304 replies to this topic

[Hiromilovesmealworms]

Camponotus ocreatus -- large desert species, 7 workers and brood

 

Pogonomyrmex barbatus -- big desert harvester ant, 10 workers and huge brood pile

 

Brachymyrmex patagonicus (escaped, i still see them all the time in my bathroom) -- 3 queens, workers unknown.

[cooIboyJ]

Foreius pruinosus-4 queens lots of brood; 2 queens a little brood

Nylanderia vividula-1 queen lots of brood for all colonies

Brachymyrmex patagonicus-5 queens ~70 workers; 3 queens ~30 workers; 3 queens ~25 workers; 1 queen ~10 workers

All journals are found in my signature!!

[rptraut]

Hello Everyone;

 

Colonies, Founding Colonies and Queens I've Kept in 2025 

 

The following is a list of the ant colonies I've kept this season, in brackets is the number of seasons I've had each one, F stands for founding.   Although I've had many successes, I also list the number of queens and colonies I've lost this season.   A sad testament to the vulnerability of ants as pets and the inability of this ant keeper to foresee every eventuality.

 

If you'd like to know more, I've documented the development of most of these colonies in my Journal located here   RPT's Journal - Ant Keeping Journals - Ants & Myrmecology Forum

   

Camponotus

1 col (7) -queen is dead

3 cols (6)

1 col (F)

 

Crematogaster

1 col (2)

1 col (2) queen is dead

2 queens (F)

 

Formica

2 cols (F) -first time for me keeping these ants

 

Lasius

4 cols (2)

3 cols (F)

 

Myrmica

1 col (4)

3 cols (2)

3 cols (F)

 

Temnothorax

3 cols (3)

2 cols (1)

 

Tetramorium

2 cols (6)

1 col (3)

 

Tapinoma

2 cols (5)

1 col (3)

3 cols (1)

 

 

Queens and Colonies Lost -2025

 

Camponotus

2 cols (2)  \

2 cols (1)   sadly, all four were lost when my root cellar flooded in spring, heartbreaking 

4 dealate queens died in test tubes

 

Crematogaster

Cr3 queen died of unknown causes

3 dealate queens died in test tubes

 

Lasius brevicornis

1 colony escaped - fudge!

 

Myrmica

1 col (4) -fungus?

 

Tapinoma

2 cols - escaped during winter storage

 

Temnothorax

3 cols - drowned in root cellar flood

 

I wish you all Good Luck next season.

RPT

Edited by rptraut, October 11 2025 - 11:54 PM.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

I guess I should do one too before I move, because I am never seeing these species again

I am also copying some of RPT's way of classifying his queens and colonies

 

example of how I'm labeling                This is number of colonies of this species   > 1col (20) < number of workers

                                                             If you see a pair of brackets ex: [2] it indicates the number of queens

Colonies and queens:

 

Camponotus

1col (6)

1q

 

Crematogaster

1q, there used to be workers

 

Formica

1 col (30-40)

 

Myrmica

1col (10)

 

temnothorax

1col (100?) [3]

 

Queen losses

 

Camponotus

2q -infertility

 

Lasius

4q -somehow all infertile

 

Myrmica

2q -Also infertile

 

Tetramorium

2q -infertile also couldn't keep them properly

 

Anyways, that's all. I'll miss these colonies

May the ant gods praise your colonies 

[cooIboyJ]

Currently keeping:
Brachymyrmex patagonicus
Forelius pruinosus
Nylanderia vividula
And a new queen that I thought was dead but started waking up earlier today, I will be posting an ID but it looks like some sort of semi-claustral Pogonomyrmex.

EDIT- whoops didn’t realize I made a post here a few days ago, sorry.

Edited by cooIboyJ, October 14 2025 - 2:15 PM.