6 replies to this topic

[RapaNui]

This is my second experience with Polyrhachis group (also single queen). First queen was Polyrachis sp.

First time with Polyrhachis Thompsoni.

 

Reference:

 

0 - http://www.antwiki.o...iki/Polyrhachis

1 - http://www.antwiki.o...rmhopla_species

2 - http://www.antwiki.o...achis_thompsoni

3 - http://www.antstore....-ants-5172.html

4 - http://www.alexander...ra/Polyrhachis/

5 - http://tw.taobao.com.../9883019908.htm

6 - http://www.antspic.c...ext.asp?id=2886

 

Experience:

 

I have just received it so I could only observe it a little. But they are very sensitive to everything, vibrations, light, movement, etc.

My last experience was unsuccessful, it was a single queen, that only layed three or four times but the eggs never managed to get to puppae. During larvae stage she would consume them. The previous queen ended up dying.

The photos are not very good, but I will try to take better ones during the day.

Let's see how this one goes. 

[antmaniac]

Is she super fast? I raised my Polyrhachis sp. with honey and insects before and I think you may need to feed your queen a bit. Also the queen is very clingy, I had to shake her off from time to time. I fed her the mosquito are those with white (eggs?) abdomen, which helps I suppose.

[RapaNui]

Hi antmaniac! My queen is actually moving around a lot. The previous one was like this as well. She likes to come out to the small "outworld" and investigate.

Then she returns to the test tube afterwards.

[antmaniac]

At least your queen actually going back. My one would abandon the brood and climb up my arm at any given opportunity. But once the workers hatched, she seems be stay back with the brood a lot more. I think this species dwell in the trees (arboreal ants). Hence they move around a lot and quite skillful at hunting insects.

[RapaNui]

Update - First failure. 

I got home today and found the queen swimming in the melted rock sugar.... sugar spread all over the place. Eggs drowning in very small puddles of sugar... i just don't understand why she would put her body inside the rock sugar dish....

Took her out and "showered" her with clean water, placed her in a bigger formicarium with two test tubes and bigger outworld.

All liquids are now being supplied through cotton to avoid previous situation. 

All eggs were lost, and she had 6 eggs.

She continues outside on the new outworld cleaning and drying herself, to help her, I placed some dry wooden chips and she has been scrubbing her body on the chips. 

Major set back. I will post more updates soon.

[RapaNui]

Update - Continued failure.

Queen is extremely active and does something very weird, she will bath herself in water (i stopped providing sugar) and spreads drops inside the test tube.

I almost tempted to stop giving her anything.

Meanwhile I have some videos on the link below:

https://www.youtube....i4HkpVgnr62h354

[RapaNui]

The dark queen is dead... 

It was a tremendously good looking queen, and it died, I believe due to mites infestation. I gave her a few termites that I caught in the wild.

Today when I placed her inside the alcohol vial I noticed a lot of white dots coming down from her... I inspected the test tube and those white specks were moving... damn mites.

 

 

I am sad, but actually I got another Polyrhachis queen from another subspecies. This one is smaller but totally red. I hope I can have better results. 

 

This will be the end of this journal.

I will update Youtube Playlist to Polyrhachis so you can follow the next queen.

Regards