111 replies to this topic

[Flu1d]

Glad to see you found something this season. I have 2 colonies in experimental setups right now, and both seem to be doing fine. Colony #1 is in a tubs n tubes setup with damp soil and moss, resembling that of the forest floor, while colony #2 is in a tubs n tubes setup with dry sandy soil. I was wondering if the humidity of the nest impacts their growth rate, because it seems to have happened with colony #2.

I find that O. simillimus larvae are really picky of their pupating conditions, the substrate must not get too wet or too dry, and sometimes even if the substrate is at their prefered humidity they still won't pupate. This time I tried using cocopeat because I usually see them nest in cocopeat (although I found them nesting in oil palm cocopeat and I used coconut cocopeat but I can still try). I used a different setup this time similar to what Aqua Quah did in this page, you may have even been to that page before. It seems to be working and they have at least one egg.

This thread has been a roller coaster of emotions! I hope your colony thrives and you are able to fully enjoy them and they have an amazing life, friend!

Edited by Flu1d, November 20 2022 - 11:20 AM.

[SYUTEO]

November 22nd, 2022

 

The ants are eating well but due to them nesting in a place where I cannot easily see them, I have no idea if they have any new brood and so I will be unable to update unless they take them out or move to a new nesting location. I'm planning on posting pictures soon.

[Ant-nig321]

Nice journal so far,keep us updated ok?

[Talabason]

I keep odontomachus haematodus which is very similar to simillimus

Odonto species are very finicky based on conditions for larval pupation. Of course best set up is a naturalistic set up which mimics their natural terrain, heat, and humidity

The drawback is not able to observe the ants. As far artificial set ups, plaster or gypsum with constant supply of damp cocofibers seem to work. Dry substrate does not work. They really need heat and fairly high humidity. As the colony grow they require huge amount of proteins. Sugar water can be provided but they can survive solely on proteins.

Test tube or 3d printed or acrylic set ups are the bad because larva that comes into contact with the smooth surface will fail to spin.

Difference between queens are large, some queens are prolific and others are duds

[SYUTEO]

Nice journal so far,keep us updated ok?

 

I'll try my best but there is pretty much no visibility of the brood, the only thing I can see are the two workers and the queen. They haven't even moved out of their old piece of rotten wood that they lived in the temporary container.

I keep odontomachus haematodus which is very similar to simillimus

Odonto species are very finicky based on conditions for larval pupation. Of course best set up is a naturalistic set up which mimics their natural terrain, heat, and humidity

The drawback is not able to observe the ants. As far artificial set ups, plaster or gypsum with constant supply of damp cocofibers seem to work. Dry substrate does not work. They really need heat and fairly high humidity. As the colony grow they require huge amount of proteins. Sugar water can be provided but they can survive solely on proteins.

Test tube or 3d printed or acrylic set ups are the bad because larva that comes into contact with the smooth surface will fail to spin.

Difference between queens are large, some queens are prolific and others are duds

So true, not only for Odontomachus but also for Odontoponera, I have never gotten even one Odontoponera denticulata larva to pupate except in a naturalistic setup.

 

I find that last one to be true between their personalities too. Some queens are shy and picky while others are defensive and will eat anything.

[Talabason]

I have one colony close to 1000 workers. Good success with gypsum and cocofiber. They are only 1.5 years old. Started with single queen and no brood boost. Queen has been prolific. I even slowed them down for two month to similulate diapause.

[ANTS_KL]

 

Glad to see you found something this season. I have 2 colonies in experimental setups right now, and both seem to be doing fine. Colony #1 is in a tubs n tubes setup with damp soil and moss, resembling that of the forest floor, while colony #2 is in a tubs n tubes setup with dry sandy soil. I was wondering if the humidity of the nest impacts their growth rate, because it seems to have happened with colony #2.

