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Cheeto's Acromyrmex versicolor (Updated 8/16)


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69 replies to this topic

#41 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted October 28 2020 - 10:47 AM

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i do too.  i just think that ants are like the only animal that can get someone to keep plants.


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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

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)


#42 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted November 25 2020 - 8:09 AM

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Update 11/25

I'm going to be honest... This colony, and species in general, has been on the back burner a bit. They're still doing really well, but my main focus is 100% on my Atta, and because of that the Acromyrmex have been relatively stagnant. They've still gotten a bit more fungus and have around 15 workers, not to mention all 4 queens are still playing nice, but when I have my Atta colony these guys definitely become 2nd priority. 
 

IMG 20201125 090159035

 

 

Still, despite my lack of attention, they're having pretty much no issues other than growing a bit slow. They could easily be 4x this size by now if I wanted, but honestly having a small leafcutter colony is kinda nice, they're suuuuper easy and chill and I don't have to worry about them really ever, so in the end I think things are still working out. I do hope to have both a large Acromyrmex and Atta colony eventually just to see how they compare with each other, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually.
 

IMG 20201125 090214277 HDR

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#43 Offline ExponentMars - Posted November 26 2020 - 9:26 AM

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bruh leafcutters are so cool


Ants, gaming
Currently Keeping: 
Crematogaster sp., Camponotus Ca02, Tetramorium Immigrans
Wishlist: 
Acromyrmex, novos, Pogonomyrmex, Formica, and Lasius

#44 Offline Tyr_Ants - Posted November 26 2020 - 4:02 PM

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Glad to see them grow

Ant Shop: (restocking soon) https://www.formicul...op/#entry195574  (y)  (y)  (y)  (y)  (y)  (y)  (y)  B)  B)  B)


#45 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted November 26 2020 - 4:33 PM

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Nice journal. How do you hydrate these setups?

Instagram          Journal           Shop


#46 Offline RonPopeil - Posted November 30 2020 - 7:43 PM

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so have you decided if youll separate these queens in the future to make additional colonies or just keep them together as long as they'll get along?



#47 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted November 30 2020 - 7:59 PM

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so have you decided if youll separate these queens in the future to make additional colonies or just keep them together as long as they'll get along?

This group will be staying together as long as they get along. I also have a colony with ~20 queens that I'm planning on keeping for myself, but if I sell all my extras and still have buyers I may split off a couple of queens to sell.


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#48 Offline ZTYguy - Posted November 30 2020 - 8:01 PM

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Do you have any tips on growing them to an impressive size and how big do colonies get.


Edited by ZTYguy, November 30 2020 - 8:01 PM.

Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#49 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted January 17 2021 - 5:48 PM

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Update 1/17

Been a while, eh?

Well, I have good and bad news with this colony. The good news is they're still here... bad news is we're basically back to square one.

While I was in Illinois something happened and all of their fungus died. All of it. So when I got back I moved them to a fresh, larger deli cup setup and gave them a tiny piece of fungus from another colony I have. I also decided to hook an outworld up to the setup so that I could be more passive about their feeding and just leave plants for them to take when they wish.
 

IMG 20210117 183327525

 

It's worked out pretty well, and since then the tiny piece of fungus has gotten just a bit less tiny.
 

IMG 20210117 182742123

 

 

There still isn't any brood as far as I can see... that all died along with their original fungus. However, the growth I've been seeing after adding an outworld is the fastest yet, so I'm really hoping I'm finally going to see some good progress coming from this colony.


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#50 Offline mmcguffi - Posted January 30 2021 - 11:52 AM

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Sorry about your crash -- that's great they seem to have recovered though. Did you give them Atta fungus?

 

Also I'm curious, do you know if Acromyrmex. v. are always semi-claustral? This paper seems to (briefly) indicate they are, but that is new information to me. I guess I just assumed they were like Atta and started their fungus gardens with fecal excretions and trophic eggs


Edited by mmcguffi, January 30 2021 - 11:53 AM.


#51 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted January 31 2021 - 9:25 AM

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Sorry about your crash -- that's great they seem to have recovered though. Did you give them Atta fungus?

