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NicholasP's Pogonomrmex Rugosus X Novomessor Cockerelli Multi Species Colony

multi species colony novomessor pogonomyrmex oligyny

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#1 Offline NicholasP - Posted October 17 2021 - 9:30 AM

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Hello again people of Formiculture! I come again with a very interesting thing I've tried with some of my Novomessor queens and my Pogonomyrmex Rugosus queens! A few months ago I had a Novomessor queen that was getting brood but she kept eating most but had 1 medium sized larva. Knowing that the chances of her succeeding was low I decided to attempt introducing my last surviving Pogonomyrmex Rugosus queen. I dipped her into white vinegar to get the colony scent off of her. I then carefully took her out of the vinegar and dried her off... I then proceeded to remove the Novomessor queen and separate her for the time being so the Rugosus queen could get the Novomessor scent on her. In went the Rugosus queen cautiously touching her surroundings trying to figure out where she was... 15 minutes later I decided to pop the Novomessor queen back in...She slowly started crawling in... And all of the sudden she went into a mad panic! Her nest had been infiltrated by another queen! She dashed around attempting to bite the Pogonomyrmex's queen right off. But little did she know that the queen would not die... She kept chomping away at her head trying to kill her... but she didn't die... The Rugosus queen just stood there... Not wanting to fight... She just took the blows... The Novomessor queen then realized there was no way she'd be able to kill the queen... They then were put away for the night to get used to eachother... The next day I came to check up on them and that's where I was shocked. The Novomessor queen was able to chomp of one of the Rugosus queen's legs! But no more further damage was done... The Novomessor queen only attacked when the Rugosus queen got too close to her side of the tube. Fast forward 1 month I was about to leave for a trip to Michigan when I noticed the Rugosus queen's back leg was injured. I saw that she struggled to move around... So I had only one option for this to work out in the end well... I took out the Rugosus queen and put her in a separate tube so I didn't have to kill her because I didn't have the heart or courage to kill that queen. I then took a new Pogonomyrmex Rugosus queen and dipped her in white vinegar and put her in with the Novomessor queen along with 1 Novomessor pupa. 3 weeks later I come back to see that this time the Rugosus queen had her whole leg severed but could walk around fine. And then I saw the thing that almost 100% guaranteed success. The pupa I gave them had become an adult worker! Now, the interesting thing is that the worker cares for both queens, but when the queens come in contact the worker just sits back and lets the Novomessor queen throw the punches! So this a case of Oligyny! The worker never forages for some reason which leads me to believe that if the Rugosus queen gets workers soon the Pogonomyrmex will do most of the work for foraging while the Novomessor will stay in the nest to care for brood! I'm fascinated by Multi species colonies and I really hope this colony keeps growing and that we soon get Rugosus workers! I'll keep you all posted!

Pics are coming later!


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#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 17 2021 - 1:32 PM

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You should make YouTube videos of the fights to get lots of views.
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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.

#3 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted October 17 2021 - 1:40 PM

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You should make YouTube videos of the fights to get lots of views.

seriously antscanada did this with 7 founding colonies and this guy is doing it with 2 founding queens don't hate on them


1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489


#4 Offline NicholasP - Posted October 17 2021 - 1:49 PM

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You should make YouTube videos of the fights to get lots of views.

seriously antscanada did this with 7 founding colonies and this guy is doing it with 2 founding queens don't hate on them

 

are you guys angry with me? I'm a little confused what you guys mean.


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#5 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 17 2021 - 1:54 PM

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No hate. Just joking around. I kind of feel bad for the decapitated queen, though.
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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.

#6 Offline NicholasP - Posted October 17 2021 - 1:56 PM

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Well the queen wasn't decapitated. She just had multiple leg injuries which is why I put the new queen in there. I won't put videos of them fighting for views. Only for education purposes.



#7 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted October 17 2021 - 2:10 PM

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You should make YouTube videos of the fights to get lots of views.

seriously antscanada did this with 7 founding colonies and this guy is doing it with 2 founding queens don't hate on them

 

are you guys angry with me? I'm a little confused what you guys mean.

 

I wasnt hating on you I thought he was lol


1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489


#8 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 9 2021 - 7:18 PM

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Well... This colony died in the end. I tried introducing 1 more Rugosus queen after the initial Rugosus queen was killed by the Novomessor queen. But the new Rugosus was sadly killed too. My Rugosus count is down to 3 now. and my novomessor count is down to around 5 but... With the Novomessor colonies that got workers I was able to trade them in for a super special ant that I've been dying to get!


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#9 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted November 10 2021 - 5:01 PM

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Well... This colony died in the end. I tried introducing 1 more Rugosus queen after the initial Rugosus queen was killed by the Novomessor queen. But the new Rugosus was sadly killed too. My Rugosus count is down to 3 now. and my novomessor count is down to around 5 but... With the Novomessor colonies that got workers I was able to trade them in for a super special ant that I've been dying to get!

WHAT ANT!?! I MUST KNOW!!!

1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489


#10 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 11 2021 - 6:55 PM

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Stay tuned for next episode!


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#11 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted November 12 2021 - 6:15 AM

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Stay tuned for next episode!

TELL ME! IS it atta? is it Myrmecocystus? I MUST KNOW


Edited by Antkeeper01, November 12 2021 - 6:16 AM.

1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489


#12 Offline NicholasP - Posted November 19 2021 - 5:46 PM

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Stay tuned for next episode!

TELL ME! IS it atta? is it Myrmecocystus? I MUST KNOW

 

It may or may not be some Neoponera, with a couple drops of Myrmecocystus and one drop of Atta. Hehehe.


Edited by NicholasP, November 19 2021 - 5:47 PM.

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#13 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted November 19 2021 - 6:50 PM

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Stay tuned for next episode!

TELL ME! IS it atta? is it Myrmecocystus? I MUST KNOW

 

It may or may not be some Neoponera, with a couple drops of Myrmecocystus and one drop of Atta. Hehehe.

 

I MUST KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: multi species colony, novomessor, pogonomyrmex, oligyny

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