I find that O. simillimus larvae are really picky of their pupating conditions, the substrate must not get too wet or too dry, and sometimes even if the substrate is at their prefered humidity they still won't pupate. This time I tried using cocopeat because I usually see them nest in cocopeat (although I found them nesting in oil palm cocopeat and I used coconut cocopeat but I can still try). I used a different setup this time similar to what Aqua Quah did in this page, you may have even been to that page before. It seems to be working and they have at least one egg.

 

Ah yes, Quah. His blog has plenty of handy tricks that help with the care of many species. I have also been able to successfully ID a few of the species on his page that he couldn't, though unfortunately I have no way to contact him and notify him of this. 

[SYUTEO]

 

 

Glad to see you found something this season. I have 2 colonies in experimental setups right now, and both seem to be doing fine. Colony #1 is in a tubs n tubes setup with damp soil and moss, resembling that of the forest floor, while colony #2 is in a tubs n tubes setup with dry sandy soil. I was wondering if the humidity of the nest impacts their growth rate, because it seems to have happened with colony #2.

I find that O. simillimus larvae are really picky of their pupating conditions, the substrate must not get too wet or too dry, and sometimes even if the substrate is at their prefered humidity they still won't pupate. This time I tried using cocopeat because I usually see them nest in cocopeat (although I found them nesting in oil palm cocopeat and I used coconut cocopeat but I can still try). I used a different setup this time similar to what Aqua Quah did in this page, you may have even been to that page before. It seems to be working and they have at least one egg.

 

Ah yes, Quah. His blog has plenty of handy tricks that help with the care of many species. I have also been able to successfully ID a few of the species on his page that he couldn't, though unfortunately I have no way to contact him and notify him of this. 

 

You can find him on Facebook, it's the right of the every page. Also which ants did you manage to identify? I would like to know.

[SYUTEO]

November 28th, 2022

 

The ants decided to give me a look of their eggs! I counted about five eggs.

[ANTS_KL]

You can find him on Facebook, it's the right of the every page. Also which ants did you manage to identify? I would like to know.

There was an ant species he was not able to identify at the time, which he mentioned looked like a jumble of different genera. It's safe to say now that the worker and queen he found were probably Dilobocondyla cf. yamanei, and the comparison he made to Secostruma at the time made sense, since Dilobocondyla and Secostruma are very closely related and resemble each other a fair bit.

Edit: Forgot to add that it is also very likely to be one of the un-named genera/species of ants found in Malaysia. Another thing I would like to add, I was able to identify a Diacamma mimicking Polyrhachis species on his page, which turned out to be Polyrhachis rugifrons, a species in the Polyrhachis sexspinosa species group.

Edited by ANTS_KL, November 30 2022 - 3:26 AM.

[SYUTEO]

December 1st, 2022

 

The queen laid more eggs, about 7-10 eggs now.

[Ant-nig321]

Any Update!!

[SYUTEO]

Any Update!!

December 6th, 2022

 

The ants are doing well, I removed their old piece of rotting wood and now they are nesting in the soil, can't really see them and I don't want to disturb them.

[Ant-nig321]

How many worker/s does the queen has so far?

[SYUTEO]

How many worker/s does the queen has so far?

December 7th, 2022

 

Still only two but

 

HUGE UPDATE,

They have larvae!   Two larvae to be exact, they hatched before I even expected.

[SYUTEO]

December 8th, 2022

 

They have their third larva today!

[Ant-nig321]

EDITE:congratulations

Edited by Ant-nig321, December 8 2022 - 4:23 AM.

[Ant-nig321]

I suggest you feed them more protein because those larvae need it very very much.

[SYUTEO]

I suggest you feed them more protein because those larvae need it very very much.

You double posted, press the "Post" button only once. I'm kinda running out of feeders right now, will have to get mealworms soon.

[SYUTEO]

December 17th, 2022

 

I did promise you pictures right? Here they finally are.

 

This is what their setup looks like. Not the best picture, I know. There are holes in the lid for them to breathe.

Inside it looks like this.

Here's inside their nest and look, they have two pupae and five larvae and about five eggs!  And there's a larva eating a mealworm.

The queen and both of the workers are still alive, you just can't see them clearly in the pictures or they are hiding.