Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Dspdrew's Camponotus fragilis Journal [200] (Discontinued 12-13-2021)

dspdrew journal camponotus fragilis carpenter ant

  • Please log in to reply
114 replies to this topic

#41 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 2 2016 - 7:55 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

A lot of desert ants slow down brood production during the winter.



#42 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 12 2016 - 6:28 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 3-12-2016
 

The large colony is still slowly shrinking. They're down to about 55 or so workers now.

 

The good news is the new colony that lost all but one worker, has two new workers now, and is producing more brood.



#43 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 7 2016 - 4:07 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 4-7-2016
 

The large colony now has a bunch of new larvae, so the colony is definitely making a comeback.

 

The small colony has a bunch of new larvae as well, so they too are making a good comeback.



#44 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 14 2016 - 8:37 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-14-2016
 

The large colony lost its queen so they are doomed. I found her dead in two pieces sitting in their trash pile. :(

 

The smaller colony has ten workers now, so hopefully they will continue in their success and replace the big colony I had.



#45 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 28 2016 - 12:25 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 7-28-2016
 

What used to be the large colony is finally completely gone now.

 

The newer colony is getting bigger all the time. I'm now in the process of moving them out of the "dirt box" and into one of my new founding formicariums.



#46 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 22 2016 - 8:58 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 8-22-2016
 

I just found a whole bunch of these queens last night near Chiriaco Summit, California. I'm putting some of them in my "dirt boxes", some in my new founding formicariums, and some in test tubes.



#47 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 9 2017 - 1:18 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 7-9-2017
 

I still have that one remaining colony and it's doing fairly well. They now have about 40 workers.

 

I also just found another one of these queens tonight on my black light in Trabuco Canyon, CA. It still has its wings, and seemed to want to keep flying when I first caught it, so it might not be fertile; I'll just have to wait and see.



#48 Offline Bracchymyrmex - Posted July 9 2017 - 10:08 AM

Bracchymyrmex

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 321 posts
  • LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

Update 7-9-2016

2017?


  • Martialis and Tyr_Ants like this

#49 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 29 2017 - 5:06 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 10-29-2017
 

I ended up finding a few more of these in Trabuco Canyon, CA and a bunch more in the desert this season.

 

My largest colony is really growing, and is now up to around 150 workers.

 

med_gallery_2_248_251485.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_248_317718.jpg


  • T.C. and rdurham02 like this

#50 Offline nurbs - Posted October 30 2017 - 2:42 AM

nurbs

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,630 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles

This is one of my favorite Camponotus species. They are a riot to watch. I've had a few get loose crawling on the wall and can always tell it is a fraggle by watching its movements.

 

They all have different personalities. Unlike C. quercicola, for exampe, who are totally chill lowkey - these guys are paranoid schizo ants with the slightest hint of vibration and disturbance.


  • Rstheant likes this

Instagram:
nurbsants
 
YouTube
 
California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#51 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 30 2017 - 10:16 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

This is one of my favorite Camponotus species. They are a riot to watch. I've had a few get loose crawling on the wall and can always tell it is a fraggle by watching its movements.

 

They all have different personalities. Unlike C. quercicola, for exampe, who are totally chill lowkey - these guys are paranoid schizo ants with the slightest hint of vibration and disturbance.

 

Yeah they're crazy paranoid.



#52 Offline JackPearl - Posted October 31 2017 - 12:05 PM

JackPearl

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 104 posts
Their colouration is awesome! I still can't get over it, I'm in love

#53 Offline T.C. - Posted November 1 2017 - 7:51 AM

T.C.

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,059 posts

Yeah, their color is pretty cool. This ant species in cali is just another reason why I want to move there. :ehh:


“If I am killed for simply living, let death be kinder than man.” -Althea Davis

#54 Offline AntsCalifornia - Posted November 19 2017 - 10:31 PM

AntsCalifornia

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 247 posts

These guys are really cool and I'm glad I have one of these queens. All your colony deaths are kind of freaking me out though. I only have one of these colonies, and only 1 Pheidole too, and I am trying so hard to keep them alive now. Is there something wrong with your colonies or do most people have little success?



#55 Offline nurbs - Posted November 20 2017 - 2:28 AM

nurbs

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,630 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles

These guys are really cool and I'm glad I have one of these queens. All your colony deaths are kind of freaking me out though. I only have one of these colonies, and only 1 pheidole too, and I am trying so hard to keep them alive now. Is there something wrong with your colonies or do most people have little success?

 

All mine are doing great, no deaths. Some are over 30 workers now with tons of brood.


Instagram:
nurbsants
 
YouTube
 
California Ants for Sale

 

Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

https://www.formicul...mp-ca-5-4-2017/

 

Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
https://www.formicul...m-and-outworld/
 
Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#56 Offline dspdrew - Posted November 20 2017 - 3:43 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

These guys are really cool and I'm glad I have one of these queens. All your colony deaths are kind of freaking me out though. I only have one of these colonies, and only 1 phiedole too, and I am trying so hard to keep them alive now. Is there something wrong with your colonies or do most people have little success?

 

Which deaths are you referring to? I hear this a lot from people, but I actually have a pretty low percentage of deaths with most species. I think people don't realize that when someone has 400 colonies of ants of about 50 different species, AND writes about everything that happens to them in journals, you are going to hear about a lot of deaths. That in no way means the death RATE is any higher though.

 

This year I did have a higher number of Myrmecocystus and Acromyrmex deaths than I did two years before.



#57 Offline dspdrew - Posted November 30 2017 - 1:35 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 11-30-2017
 

It was getting way too hard to feed these guys in that little formicarium they were in, so I moved them into a larger one.

 

med_gallery_2_248_239017.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_248_250160.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_295_128408.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_295_233822.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_295_259660.jpg


  • T.C. and rdurham02 like this

#58 Offline AntsCalifornia - Posted November 30 2017 - 10:46 PM

AntsCalifornia

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 247 posts

cool supermajors, i can't wait for my supermajors



#59 Offline dspdrew - Posted December 1 2017 - 6:39 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

cool supermajors, i can't wait for my supermajors

 

They're just majors.



#60 Offline OhioAnts - Posted December 1 2017 - 8:33 AM

OhioAnts

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 26 posts

 

cool supermajors, i can't wait for my supermajors

 

They're just majors.

 

 

What are those pyramids for? And such a clean and cool setup! Very impressed!


Current Colonies:

Camponotus Noveboracensis: 4 Colonies

Camponotus Pennsylvanicus: 2 Colonies

Formica Subsericea: 1 Colony

Prenolepis Imparis: 1 Colony

 

Looking to Buy:

Any Pheidole Colonies

Camponotus Castaneus

Camponutus Subbarbatus






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: dspdrew, journal, camponotus fragilis, carpenter ant

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users