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Amatty’s Abused Acanthomyops (Formica too)

Started By Amatty76 , Jan 4 2021 9:10 PM

70 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 4 2021 - 9:10 PM

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I found this parasitic formica queen in early August and figured out she was actually in the Formica group Sanguinea which mostly consist of slave making formica. I got her hosts about a week after i caught her as well as getting her more hosts about a month later leaving her at 45 hosts for diapause. The colony went into diapause late September. I took the colony out of diapause on January 1st 2021. Currently they’re housed in a mini hearth from Tar Heel Ants and are pretty inactive because they just came out of diapause a few days ago. And after diapause she had 41 hosts left and the hosts started to fight a little but no casualties other then from diapause.


Edited by Amatty76, September 16 2021 - 6:08 PM.

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#2 Offline StrickyAnts - Posted January 4 2021 - 9:16 PM

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nice. Have any pictures?  :lol:


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#3 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 4 2021 - 9:18 PM

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#4 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 4 2021 - 9:34 PM

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i’m really trying here


Edited by Amatty76, January 4 2021 - 9:37 PM.

#5 Offline AleeGuy - Posted January 4 2021 - 9:38 PM

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‎

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#6 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 4 2021 - 9:42 PM

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just needed minor assistance 


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#7 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted January 5 2021 - 7:07 AM

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just needed minor assistance 

i have always wanted to keep formica sanguinea. hope you have good luck with them!


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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

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Formica Species Journal

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

#8 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 15 2021 - 7:36 AM

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A egg batch has appeared and they’ve started to become active, they even took 3 mealworms into the nest yesterday.  


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#9 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted January 15 2021 - 8:31 AM

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How did you manage to make an empty post-


Edited by Swirlysnowflake, January 15 2021 - 8:31 AM.

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 My YouTube channel :)

 

 

#10 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 15 2021 - 8:38 PM

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How did you manage to make an empty post-

 

I honestly have no idea...


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#11 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 16 2021 - 12:48 PM

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They’ve been eating 2 whole mealworms a day, and the queen is pumping out a few eggs a day.

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#12 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 24 2021 - 10:14 PM

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The brood has been growing nicely, They’ve almost emptied both feeders and are still eating 2 mealworms a day. Right now they have a few medium sized larvae a bunch of freshly hatched larvae and some eggs, speaking of eggs i caught the queen laying one. (Note: there’s 4 brood clumps but i only took a picture of the one with the largest larvae)

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#13 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 25 2021 - 1:11 PM

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Most the eggs have hatched and there’s now a bunch of small noodle larvae, there’s even some larvae pupating.

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#14 Offline NickAnter - Posted January 25 2021 - 1:15 PM

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Awesome! Hopefully the queen stays this productive.

 

I really hope I can catch some parasitic Formica this summer, they are some of my favorite ants.


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...

#15 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 25 2021 - 4:42 PM

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Awesome! Hopefully the queen stays this productive.

 

I really hope I can catch some parasitic Formica this summer, they are some of my favorite ants.

I just watched the queen lay another egg and a worker lay a trophic egg, so i think she’ll stay productive for awhile.


#16 Offline antsandmore - Posted January 26 2021 - 8:28 AM

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Awesome! Hopefully the queen stays this productive.

 

I really hope I can catch some parasitic Formica this summer, they are some of my favorite ants.

I just watched the queen lay another egg and a worker lay a trophic egg, so i think she’ll stay productive for awhile.

 

what is a trophic egg? also, I think these will be very cool to catch if I ever get the chance. 


Ants I am keeping:

 none for now, planning on being more active this year

#17 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted January 26 2021 - 8:52 AM

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only some species can make trophic eggs-such as formica and the workers lay it even though it isn't fertilized just so it can be food for the queen.


We don’t talk about that

#18 Offline NickAnter - Posted January 26 2021 - 9:30 AM

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Trophic eggs are eggs that are not generally allowed to develop--they are unfertilized, and as such would develop into males. Queens of ALL species can lay them, as all ants can produce males. Utilization of this is not however, taken up by all species.


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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...

#19 Offline KitsAntVa - Posted January 26 2021 - 10:51 AM

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really makes me wanna find some parasitic formica or even keep my formica pallidefulva.


We don’t talk about that

#20 Offline Amatty76 - Posted January 26 2021 - 5:54 PM

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I’m gonna be looking out for some pallidefulva and rufa group this year and probably more sanguinea to.


Edited by Amatty76, January 26 2021 - 5:55 PM.

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