62 replies to this topic

[Tpro4]

I think now might be a good idea to move them to a formicarium

[Gregory2455]

Not yet.

[Gregory2455]

Feeding on fruit flies! (Drosophila melanogaster [Wingless Variation])

[James C. Trager]

I'm curious why you call this N. cf. vividula, Gregory2455? What gives you doubts about its species identity?

[Gregory2455]

I am not exactly sure yet, do you agree this is N. vividula?

[Gregory2455]

Update: 10/19/2014

Another queen got her first worker today, so I now have three of these colonies.

[James C. Trager]

With the available images, I can't say for sure. Even under a microscope and with well-mounted preserved specimens, this group can be challenging to identify. On the other hand, Nylanderia vividula is quite abundant in the irrigated areas of greater Los Angeles area and much of the Central Valley, all the way up to Sacramento. 

[AntsAreUs]

These ants remind of Trichomyrmex ants.

[Gregory2455]

These ants remind of Trichomyrmex ants.

They make smaller colonies and are a lot faster. Also, even though it is possible in some spp, polygynic colonies are rare. I meanwhile have a question for everyone. Is the genus Trichomyrmex the new name for all Monomorium spp, or did the genus break in half?

[James C. Trager]

All native Monomorium in North America are still in the fairly large part of the genus that has kept the name. In the USA fauna, only introduced T. destructor has been switched to Trichomyrmex, essentially an Australasian genus. There are also some other, smaller groups separated out, not of concern to us in terms of Norht American ants. 

Edited by James C. Trager, October 21 2014 - 4:54 AM.

[Gregory2455]

That is interesting. 

[Gregory2455]

Video Update: 10/28/2014

Here is the largest colony and its current brood. I just noticed the large pile of new eggs!

[Gregory2455]

Also, I do not know how concerned I should be about containing these colonies in the future, but today I saw a worker had dug about half way through the cotton.

Bad quality, I know, the lights were behind it.

Edited by Gregory2455, October 28 2014 - 9:13 PM.

[dspdrew]

My S. molesta dug all the way into their water chamber and a bunch of them drowned. I've had S. xyloni do that too once their population got really high.

[Gregory2455]

These guys are digging through the dry side.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/3/2014

My largest colony has been moved into a foraging container, and have gotten nice and settled. These guys can climb over Vaseline, so I am going to need to find a different barrier against them. Until then, I am just keeping the lid sealed air tight.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/11/2014

My smallest colony of these, which is about to get their third worker, is being given to dspdrew, leaving me with two colonies, and about ten queens.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/19/2014

I am now sure these are Nylanderia vividula. The largest colony out of the two I have left are at about 50 workers now.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/28/2014

After about a week of just huddling together in their container, the colony finally moved into their new test tube. They are now over 50 workers.

The smaller colony of these is up to about ten workers now, so it look like they are doing great too.

[dspdrew]

Lookin' good.