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Straywolf94's Polygynous Pogonomyrmex Californicus Colony Journal (2021)

pogonomyrmex californicus

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#1 Offline Straywolf94 - Posted August 1 2021 - 6:24 PM

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I collected about 35 queens a few days after their mating flight in San Diego.  I've been wanting to start a new polygynous colony with dirt-less setup where I can more easily observe the queens, egg pile, larvae and such.  The 2018 colony is great but is lacking in that aspect since you cannot see into the dirt nest.  I bought a Palladium nest from THA to start the colony.  I tried to dab the thoraxes with some white nontoxic paint to help identify queens from workers later on.  But they were able to clean it off after a few days.

 

Day 1

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Edited by Straywolf94, May 29 2022 - 9:39 PM.

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#2 Offline Straywolf94 - Posted August 1 2021 - 6:37 PM

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Day 2

 

We have eggs!  Can you find them?

 

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Edited by Straywolf94, August 1 2021 - 6:37 PM.

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#3 Offline Straywolf94 - Posted August 1 2021 - 6:39 PM

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Day 4

 

Egg pile getting bigger!

 

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#4 Offline Straywolf94 - Posted August 1 2021 - 6:45 PM

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Day 7

 

Even more eggs!  We also have 3 dead queens.  Colony is down to 32 queens.

 

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#5 Offline Straywolf94 - Posted May 29 2022 - 9:32 PM

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10 Month update:

 

Pogonomyrmex have finally started cranking out new brood with spring in full tilt.   No additional queen deaths that I have noticed.  They're pretty packed in the current Palladium formicarium and there are a ton of springtails or booklice in there due to the trash and humidity.  So I decided to move them to the XL Labyrinth which I've been planning for a while.  I connected the nests, and removed the nest chamber lid in the Palladium to get them to move.  It took about 3 days for the move to complete and now the Palladium is abandoned and they are happily relocated into the XL Labyrinth.  I love this new nest since it has an awesome topside view of the Pogonomyrmex with museum glass.  This is one thing I could not do in my dirt setup, though the dirt formicarium is still successful and strong.

 

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Edited by Straywolf94, May 29 2022 - 9:36 PM.

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#6 Offline ZTYguy - Posted May 29 2022 - 9:55 PM

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Very cool. This season I’d like to try out a large colony of these. Maybe I won’t do 35 queens but I’ll do a large number anyways, that is such an impressive colony you got there and keep up the good work.


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Currently: Considering moving to Australia
Reason: Myrmecia

#7 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 30 2022 - 8:50 AM

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I henceforth dub you the Potentate of Pogonomyrmex.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#8 Offline DaAnt - Posted February 15 2023 - 6:45 PM

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Update?







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