Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Myrmica sp. Journey.

myrmica myrmicinae semi claustral founding

  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted November 18 2023 - 4:06 PM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

Week 1: 

 

This is the first week I have taken my Myrmica queen out of hibernation. She was caught during August, and hearing that they might not lay eggs before hibernation and because I wasn't prepared to take care of her, I put her in my fridge until today. This day marks the 3 1/2 month mark, and it seems like to me this would simulate a winter well enough for the queen.

 

I put a little depression in the cotton because I was afraid of her losing moisture, and she seems to be using it well. I know her hiding in it is a sign of stress, but that was because fumbled and dropped her test tube when I was warming her up, and she doesn't seem to have dug any deeper in the cotton so no worries of drowning. So far I am feeding her a little honey and a piece of rehydrated krill, which I really hope she takes because my fruit fly stocks are running dry. I don't think I'll be updating this much, as founding isn't very eventful, but I will make sure to update this if anything interesting happens.

 

IMG_1136.jpg

 

IMG_1136.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 


  • Karma and 100lols like this

#2 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted November 18 2023 - 4:08 PM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

Sorry for bad picture quality, I am only able to use a normal Iphone 14 camera for pictures, and I wanted to be quick so I wouldn't disturb her too much.



#3 Online ANTdrew - Posted November 18 2023 - 6:32 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,963 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Good luck! Try to get a clip on macro lens for your phone. I like the Leknes brand sold on Amazon.
  • 100lols likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted November 20 2023 - 7:12 PM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

Week 1: Continued.
I've ordered the macro lens for my phone, but for now I have to make do with some flashlight adjusted pictures. The queen is much more active and less shy after a feeding of krill and honey. You can see her colours in these two pictures quite good. I probably won't upload anything else until I have acquired the lense, or she lays any eggs.

 

 

 

IMG_1152.JPG

 

 

 

IMG_1153.JPG


Edited by michiganantsinmyyard, November 20 2023 - 7:13 PM.

  • Karma, 100lols and BleepingBleepers like this

#5 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted November 25 2023 - 5:49 PM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

Week 2: Lense! And finally some good photos.

As the title suggests, the lense for the camera finally came! I got some good pictures of the queen in her test tube, hopefully I can get an identification with them. 

No eggs or larva so far, but I'm not worried.

 

IMG_1161.JPG

 

IMG_1164.JPG


  • Full_Frontal_Yeti, 100lols and BleepingBleepers like this

#6 Offline 100lols - Posted November 25 2023 - 6:32 PM

100lols

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 422 posts
  • LocationSan Diego, CA
Wow! Great investment. The pictures are gorgeous. Really hope she gets workers!

#7 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted November 26 2023 - 12:56 PM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

If anyone does have any idea about species, or even what group it is in, please share! 



#8 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted December 9 2023 - 8:29 AM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

Update!

 

Finally! She laid eggs. After all this time of taking care of her, I thought she may have been infertile, or just not eating any food I gave her. But I recently disturbed her to add food to her test tube, and saw her picking something up. 

Upon closer inspection, they are most definitely her children. 

I can't really tell if it is eggs or early stage larvae, but either way it proves she is capable of laying.

IMG_1243.JPG


  • rptraut, Ernteameise and 100lols like this

#9 Offline michiganantsinmyyard - Posted December 18 2023 - 5:51 AM

michiganantsinmyyard

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
  • LocationCommerce Township, Michigan

Journal isn't discontinued, but nothing particularly exciting has happened. There are some small larva, and some more eggs, but nothing exciting. Until I see large noteworthy larva or pupa, I won't update this journal.



#10 Online ANTdrew - Posted December 18 2023 - 7:18 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,963 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
It is winter now. I wouldn’t expect much from northern ants like these.
  • rptraut and 100lols like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: myrmica, myrmicinae, semi claustral, founding

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users