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Boosting Novomessor w/ Aphaenogaster?


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#1 Offline TypeD - Posted December 2 2021 - 8:58 PM

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Howdy,

 

I have a novomessor queen that has repeatedly eaten her brood over the course of several months. Not sure if that's a problem with my care for her or if she's just a bit of a dud (she did get one worker -- but it died in an unfortunate tube flooding incident). Anyway, I don't have high hopes for her, but I do have a colony of aphaenogaster that could spare a few pupae. I figure it's pretty unlikely that it would work, since even ants from different subgenera can reject one another's brood. However, as I understand it these genera are pretty closely related and only recently split into two separate groups. Is there a chance this would work or should I not bother?


Edited by TypeD, December 2 2021 - 8:58 PM.


#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted December 3 2021 - 3:03 AM

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She will accept the pupae…for lunch.
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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 TypeD - Posted December 3 2021 - 11:31 AM

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She will accept the pupae…for lunch.

 

Haha alright, figures. Thanks!



#4 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted December 3 2021 - 1:46 PM

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Howdy,

 

I have a novomessor queen that has repeatedly eaten her brood over the course of several months. Not sure if that's a problem with my care for her or if she's just a bit of a dud (she did get one worker -- but it died in an unfortunate tube flooding incident). Anyway, I don't have high hopes for her, but I do have a colony of aphaenogaster that could spare a few pupae. I figure it's pretty unlikely that it would work, since even ants from different subgenera can reject one another's brood. However, as I understand it these genera are pretty closely related and only recently split into two separate groups. Is there a chance this would work or should I not bother?

How do you have novomessor in New York? that's really SUS.


Edited by Antkeeper01, December 3 2021 - 1:47 PM.

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

 

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#5 Offline TypeD - Posted December 3 2021 - 2:42 PM

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Howdy,

I have a novomessor queen that has repeatedly eaten her brood over the course of several months. Not sure if that's a problem with my care for her or if she's just a bit of a dud (she did get one worker -- but it died in an unfortunate tube flooding incident). Anyway, I don't have high hopes for her, but I do have a colony of aphaenogaster that could spare a few pupae. I figure it's pretty unlikely that it would work, since even ants from different subgenera can reject one another's brood. However, as I understand it these genera are pretty closely related and only recently split into two separate groups. Is there a chance this would work or should I not bother?

How do you have novomessor in New York? that's really SUS.

They were given/sold to me by someone in NYC with a PPQ (same with my CA02).

#6 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted December 4 2021 - 1:12 PM

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0
Howdy,
I have a novomessor queen that has repeatedly eaten her brood over the course of several months. Not sure if that's a problem with my care for her or if she's just a bit of a dud (she did get one worker -- but it died in an unfortunate tube flooding incident). Anyway, I don't have high hopes for her, but I do have a colony of aphaenogaster that could spare a few pupae. I figure it's pretty unlikely that it would work, since even ants from different subgenera can reject one another's brood. However, as I understand it these genera are pretty closely related and only recently split into two separate groups. Is there a chance this would work or should I not bother?

How do you have novomessor in New York? that's really SUS.

They were given/sold to me by someone in NYC with a PPQ (same with my CA02).
who is this person?

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


#7 Offline Zeiss - Posted December 5 2021 - 4:20 PM

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How do you have novomessor in New York? that's really SUS.
They were given/sold to me by someone in NYC with a PPQ (same with my CA02).

Just as a heads up, those permits typically state that once the permit holder acquire those ants from out of state, they are not legally allowed to sell or even give away those colonies: meaning if they don't want them, they need to be destroyed.

 

As for boosting the colonies, it never hurts to try.  The Novomessor probably isn't doing well because NY gets pretty cold compared to their native southwestern US.  The transit would also stress them out if they were not packed properly.


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#8 Offline TypeD - Posted December 5 2021 - 4:27 PM

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How do you have novomessor in New York? that's really SUS.
They were given/sold to me by someone in NYC with a PPQ (same with my CA02).
Just as a heads up, those permits typically state that once the permit holder acquire those ants from out of state, they are not legally allowed to sell or even give away those colonies: meaning if they don't want them, they need to be destroyed.

As for boosting the colonies, it never hurts to try. The Novomessor probably isn't doing well because NY gets pretty cold compared to their native southwestern US. The transit would also stress them out if they were not packed properly.

Ah okay, then that’s a misunderstanding on my part. Thanks for the heads up.

Regarding temperature, I keep my room between 70-80 degrees, so in theory that shouldn’t be the issue. Things were pretty hectic when I first moved in though, so I figure that I may have stressed her out by moving her tube in my room several times. Of all the queens that I currently have, she seems to have the most frantic reaction to even slight disturbances.

Perhaps I’ll give it a try with one pupa and gauge her reaction from there. Thanks!

#9 Offline ReignofRage - Posted December 5 2021 - 5:24 PM

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70-80 degrees Fahrenheit is on the cold to cool side for Novomessor, they would do much better around 85 degrees.


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#10 Offline TypeD - Posted December 5 2021 - 8:02 PM

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70-80 degrees Fahrenheit is on the cold to cool side for Novomessor, they would do much better around 85 degrees.


Duly noted!




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