85 replies to this topic

[JesseTheAntKid]

Hey! This is the start of my Tetramorium bicarinatum journal.
I know she's Tetra Bicar because she's a medium ant, isn't much bigger than the workers and looks exactly like Tetra Bicar. I have no idea why this was flying this late in December but oh well. Unfortunately, while catching this winged alate, I saw a very sad sight. A Tetra Bicar queen, with all but two of her legs ripped off. I've seen this before, with a couple Tetra Bicar workers attacking a queen. Why could this be?

[AsdinAnts]

dannggg, your lucky you have a tetra bicar queen. I’m pretty sure they inbreed aswell, i forgot. As for the tetra bicar queen that had all of her legs ripped off but two, she may have not been useful anymore and had started getting old so the colony may have decided to cull her for the larvae and other healthy queens.

[JesseTheAntKid]

Ohhhhhhhhh, that would explain the random queen on the sidewalk being ripped apart.

[JesseTheAntKid]

Ok, so, I am keeping two colonies. One was kidnapped (don't worry, from where I live they are not native and I made sure the two queens had workers to back them up) and a regular alate as mentioned before. I'll see how this goes.

[JesseTheAntKid]

I took the two queens yesterday and made sure they weren't harmed. The other I had taken on Monday. We'll see how this goes.

[AsdinAnts]

did you mix them together? or do they have their own setups?

[JesseTheAntKid]

They have their own setups. The alate is by herself and there's the two queens with their workers in another setup.

[JesseTheAntKid]

And yes, they do inbreed. I am not sure of they do this and it harms them or if they are adapted to it.

[AsdinAnts]

if they inbreed, then that's fantastic. You could just have an endless amount of queens that can go on for pretty much forever. I would also add more queens once the colony is more mature so that there is a mixed gene pool of ants. Since sometimes continuous inbreeding can effect the colony for the worse.
also I would love some pictures of them!

[JesseTheAntKid]

I'm getting a picture right now.

[JesseTheAntKid]

Keep in mind there are two workers just chillin with the queens in the bottom test tube.

Edited by JesseTheAntKid, December 20 2023 - 2:27 PM.

[JesseTheAntKid]

Apparently formiculture flips the photos sideways. One queen fell down right as I took that picture, which is why she's blurry.

[AsdinAnts]

oh, when was the last time the duo queens ate? maybe you should give them a tiny thing of sugar water. or a cut of a bugs leg.

[AsdinAnts]

also, do you have a container for the queens? They would do a lot better in a setup where the test tube is burried and they have an open space since they are a semi-claustral species. You could also just let them dig in a container with dirt/sand. But yea, you should probably feed both of them right now, the alate and duo queen since they are semi claustral. I’m also pretty sure they are hungry since I can see a worker tugging at the cotton. (edit: Semi-Claustral means that the queens need to go and hunt for food because they don’t have that big of a stomach to store that much food for their larvae.

Edited by AsdinAnts, December 20 2023 - 2:39 PM.

[JesseTheAntKid]

Actually that's what I thought lol
didn't know they're semiclaustral

[JesseTheAntKid]

thanks for the info

[AsdinAnts]

np, anytime you need!

[AsdinAnts]

you should also make a journal of your pheidole, I would love to see those beauties!

[JesseTheAntKid]

Alr!

[JesseTheAntKid]

UPDATE 1: The alate is settled in (somewhat) to the container I made for her yesterday. I have yet to make a container for the two-queened colony, but I will make that today as today is early release for me.