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Oecophylla Smaragdina nest raid


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21 replies to this topic

#1 Offline weetbix - Posted November 26 2015 - 6:22 PM

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Hi guys,

A friend of mine raided an Oecophylla Smaragdina nest and found five winged queens,
Just wondering if they are fertile?

Pictures will follow soon

Regards
Jeff

#2 Offline weetbix - Posted November 26 2015 - 6:26 PM

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Sorry for double post, I am having a network lag, can any Mod/Admin please delete one of the post.

Thank you

#3 Offline weetbix - Posted November 26 2015 - 8:20 PM

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Here's the picts, thanks guys

First time raiding a OS nest, never expect more than one queen inside.



#4 Offline weetbix - Posted November 26 2015 - 9:43 PM

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I believed they aren't fertile yet, as they are freshly raided from their nest.
I'll try to mate them soon, once I catch some males OS.

Here are the male picts, I've seen many of them flying around in the evening.



#5 Offline LC3 - Posted November 26 2015 - 11:30 PM

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It is pretty hard to mate ants in captivity or getting them to fly although it's not unheard that captive colonies may fly or possibly mate. I have never heard anyone mentioning weaver ants mating in captivity let alone flying. Either way good luck!



#6 Offline weetbix - Posted November 27 2015 - 12:47 AM

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It is pretty hard to mate ants in captivity or getting them to fly although it's not unheard that captive colonies may fly or possibly mate. I have never heard anyone mentioning weaver ants mating in captivity let alone flying. Either way good luck!


Hi LC3,

I didn't know It'll be that difficult, thanks for the info.

#7 Offline weetbix - Posted November 29 2015 - 11:44 PM

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Just an update, there's actually 7 queens from that raid and she's fertile, I've noticed eggs at the bottom of the container, she might be the grand mama of them all.



She's the wing-less, the fourth queen at the very bottom from the top bunch.
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#8 Offline weetbix - Posted November 30 2015 - 3:27 AM

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Received 12 more queens today, pictures will follow.
On a mission to find some males, will try to mate some virgin queens.

#9 Offline weetbix - Posted November 30 2015 - 5:09 AM

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Here are some of the queens,
I'm going to order a larger test tube 25x150mm, 16x150mm might be too small for them, as they are quiet a large queen.



#10 Offline Mdrogun - Posted November 30 2015 - 4:18 PM

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Just an update, there's actually 7 queens from that raid and she's fertile, I've noticed eggs at the bottom of the container, she might be the grand mama of them all.



She's the wing-less, the fourth queen at the very bottom from the top bunch.

Infertile queens can still lay eggs. If they develop into workers then she is fertile.


Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega


#11 Offline weetbix - Posted November 30 2015 - 7:18 PM

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Just an update, there's actually 7 queens from that raid and she's fertile, I've noticed eggs at the bottom of the container, she might be the grand mama of them all.



She's the wing-less, the fourth queen at the very bottom from the top bunch.

Infertile queens can still lay eggs. If they develop into workers then she is fertile.

 

Thank you for the info Mdrogun



#12 Offline weetbix - Posted November 30 2015 - 7:27 PM

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After separating some wing-less queen, I finally found the grand mama.

She's the dark green colored, where as the younger queen are bright green.

I only found out this morning, she laid some eggs.

Maybe maturity can be noticed through color. just my two cents.

 

I also found some males, so I'll try to mate them in captivity.

 



#13 Offline Mdrogun - Posted November 30 2015 - 8:09 PM

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How large is the colony that you took these from? I believe Oecophylla smaragdina can have multiple queens. If you found one of the colony's main producers it could be detrimental to the colony's health.


Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega


#14 Offline weetbix - Posted November 30 2015 - 8:18 PM

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How large is the colony that you took these from? I believe Oecophylla smaragdina can have multiple queens. If you found one of the colony's main producers it could be detrimental to the colony's health.

I received seven queens from one nest, they were given to me by the locals, as they were trimming down the mangoes tree.

The ants are so common here, there's one colony on every tree.

 

The locals usually takes the worker for bird feed & the pupae for consumption.


Edited by weetbix, November 30 2015 - 8:21 PM.


#15 Offline weetbix - Posted December 1 2015 - 12:36 AM

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I've managed to placed some males with thirteen virgin queens, the males seems to fit in nicely, hopefully they can impregnate some queen. He's that black spot underneath the queen.



#16 Offline RapaNui - Posted December 1 2015 - 12:49 AM

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I read before on a international paper or asian myrmecology volume (don't remember) that some scientists/biologists believe that the males will fly out first and enter other colonies (?) and mate with the queens even before the queens have their nuptial flight.

This could be a good opportunity to test this theory, since it was wild caught, and your queens still have wings. 

If they start laying viable eggs, then the theory can be validated.

Either way, I wish you good luck with those !!



#17 Offline weetbix - Posted December 1 2015 - 1:35 AM

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Thank you for the encouragement RapaNui, I currently have 2 definite fertile queens out of 20, 5 wing-less are separated, just to see whether they are fertile or not, they're wing might be broken during captured.

#18 Offline Kit - Posted December 4 2015 - 11:32 PM

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Your maternal Queen needs to be in with workers or she will die.


Edited by Kit, December 9 2015 - 3:04 AM.


#19 Offline Kit - Posted December 5 2015 - 12:13 AM

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You have to preserve wild colonies and harvest mated founding Queens after rains, which you find on vegetation near wild colonies.


Edited by Kit, December 9 2015 - 3:04 AM.


#20 Offline weetbix - Posted December 14 2015 - 2:07 AM

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Thank you for your info Kit, I'll place a worker soon.
Here's an image on how they are doing.

image.jpg
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