Jump to content

  • Gallery
  • Members
  • Member Map
  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo
* * * * - 7 votes

Manitobant's Polyergus mexicanus queen journal (updated March 18th, physogastric queen)

Started By Manitobant , Jul 30 2020 12:45 PM

52 replies to this topic

#1 Online Manitobant - Posted July 30 2020 - 12:45 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
I caught a polyergus mexicanus queen on july 28th, 2020. She is currently in a test tube with 2 formica subsericea callows and some brood. I hope to successfully found her so i don't have to find another colony next spring for my experiments.




Edited by Manitobant, March 18 2022 - 12:14 PM.

  • Vendayn, VenomousBeast, AntsDakota and 4 others like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#2 Offline Vendayn - Posted July 30 2020 - 1:17 PM

Vendayn

    Advanced Member

  • Banned
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,981 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

They look really cool :) And don't see Polyergus in captivity very often (and I don't recall seeing a journal about them in the past, but might have missed it). I hope you see success with them. They are an awesome species.


  • TennesseeAnts, Manitobant and Antkid12 like this

#3 Offline Antkid12 - Posted July 30 2020 - 1:39 PM

Antkid12

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,009 posts
  • LocationFairfax, Virginia

Nice!


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

#4 Offline AntsDakota - Posted July 30 2020 - 1:40 PM

AntsDakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,979 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota

There may have been one or two journals, but I can't recall their names right off hand. I think they ended poorly, though. 


  • TennesseeAnts and TestSubjectOne like this

"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 Online Manitobant - Posted August 4 2020 - 1:04 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
Sadly this queen died after drowing in sugar water.

Luckiky i got a second queen, which will be known as queen #2. Queen #2 has been given callows and has been put in a bamboo tube setup. So far she is doing much better than queen #1.
  • CatsnAnts likes this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#6 Online Manitobant - Posted August 4 2020 - 5:32 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
I went hunting again today and caught 2 more queens. These two have been placed in test tube setups with callows.
  • TennesseeAnts and CatsnAnts like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#7 Online Manitobant - Posted September 8 2020 - 9:00 AM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
I caught a few more of these queens this year, but they all died because i didn't feed them in time since I was away the day after i caught them. This is one of the problems with raising polyergus, as you actually need to wait for the callows to harden and be accepted by the queen before you feed them since the queens cannot feed themselves.



Queen #2, however, is doing great. She has around 10 hosts plus about 5 pupae waiting to eclose. When they do, i will put them into hibernation.
  • AntsDakota and TechAnt like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#8 Offline TechAnt - Posted September 8 2020 - 9:11 AM

TechAnt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,303 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles, California

Great! Any photos?


My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#9 Online Manitobant - Posted September 11 2020 - 9:55 AM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
Ill try to get some later
  • TechAnt likes this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#10 Offline AntsDakota - Posted September 11 2020 - 10:17 AM

AntsDakota

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,979 posts
  • LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota
I did find one of these queens a couple years ago, but unfortunately all Formica were hibernating at that time (it was late in the season).
  • TennesseeAnts likes this

"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

#11 Online Manitobant - Posted September 23 2020 - 2:20 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
I put this colony into hibernation today. I will wake them up in January and i hope they make it!


Here is a pic i took: https://www.formicul...exicanus-queen/
  • TennesseeAnts and TechAnt like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#12 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted September 23 2020 - 4:15 PM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,875 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

Good luck!


  • Manitobant likes this

My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

#13 Online Manitobant - Posted September 23 2020 - 4:29 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
I know someone has beat me to founding this species (and north American polyergus in general) so there won't be any records broken. However i do hope to succeed!
  • TennesseeAnts likes this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#14 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted September 23 2020 - 4:32 PM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,875 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee

I know someone has beat me to founding this species (and north American polyergus in general) so there won't be any records broken. However i do hope to succeed!

Well, I haven't seen anything on here about keeping Polyergus yet, so you could be the first on FC.


My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

#15 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted September 24 2020 - 9:03 AM

KitsAntVa

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,254 posts
  • LocationRichmond, Virginia

Wait so these can actually take brood from a diffrent species and be totally ok?


We don’t talk about that

#16 Online Manitobant - Posted September 24 2020 - 9:30 AM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
Yeah they steal them to raise as slaves.
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#17 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted September 24 2020 - 12:35 PM

Kaelwizard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,852 posts
  • LocationPoway, California

Wait so these can actually take brood from a diffrent species and be totally ok?

That's exactly what they do. They specialize in raiding Formica species.


#18 Online Manitobant - Posted December 27 2020 - 4:23 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada
I took the colony out of hibernation today, and there surprisingly wasn't any casualties. Now we wait for eggs.
  • TennesseeAnts and Antkeeper01 like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#19 Online Manitobant - Posted January 14 2021 - 3:34 PM

Manitobant

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,509 posts
  • LocationWinnipeg, Canada

update january 14th, 2021: EGGS!!!!

 

 

today i checked up on the colony and found one of the workers holding a small clutch of eggs. the colony happily took some fruit flies and sugar water as well. everything should be smooth sailing from here.

 

 

 

Polyergus with eggs 1
Polyergus with eggs 2

  • Canadian anter, TennesseeAnts, ANTdrew and 2 others like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449

#20 Offline NickAnter - Posted January 14 2021 - 3:38 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,279 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

2 days later.....

 

Queen dies.....


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

Species being kept:

 

 Solenopsis "plebeius", Camponotus maritimus, Formica cf. subaenescens, Formica cf. aerata, Lasius cf. americanus, Lasius aphidicola, Lasius brevicornis, Lasius nr claviger, Nylanderia vividula, Temnothorax nevadensis, Temnothorax chandleri, Temnothorax arboreus Solenopsis validiuscula, Solenopsis truncorum, Solenopsis xyloni, Formica perpilosa, Formica cf. lasiodes, Formica cf. neogagates Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex salinus, and Myrmecocystus testaceus!!!!

 

Hoping to find this year:

Myrmecocystus, Liometopum occidentale, Camponotus essigi, Camponotus fragilis, Manica bradleyi, Formica perpilosa, Pheidole hyatti, and a Parasitic Formica sp.

 

People are stupid. It explains a lot...

Back to Ant Keeping Journals · Next Unread Topic →


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users