10 replies to this topic

[Ants101]

In the month of June, around 10pm at night, I realized acorn ant alates from the woods nearby would fly towards this particular light source.

 

 

 

 

From June 13th to June 26th at 10pm, the acorn ant queen alates would arrive and shed their wings off. I've collected about 15 queens.

 

I've realized that most of them were temnothorax curvispinosus but there were 4 of them that had a light orange color.

 

I've noticed that the 4 of them were gentle with each other but did not get along with the others that were darker in color.

 

I've decided to keep the 4 orange ones in a test tube.

 

 

3 months later, they were successfully getting along and slowly growing in numbers.

 

 

 

 

On September 7th, I've opened up the test tube and placed them in their new home.

 

 

 

 

The next day they moved out of the test tube but they moved into one of the plastic plants! 

 

 

 

 

I've decided to put a red dark screen over the nest so that they can feel comfortable moving into the nest. I also gently blew upon them.  

 

The next day they moved in!

 

 

 

 

I believe they are not the "Temnothorax curvispinosus." Maybe they are another kind of Temnothorax species.

 

So far, they have passed the phase when the adults workers would kick out some queens out of the nest.

 

They appear, as of now, working together well.

Edited by Ants101, October 1 2022 - 2:25 AM.

[MrPurpleB]

Those ants look stunning! Their enclosure is also fantastic, it feels like mini landscape. 

Love that picture with the workers walking on the grass decor. Hope to see progress!

[OiledOlives]

Those are Temnothorax curvispinosus.

[NicholasP]

In the month of June, around 10pm at night, I realized acorn ant alates from the woods nearby would fly towards this particular light source.

 

 

IMG_0926.JPEG

 

 

From June 13th to June 26th at 10pm, the acorn ant queen alates would arrive and shed their wings off. I've collected about 15 queens.

 

I've realized that most of them were temnothorax curvispinosus but there were 4 of them that had a light orange color.

 

I've noticed that the 4 of them were gentle with each other but did not get along with the others that were darker in color.

 

I've decided to keep the 4 orange ones in a test tube.

 

 

3 months later, they were successfully getting along and slowly growing in numbers.

 

 

IMG_0814.JPEG

 

 

On September 7th, I've opened up the test tube and placed them in their new home.

 

 

IMG_0834.JPEG

 

 

The next day they moved out of the test tube but they moved into one of the plastic plants! 

 

 

IMG_0838.JPEG

 

 

I've decided to put a red dark screen over the nest so that they can feel comfortable moving into the nest. I also gently blew upon them.  

 

The next day they moved in!

 

 

Presentation1.jpg

 

 

I believe they are not Temnothorax curvispinosus.

 

So far, they have passed the phase when the adults workers would kick out some queens out of the nest.

 

They appear, as of now, working together well.

Those are T. curvispinosus lol.

[Ants101]

Those are Temnothorax curvispinosus.

 

I meant to say that they are temnothorax species but maybe not the temnothorax curvispinosus. There are so many different kinds of temonthorax out there.

[OiledOlives]

The only other small claustral yellow species in NY is ambiguus, which has workers with less markings on the abdomen and shorter spines.

Sent from my IN2015 using Tapatalk

[Ants101]

The only other small claustral yellow species in NY is ambiguus, which has workers with less markings on the abdomen and shorter spines.

Sent from my IN2015 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

These 4 queens are similar in size as the other darker ones that I have caught. 

 

I just find their color to be quite unique because I am so use to seeing them darker. 

[Ants101]

As of this month of October 2022, the colony have reached 22 adult workers so far and more is on the way despite the slight cooler temperature in

 

the room they are in. My plan is to eventually put them in a refrigerator around November. 

 

 

 

[AntsCali098]

Great looking colony

[Ants101]

As of now, the temnothorax colony are currently in diapause (hibernation) since December within a wine cooler fridge specifically

 

purchased for the ant hobby. They are in a 52°F temperature and will soon slowly reach around the 50°F temperature final mark.

 

This is not the first time I put acorn ant colonies in diapause mode and will repeat the same steps as done last winter diapause.

 

 

 

 

I put them in an unsealed zip lock bag to prevent any direct cold draft from the fridge and check them weekly to give them fresh sugar water.

 

Check out how they huddle together with their larvae brood which usually is the egg stage that can survive the cold winters. 

 

Will pull them out of diapause around March or April 2023.

Edited by Ants101, December 28 2022 - 2:36 PM.

[Ants101]

As of early March of 2023, I removed the acorn ant colony out of the refrigerator. 

 

They appear to have successfully survived the 50°F temperature diapause that started in December 2022.

 

After being in a 70°F room for about a week, they slowly were introduced to springtails as a protein food source, but they ignored it and only went for sugar water. 

 

 

 

 

Another week later, they started to have interest in the springtails and are now bringing them in the nest.

 

There are about 50 adults and the 4 queens are looking healthy.