14 replies to this topic

[Entomologyants]

   Last month (kind of late to make a journal entry) I found a bunch of Dark Rover ant queens (Brachymyrmex patagonicus) at my local pool place, and I'll be documenting them here!

Currently they have broken off their wings and now have eggs, larvae, and pupae (brood). Here are some pictures of the ants I caught!

 

1st Queen (No name yet!)

Lots of brood and doing very well! No workers, My favorite colony!

 

2nd Queen (No name yet!)

Queen 2 has some eggs and small larvae. No workers.

 

Super Colony!! (No Name for colony yet!)

3 queens in one tube, lots of larvae and some eggs! No workers.

One queen had a male with her and I did not notice, they are tiny.

 

Old Colony (Name: Ravens, Queen: Lenore)

Names inspired by poem: The Raven

My old undocumented colony from last year! Estimated workers 200.

Edited by Entomologyants, September 21 2025 - 3:41 PM.

[Entomologyants]

I thought of some cool names for my queen ants, tell me what you think and feel free to leave suggestions!

 

Queen 1 would be renamed "Queen Obscura" Based on the Latin word for "hidden" or "darkness".

 

Queen 2 would be renamed "Queen Nyx" Based on the Greek goddess who literally is the NIGHT.

 

The queens from the three-queen colony would be named "Rulers of the Dark Spiral" I just made this up lol.

[Entomologyants]

   I checked on my ants today; they have LOTS of pupae some of them darkening. No nanitics sadly, but they'll be here soon!

Here are some pictures I took when I checked on them.

 

Queen Obscura (Queen 1)

Tons of pupae and brood, doing very well! No workers.

 

Queen Nyx (Queen 2)

Has lots of larvae close to spinning a cocoon and some pupae! No workers.

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral (The three-queen colony)

At first I thought all the pupae was sand, that's how much brood there is lol. No workers.

Edited by Entomologyants, September 27 2025 - 10:34 AM.

[Zhuge]

Wow that's alot of pupae. 

[Entomologyants]

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

[Zhuge]

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

[Entomologyants]

 

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

 

    These colonies are very well heated; it made the biggest difference in the world.

Edited by Entomologyants, October 5 2025 - 6:38 PM.

[Zhuge]

 

 

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

 

    These colonies are very well heated; it made the biggest difference in the world.

 

how do you heat your ants?

[Entomologyants]

 

 

 

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

 

    These colonies are very well heated; it made the biggest difference in the world.

 

how do you heat your ants?

 

I got the Zoo Med 15-watt cable, and just sticked in the container where my ants are.

[Zhuge]

 

 

 

 

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

 

    These colonies are very well heated; it made the biggest difference in the world.

 

how do you heat your ants?

 

I got the Zoo Med 15-watt cable, and just sticked in the container where my ants are.

 

What part of the test tube though. (last time i tried that the queen got fried  )

Edited by Zhuge, October 7 2025 - 3:41 PM.

[Entomologyants]

   I gave the colonys with nanitics each a fruit fly today instead of yesterday because I was very busy.

Queen Nyx

They took the fly and tore it to pieces, and now 3 more workers have eclosed.

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

I saw them messing with the fruit fly, but they never seemed to eat it. A lot more workers have eclosed too. I also noticed they had killed the male ant

they had with them; mistook it for a tiny fruit fly

 

Sorry that there were no pictures, I think there is something wrong with my Camra, it did not focus at ALL.          ): 

Edited by Entomologyants, October 7 2025 - 3:49 PM.

[Entomologyants]

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

 

    These colonies are very well heated; it made the biggest difference in the world.

 

how do you heat your ants?

 

I got the Zoo Med 15-watt cable, and just sticked in the container where my ants are.

 

What part of the test tube though. (last time i tried that the queen got fried  )

 

The closer part where the ants were nesting, they love it.

[Zhuge]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Update! Some of my ants now have nanitics, I'll be giving the queen with workers a fruit fly for their first meal.

Here they are!

=

 

Queen Obscura

She is falling behind... I've noticed that some pupae are gone, and she is way more nervous than the others. ): No workers.

 

 

Queen Nyx

Has some brood still and now has nanitics! She is very calm too. Two workers.

 

 

Rulers of the Dark Spiral

This colony has LOTS of pupea still and a new egg batch! About six workers!

 

 

 

 

 

the difference in founding sucess with this species and brachymyrmex depilis is insane. i wish my ants would get that much brood.

 

    These colonies are very well heated; it made the biggest difference in the world.

 

how do you heat your ants?

 

I got the Zoo Med 15-watt cable, and just sticked in the container where my ants are.

 

What part of the test tube though. (last time i tried that the queen got fried  )

 

The closer part where the ants were nesting, they love it.

 

HOW that heat is 50 celsius

[cooIboyJ]

Put it at the tip of the test tube, and not touching if its too hot for your ants, put it 1 inch away or whatever works for you.

[Entomologyants]

   Update!

I checked on my ants today and Queen Obscura now has workers! I gave them a fruit fly, and they took part of its near where they are nesting.

   The other colonies have more workers and Queen Nyx workers have eaten the whole fruit fly I gave them. I'm not sure the Black Spiral is liking their food sadly.

Tomorrow I will check on them again (:

 

  I need to come up with colony names for Queen Obscura and Queen Nyx's colonies. Tell me if you have any ideas!

Edited by Entomologyants, October 8 2025 - 5:10 PM.