Also I'm curious, do you know if Acromyrmex. v. are always semi-claustral? This paper seems to (briefly) indicate they are, but that is new information to me. I guess I just assumed they were like Atta and started their fungus gardens with fecal excretions and trophic eggs

I thought he said they still had some fungus. And they would have a different species of fungus so that wouldn’t work anyway. Also, the scientific name would be abbreviated as A. versicolor not Acromyrmex v.

#52 Offline mmcguffi - Posted January 31 2021 - 1:16 PM

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I thought he said they still had some fungus. And they would have a different species of fungus so that wouldn’t work anyway. Also, the scientific name would be abbreviated as A. versicolor not Acromyrmex v.

I was typing quickly and wrote A-cro. v. (no dash) as that is understandable by everyone reading this forum, but Formiculture automatically corrects to the full name. And if we are being pedantic, technically it would be A. versicolor  :D  

Also, yes they are different species of fungus, but fungal cultivars are mutually interchangeable between many of the Attines and there is good evidence that this has happened many times throughout the evolutionary history of the Attines, likely from fungal garden raids. Cheeto said he took it from an other colony, in which he does have Atta, so it is very possible that is what he used



#53 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted January 31 2021 - 1:55 PM

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Their new fungus is from another A. versicolor colony, however I also have experimental A. versicolor colonies tending to both Atta and Trachymyrmex fungus, both of which are working. Also yes, Acromyrmex are all semiclaustral, in which you feed them normal plant matter for them to offer to their fungus.


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#54 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted January 31 2021 - 2:13 PM

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Update 1/31

Since last time, this colony has continued to do very well... and we also have some new friends! I added in 2 queens from another colony of mine that was doing poorly, and they were accepted flawlessly, bringing this colony up to 6 queens total. You can tell based on the absolutely huge egg batch that's popped up in the last few days!
 

IMG 20210130 155735508 HDR

 

 

It's also pretty hard to get a good picture of all their fungus since they like to hang it from the lid of the deli cup, but you can definitely tell they've got quite a bit.
 

IMG 20210130 155727437 HDR
IMG 20210130 155740305

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#55 Offline Spazmops - Posted January 31 2021 - 3:00 PM

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Glad to see they've sprung back!


Co-owner and founder of Mountain Myrmeculture and The Menagerie Discord Server

Ants I have:

1 Formica fusca group- 0 workers

1 Tetramorium immigrans colony-20 workers

1 Dorymyrmex insanus- 1 queen, used to have workers

 

1 large P. occidentalis colony- around 50 workers, plenty of brood

 

 


#56 Offline Tanman1337 - Posted February 3 2021 - 1:38 PM

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Hey Cheeto, are you going to be selling any more of these beautiful ladies?

#57 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted February 3 2021 - 1:46 PM

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Hey Cheeto, are you going to be selling any more of these beautiful ladies?

I'm totally sold out from last season, but you can bet this summer I'll be catching tons more, so just keep an eye out for when I update my shop and there should be plenty available. They go quick but I do catch quite a few so I'm sure there'll be enough to go around.



#58 Offline antsandmore - Posted February 3 2021 - 1:47 PM

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Hey Cheeto, are you going to be selling any more of these beautiful ladies?

please put your location in your profile. thanks!


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Ants I am keeping:

 none for now, planning on being more active this year


#59 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted May 7 2021 - 8:19 PM

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WOW this journal is behind

Not to worry, this colony is still doing just fine. I recently moved them into a custom petri dish nest and they've been doing very well since then.
 

IMG 20210507 211314892 HDR
IMG 20210507 211317739 HDR
IMG 20210507 211331392 HDR
IMG 20210507 211339606 HDR

 

 

Not much else to say honestly. The fungus is finally at a decent size and they're growing pretty well. All 6 queens are still cooperating, and worker numbers are increasing steadily. Nothing too exciting with these guys, they're just nice to have sitting on a desk to look at.


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#60 Offline ZTYguy - Posted May 7 2021 - 9:31 PM

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Agreed. Nothing to crazy just a nice desk ant. Very tolerant to my desk lamp too. Anyways nice to see them doing well and they seem to be packing quite a bit of fungus, Nice!


Edited by ZTYguy, May 7 2021 - 9:32 PM.

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Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.





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