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TechAnt's Myrmecocystus sp. Journal - Photo Update!


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#41 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 10 2020 - 10:52 PM

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(Founding M. mimicus and mexicanus) I found a mexicanus Queen dead....most of the queens don’t have eggs (possibly unmated?)..kinda disappointing as I would expect larvae from at least one of the queens by now.

(M. testaceus) On the bright side, I noticed some plump larvae (could not get photos as they can’t stay still for a second -_-), and possibly eggs but yet again the queen went all “OH MY GOODNESS A VERY SUBTLE AND GENTLY APPROACHING LIGHT THAT REALLY IS NOT THAT SUPRISING RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!” so I could not confirm the white stuff in the back is eggs. Anyways, I decided to put a bunch of fruit flies in their outworld because: yes.

Edited by TechAnt, October 25 2020 - 1:15 PM.

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

#42 Offline JenC - Posted October 11 2020 - 12:40 AM

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When did you get your mexicanus queens?
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Current Colonies:
1x Camponotus Vicinus (3 Workers)

Single Queens:
3x Camponotus Clarithorax
4x Camponotus Maritimus
5x Camponotus Ca02
7x Camponotus Sansabeanus
1x Myrmecocustus Testaceus
3x Prenolepis Imparis

#43 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 11 2020 - 6:16 PM

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When did you get your mexicanus queens?

August 20th.

Another note, one more dead queen.

Better note, I noticed one mexicanus queen actually has a single pupae! And a mimicus Queen has eggs!


Edited by TechAnt, October 21 2020 - 9:04 AM.

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

#44 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:52 PM

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So the testaceus have gotten about 5-7 new workers compared to when I last checked on them, they are becoming increasingly hard to count. I also have a few of what M_Ants has called ‘minipletes’ (that nickname is epic), and those pupae without cocoons certainly hatched, I don’t see any new brood though, or the larvae I saw before, maybe they are behind the water tower or something, I dunno. I got a bunch of photos however, I hope these are decent, as I’m still a noob with my Macro Lens.

 

(Scroll down to see photos of them, I have moved them down there as these ones were flipped upside down)


Edited by TechAnt, October 16 2020 - 7:37 PM.

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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

#45 Offline M_Ants - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:53 PM

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You have so many more workers now. I'm still at 12.


Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

https://www.youtube....FG7utFVBA/about


#46 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:54 PM

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The photos keep coming upside down, I’m going to have to edit it so it’s not..
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

#47 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:55 PM

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You have so many more workers now. I'm still at 12.


I think I just had extra pupae, you have actual brood still there. I think your colony will be more successful than mine, I’m not sure why I have so many workers..

Edited by TechAnt, October 16 2020 - 1:58 PM.

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

#48 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 16 2020 - 1:59 PM

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Until I figure out how to flip them, photos will probably be like this. sigh


Edited by TechAnt, October 16 2020 - 2:00 PM.

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

#49 Offline M_Ants - Posted October 16 2020 - 2:14 PM

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You can flip them in the gallery.


Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

https://www.youtube....FG7utFVBA/about


#50 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 16 2020 - 3:20 PM

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Photos of them.

Attached Images

  • 74C90F4C-1613-4EEE-A4B7-E2B40D2BBA84.jpeg
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  • 240D9A3D-39DD-4620-B311-AAB057303E6F.png

Edited by TechAnt, October 16 2020 - 5:16 PM.

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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

#51 Offline AntsDakota - Posted October 16 2020 - 4:54 PM

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 what M_Ants has called ‘minipletes’ (that nickname is epic)

Perhaps we should start calling species which make repletes 'Replemorphic'.


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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


#52 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 16 2020 - 5:14 PM

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 what M_Ants has called ‘minipletes’ (that nickname is epic)

Perhaps we should start calling species which make repletes 'Replemorphic'.

 

y e s


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

#53 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 20 2020 - 11:46 AM

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Update, they got a couple more minipletes! Yayyy!

1st Photo: "Who are you looking at?"
2nd Photo: "Alright i'm out."

3rd Photo: "Hidey hidey hole"

4th Photo: "Da m-hearth community"

And I noticed some brood in the little hidey hole (3rd photo)

Attached Images

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  • E751FDB3-9480-4CE2-9966-3BB0B03B151B.png
  • FA9BD949-7EF2-4F96-9AF4-224E250528EC.png
  • 3A41D376-E5B6-4FD4-87DC-41A6284420FB.png

Edited by TechAnt, October 21 2020 - 9:08 AM.

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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

#54 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 25 2020 - 1:20 PM

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Wow, so I checked up on my founding honeypot queens, I found the mexicanus Queen with pupae had laid about 10-ish more eggs. She drank some honey water I gave her for half an hour straight, and mauled a fruit fly and devoured it. Her pupae looks ready to eclose soon. Also I found two more queens (one mimicus, one mexicanus) had laid even more eggs, nothing changed with the mimicus Queen with a single pupae though.

Attached Images

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  • A702DABE-0CE6-4641-ACBD-76834ECF044C.jpeg
  • 31429AA3-6C35-4EF2-A4AF-AFBE570680CC.jpeg

Edited by TechAnt, October 25 2020 - 1:21 PM.

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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

#55 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted October 26 2020 - 6:05 AM

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Nice! that's a baby cocoon and its cute lookin.


We don’t talk about that

#56 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 26 2020 - 8:05 AM

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Nice! that's a baby cocoon and its cute lookin.

yes, its a smol girl. Definitely a nanitic style of smol pupae.


Edited by TechAnt, October 26 2020 - 8:08 AM.

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

#57 Offline TechAnt - Posted October 26 2020 - 8:10 AM

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Uhh said mexicanus pupae may have just been drowned / attempted to be drowned by her mom, as I found the pupae a tad bit wet by the honeywater...


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

#58 Offline TechAnt - Posted November 5 2020 - 8:05 PM

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I have counted 3 new pupae. Their third is tucked in their little ‘hidey hole’.

Attached Images

  • E1A81D5B-9E23-4004-8D78-E9F0A476A5E2.jpeg

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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

#59 Offline TechAnt - Posted November 20 2020 - 9:42 AM

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Ok so, dissapointing mexicanus queen laid a ton of eggs that make like a small platform in her tube, but she ate the pupae. Said pupae looked almost ready to hatch :( but they are on a heating pad now, hopefully they can make a speedy recovery.

 

The mimicus queen with one pupae and a few eggs are still chilling, she is on a heating pad now like the mexicanus queen.

 

All the other queens still only have small larvae/eggs/nothing.

 

And the testaceus cocoons still have not hatched yet, but it could happen very soon.


Edited by TechAnt, November 20 2020 - 9:43 AM.

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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

#60 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 20 2020 - 9:50 AM

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are you going to sell any of your queens?


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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