10 replies to this topic

[Ants_Texas]

So my Rugosus queen has been acting up ever since I got her. She's fertile, and has one larva and six eggs. However, she is very easily scared and when she is she runs about with her larva in her mouth. I was wondering if anybody had any Rugosus care tips at all? Anything is useful, such as diet or captivity conditions. Anything helps, thanks!

[Scrixx]

Leave her alone. Of course she'll be scared when she's supposed to underground in the dark and all of the sudden we take a peek and now there's light, movements, and vibrations. All of the Pogonomyrmex queens I have do that too when I look at them. It looks like Pogonomyrmex is especially jumpy though. My Pheidole and Forelius don't care all that much when I pick up their tubes and look at them in the light. Even my Myrmecocystus can be observed with a flashlight without them panicking all that much. Though my Dorymyrmex insanus are also a bit jumpy, but not as much as the Pogonomyrmex.

 

My P. subnitidus did great in a test tube placed in an out-world. She was caught on July 6, 2017 and she's up to 15 workers now. This year I had successful P. rugosus founding in a water bottle, medicine bottle, small snap cap container, and test tubes. They seem like a pretty easy species to found and they don't seem picky at all from my experience. As far as diet goes Pogonomyrmex eat seeds almost exclusively. I read somewhere about 98% of their diet is seeds with the other 2% as insects. 

 

This is my first year ant keeping so I'm not that experienced yet but I seem to have passed the founding stage fairly easily for this genus. For the next part, the formicarium stage, you'll need to give them a dark dry area to store their seeds. They're called Harvester Ants for a reason. They'll stock pile seeds in dedicated chambers of their nest, usually at the top where it's dry.

[Ants_Texas]

Leave her alone. Of course she'll be scared when she's supposed to underground in the dark and all of the sudden we take a peek and now there's light, movements, and vibrations. All of the Pogonomyrmex queens I have do that too when I look at them. It looks like Pogonomyrmex is especially jumpy though. My Pheidole and Forelius don't care all that much when I pick up their tubes and look at them in the light. Even my Myrmecocystus can be observed with a flashlight without them panicking all that much. Though my Dorymyrmex insanus are also a bit jumpy, but not as much as the Pogonomyrmex.

 

My P. subnitidus did great in a test tube placed in an out-world. She was caught on July 6, 2017 and she's up to 15 workers now. This year I had successful P. rugosus founding in a water bottle, medicine bottle, small snap cap container, and test tubes. They seem like a pretty easy species to found and they don't seem picky at all from my experience. As far as diet goes Pogonomyrmex eat seeds almost exclusively. I read somewhere about 98% of their diet is seeds with the other 2% as insects. 

 

This is my first year ant keeping so I'm not that experienced yet but I seem to have passed the founding stage fairly easily for this genus. For the next part, the formicarium stage, you'll need to give them a dark dry area to store their seeds. They're called Harvester Ants for a reason. They'll stock pile seeds in dedicated chambers of their nest, usually at the top where it's dry.

Makes sence to me. How long does it usually take for one to go from egg to worker.

[Scrixx]

 

Leave her alone. Of course she'll be scared when she's supposed to underground in the dark and all of the sudden we take a peek and now there's light, movements, and vibrations. All of the Pogonomyrmex queens I have do that too when I look at them. It looks like Pogonomyrmex is especially jumpy though. My Pheidole and Forelius don't care all that much when I pick up their tubes and look at them in the light. Even my Myrmecocystus can be observed with a flashlight without them panicking all that much. Though my Dorymyrmex insanus are also a bit jumpy, but not as much as the Pogonomyrmex.

 

My P. subnitidus did great in a test tube placed in an out-world. She was caught on July 6, 2017 and she's up to 15 workers now. This year I had successful P. rugosus founding in a water bottle, medicine bottle, small snap cap container, and test tubes. They seem like a pretty easy species to found and they don't seem picky at all from my experience. As far as diet goes Pogonomyrmex eat seeds almost exclusively. I read somewhere about 98% of their diet is seeds with the other 2% as insects. 

 

This is my first year ant keeping so I'm not that experienced yet but I seem to have passed the founding stage fairly easily for this genus. For the next part, the formicarium stage, you'll need to give them a dark dry area to store their seeds. They're called Harvester Ants for a reason. They'll stock pile seeds in dedicated chambers of their nest, usually at the top where it's dry.

Makes sence to me. How long does it usually take for one to go from egg to worker.

 

About 6 weeks for both species in my experience. They were kept in 78-88F. Depends if the AC was running or not.

Edited by Scrixx, September 24 2017 - 6:02 PM.

[Pleming]

Yes, All of my species P. Rugosus freak out the most when it comes to light or vibrations. 

 

I got from egg to worker in 42 days but she was kept at 85f the whole time. I have some that were kept around 80 and they took 2 months. 

 

My first workers did not respond to seeds well so I gave them fruit flies and they gladly accepted them. 

[Ants_Texas]

Yes, All of my species P. Rugosus freak out the most when it comes to light or vibrations. 

 

I got from egg to worker in 42 days but she was kept at 85f the whole time. I have some that were kept around 80 and they took 2 months. 

 

My first workers did not respond to seeds well so I gave them fruit flies and they gladly accepted them. 

This species sounds pretty unpredictable.

Edited by Ants_Texas, September 24 2017 - 6:10 PM.

[Pleming]

 

Yes, All of my species P. Rugosus freak out the most when it comes to light or vibrations. 

 

I got from egg to worker in 42 days but she was kept at 85f the whole time. I have some that were kept around 80 and they took 2 months. 

 

My first workers did not respond to seeds well so I gave them fruit flies and they gladly accepted them. 

This species sounds pretty unperdictable.

 

 

All ants can be unpredictable. Just try to and learn as much as you can.

 

I've had queens start out doing great then die for no reason. All you can do is do your best and hope for the best.

 

One thing I love about P. Rugosus queens is how aggressive they are. My camponotus queens run from everything.

[Ants_Texas]

 

 

Yes, All of my species P. Rugosus freak out the most when it comes to light or vibrations. 

 

I got from egg to worker in 42 days but she was kept at 85f the whole time. I have some that were kept around 80 and they took 2 months. 

 

My first workers did not respond to seeds well so I gave them fruit flies and they gladly accepted them. 

This species sounds pretty unperdictable.

 

 

All ants can be unpredictable. Just try to and learn as much as you can.

 

I've had queens start out doing great then die for no reason. All you can do is do your best and hope for the best.

 

One thing I love about P. Rugosus queens is how aggressive they are. My camponotus queens run from everything.

 

Really? My C. Pennsylvanicus queen LOVES to bite things. Every single time I offer food her two workers cower behind her as she devours what I give them.

[Pleming]

Wish mine were like that. They run from pre-killed crickets lol

[Ants_Texas]

Wish mine were like that. They run from pre-killed crickets lol

They'll grow out of it.

[Pleming]

That's what I thought but nope. 

 

Have a C. Modoc colony with 50+ workers 2 Majors and they still run lol