by ANTdrew, February 10 2021 - 6:16 AM.

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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.

#90 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 25 2020 - 5:11 AM

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They really do have fat heads for such small pheidole and also i heard they only get around 3000 workers, is that correct?


We don’t talk about that

#91 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted September 25 2020 - 5:45 AM

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They really do have fat heads for such small pheidole and also i heard they only get around 3000 workers, is that correct?

Yes, mostly. Some colonies have been known to reach closer to 5k workers, with about 500 being majors.



#92 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 25 2020 - 5:59 AM

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I really need to find someone with this species for sale then.
Do you think a fortress or something a little bigger would hold them all? They are pretty tiny.
We don’t talk about that

#93 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 25 2020 - 6:09 AM

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I'd like to get something more like a mini-labyrinth for mine.I hope they get to 5K!


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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.

#94 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 25 2020 - 6:25 AM

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Honestly I think that may be to much for them since there so small and I’ve seen a 1000 worker colony in a mini hearth bifurcated so maybe something like a stronghold would work.
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We don’t talk about that

#95 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 25 2020 - 6:42 AM

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Honestly I think that may be to much for them since there so small and I’ve seen a 1000 worker colony in a mini hearth bifurcated so maybe something like a stronghold would work.

plus, the price is much better...


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

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#96 Offline ArmansAnts - Posted September 25 2020 - 12:39 PM

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Really nice photos. I love how quickly they rush to go eat when they find some food.


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#97 Offline AntsDakota - Posted September 25 2020 - 3:05 PM

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 The only other species I've seen that attacks food with such voracity would be Tetramorium immigrans.

You obviously haven't seen Pogonomyrmex, then.  :D

 

I keep both species, and my Pogonomyrmex are much more aggressive for their size. 


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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


#98 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 25 2020 - 3:58 PM

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Yes they are crazy and will attack anything moving basically.
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We don’t talk about that

#99 Online ANTdrew - Posted September 25 2020 - 4:05 PM

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But do they send out 70% of their colony within seconds of dropping in a food source? I was referring more to the sheer number of workers and rapidity of their response. I’ve actually never given them something living to attack.
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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.

#100 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 26 2020 - 6:07 AM

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What the Pogonomyrmex because 70 percent is about right when I fed them some termites they only had 9 workers and they sent out 6
We don’t talk about that





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