11 replies to this topic

[AntsCzech]

AntsCzech's Journal

 

I'll be posting random notes starting now. For colonies or species where it's worth, I'll make Journals for each.


2025/10/18
At the time of writing I have most probably 61 colonies.
It takes about half a day to take care of them if I don't laze around looking at them or by taking pictures. 
Most of them are in test tubes, some medium sized are in simple arenas inside ttubes or small nests. Some colonies are big or living in naturalistic setups (Camponotus singularis, Odontomachus rixosus, Lasius niger).
 
I make my own "simple&cheap arenas" that I'm planning to offer. So far I'm testing several prototypes.

Edited by AntsCzech, October 18 2025 - 2:10 PM.

[AntsCzech]

2025/10/12

 

I put ants in test tubes in lower temps, Oct. 19 I also put most of the medium colonies in formicaria, prep for hibernation begins!

 

2025/10/19

 

Dolichoderus quadripunctatus #4 2025

One worker has randomly died, down to a single worker. 

 

Cardiocondyla dalmatica 2025 

from Hungary, 12w, one w died

 

Messor structor #2 

has about 50 workers, from Czechia, rare species

 

C. dalmatica picture:

[AntsCzech]

2025/10/27

 

Pre-hibernation in full swing.

Cleaned the enclosure for Camponotus ligniperda 2018 colony called Drevokocúři (Wood-cats) and 2020 colony called Dvakocúři (Two-cats). I put some crushed beech wood in there, we'll see how it works as a substrate 😄

 

I have to go buy some fly larvae at the fishing store and try feeding them to the ants. It's very cheap food, and ants really like flies. Their cuticle is thin, and there's a lot to eat in them.

More pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/p41Ejle

Not organized, but it needs to stay like this just for a few weeks for pre-hibernation (lowering temps)



The 2020 C. ligniperda colony

And the outworld

[AntsCzech]

2025/11/02

Tetramorium bicarinatum
I got this colony gifted back in middle July. They arrived with 5Q and 20w. 

Currently the colony has over 200 workers and will have even more soon. They could have even more than that, but I didn't put them on a heat cable. For easier feeding and waste cleaning, I put their test tube into a 1.3L simple outworld I showed earlier. As a substrate I used just sand, no plaster since I ran out recently. The new workers are visibly smaller than the old 20w because they came as a fission of a larger colony that produced alates. Alate production starts with a few thousand workers, afaik. Then they inbreed with males and the colony can grow even faster. 

For counting ants I use my own counter on https://pocitadlo-fo...ika.zombeek.cz/ It is available with multiple languages and I've just added Picture Editing. If you come across any problems, don't hesitate to tell me
 

Edited by AntsCzech, November 3 2025 - 9:03 AM.

[AntsCzech]

2025/11/16
Messor ibericus 2024
Colony before shipping to its new owner in the Formika S1 prototype nest (S1.2.5). The new S prototype nests have proven themselves so far, with larger humidification chambers and magnet compatibility. The colony has a few Messor barbarus broodboosted workers living with the colony, coexisting fine with their nestmates for months since they eclosed from pupae.

 

More pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/fQt4fuq

[AntsCzech]

2025/12/06

 

Gnamptogenys sp. 2025

Q+4w colony has nice L2-3 larvae

It might be beneficial to feed them more regularly, but they get cockroaches or other feed insects at least twice a week.

 

Camponotus fedtschenkoi 2025

Currently in its third week, the brood is not growing - the colony has entered diapause controlled by its internal clock

 

Camponotus japonicus 2025

The same is true for this colony, which is only 1 week old and is at 10-15 °C (a little more, because it is too warm outside).

 

Odontomachus rixosus 2023

A pile of pupae  larvae nowhere to be seen (might be in their subterranean nest), and upon closer inspection, there are even new eggs  

 

Camponotus tinctus "maculatus subnudus" 2025

has several worker pupae without cocoons and other larvae

 It is fed sugars and insects weekly.


 

[AntsCzech]

I've also been able to film this peculiar thing, a pulsating dorsal vein of a Monomorium pharaonis worker: https://i.imgur.com/jUs764T.mp4 Check the video in the link.

Other worker from lateral view:

 

Both photo and video were taken on my University's Keyence Microscope!

Edited by AntsCzech, December 10 2025 - 1:55 PM.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

I've also been able to film this peculiar thing, a pulsating dorsal vein of a Monomorium pharaonis worker: https://i.imgur.com/jUs764T.mp4 Check the video in the link.

Other worker from lateral view:
 

 

Both photo and video were taken on my University's Keyence Microscope!

 

Wow that's cool! I have a few questions.

 

what was she doing when you took the video?

Does the dorsal vein pump faster when the ant is in motion? (like how your heart beats faster when you are walking than when you are sitting)

Edited by OwlThatLikesAnts, December 11 2025 - 8:38 AM.

[AntsCzech]

 

Wow that's cool! I have a few questions.

 

what was she doing when you took the video?

Does the dorsal vein pump faster when the ant is in motion? (like how your heart beats faster when you are walking than when you are sitting)

 

She was just sitting there, otherwise I wouldn't be able to focus on her gaster like this.

Quick google search told me that yes, they pump faster during increased activity and it makes sense. They need more nutrients when they run (while air is still being diffused through their tracheae). But I didn't check myself. I might have something more filmed where it will be visible when the worker was running while I was recording her.

2025/12/13

It looks like one worker ant of Gnamptogenys sp. has died, but at the same time there is one pupa in a cocoon :happy:

 

And finally, I have lighting on my ant shelf!

Edited by AntsCzech, December 13 2025 - 1:24 PM.

[ANTdrew]

Looks like a great setup!

[AntsCzech]

2025/12/31

 

Happy New Year everyone! 

 

Messor barbarus The Ant Bakers

In addition to the males, there was also this "microgyne" alate, more likely a nanitic gyne. Tiny, already swimming in alcohol and will be pinned. They've already torn off her wings, so it would be soon until they ate her whole (If alates don't fly, they are eaten by the colony, as they cost many resources).

 

 

Temnothorax cf. crassispinus 2025

One of the queens (probably already dead) was thrown out of the box. I often see workers walking around on the shelf and around lol

 

Cataglyphis aenescens/hellenica 2025

In their Formika S1 nest (prototype), they are head to head, body to body, similar to what Formica spp. do.

Quite a few workers died at the beginning of autumn, but now, with winter, it has slowed down and they are mainly sleeping. During autumn (15-20 °C), a few workers went outside and actively collected honey. During winter (10-15 °C), they hardly go outside.

I also have a rather irrational urge to keep them in Mediterranean hibernation temperatures, even though they are from Budapest and can certainly withstand colder temperatures. 

I'm going to put them in 5-10 °C, hopefully they'll survive.

 

 

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

 

 

Wow that's cool! I have a few questions.

 

what was she doing when you took the video?

Does the dorsal vein pump faster when the ant is in motion? (like how your heart beats faster when you are walking than when you are sitting)

 

She was just sitting there, otherwise I wouldn't be able to focus on her gaster like this.

Quick google search told me that yes, they pump faster during increased activity and it makes sense. They need more nutrients when they run (while air is still being diffused through their tracheae). But I didn't check myself. I might have something more filmed where it will be visible when the worker was running while I was recording her.

2025/12/13

It looks like one worker ant of Gnamptogenys sp. has died, but at the same time there is one pupa in a cocoon :happy:

 

And finally, I have lighting on my ant shelf!

 

Very cool looking setup. I might get my own shelf like that