6 replies to this topic

[AntsBrazil]

Hello guys, well I have a Pachycondyla colony, as some of you may know. They aren't doing well with me feeding them only 4 days a week, they probably need fresh food everyday, maybe because they don't have social stomachs to hold their food like Camponotus and other types of ants. 

So to solve this problem I think that I'll need to let them hunt, like in the wild. I was thinking about leaving a fruit fly trap inside a quite big outworld so they can catch some of them, I don't know how well they would be able to catch the flies since they can fly. I was thinking about a trap that the flyes can't go very far, like a small test tube or smaller. Also maybe catch some earwigs and hope that they start a little colony there eating their trash. I don't know how mealworms would do in the soil but maybe there could be some too.

I don't plan adding too much soil, because I don't want them moving into the dirt. 

I would like to hear your thoughts and ideas for this project, these ants have a powerful stinger so they could potentially kill even cockroaches, one of them can handle a mealworm easily. If you have some experience with this kind of outworld would be nice too.

Thanks.

Edited by JPSMedeiros, May 6 2017 - 4:40 PM.

[drtrmiller]

I doubt many ants could sneak up on wild fruitflies. Earwigs may harm the ants in a captive space. By not having much soil or plants, you may be limiting the helper organisms that can live and reproduce in the space.

A good place to start would be researching what insects this species preys upon in the wild, and where they generally nest. Recreate as much of their natural habitat as closely as you can within the allowed space.

[Leo]

it does work but it will have to be a pretty large outworld

[Superant33]

Purchase flightless fruit flies. Dump a bunch of them in a large out world. Maybe add a few crickets. Set up your out world so that the prey can have places to hide or temporarily escape. Might need a large out world though.

[Salmon]

I doubt many ants could sneak up on wild fruitflies. Earwigs may harm the ants in a captive space. By not having much soil or plants, you may be limiting the helper organisms that can live and reproduce in the space.
A good place to start would be researching what insects this species preys upon in the wild, and where they generally nest. Recreate as much of their natural habitat as closely as you can within the allowed space.

Camponotus eventually catch wild fruit flies if the outworld has a lid.

[AntsBrazil]

Thanks for the replies, I read that they like termites but I don't think I'll be able to create a termite colony to leave in their outworld. I was also thinking about leaving some mealworms in the setup and let them hide, having to come out for food. 

I guess I'll have to try some things and see what happens. 

[Leo]

good luck