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CatsnAnts Collective Journal (HUGE picture update - Ants + Formicarium - 7-13-2020)

formicarium temnothorax antkeeping catsnants blacklight small species

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#321 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 6:54 AM

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Looks like just a dark Ph. bicarinata.

#322 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 6:55 AM

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Colobopsis often times don't remove their wings, and have the workers do it for them later on. Most of mine have their wings and they have eggs!


I did some research, and that’s what it said. I’m not going to release her, it’s just the fact the the impressa/obliqua queen is burrowed completely into the cotton plug like an ostrich :lol: (dry end), and it looks like she is desperately trying to escape.
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#323 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 6:57 AM

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Looks like just a dark Ph. bicarinata.


That’s what I was thinking she could have been, but I can always hope :lol:. I don’t really know if I want P. morrisii with how big their colonies get, whereas bicarinata colonies stay decently small (and manageable). I guess I’ll have to wait till workers to know for sure.
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#324 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 6:59 AM

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Mine are doing this too. :lol: Try a smaller tube. That's what I'm going to do.

Looks like just a dark Ph. bicarinata.


That’s what I was thinking she could have been, but I can always hope :lol:. I don’t really know if I want P. morrisii with how big their colonies get, whereas bicarinata colonies stay decently small (and manageable). I guess I’ll have to wait till workers to know for sure.

Yes you want them.

#325 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 7:19 AM

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Mine are doing this too. :lol: Try a smaller tube. That's what I'm going to do.

Looks like just a dark Ph. bicarinata.

That’s what I was thinking she could have been, but I can always hope :lol:. I don’t really know if I want P. morrisii with how big their colonies get, whereas bicarinata colonies stay decently small (and manageable). I guess I’ll have to wait till workers to know for sure.
Yes you want them.

Your right, I STILL WANT THEM...


As for the tube, she’s already in a 5 mm bubble tube. Could she manage in a smaller tube (I’m not even sure if I have anything smaller)?

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#326 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 7:23 AM

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3mm is what they prefer.

#327 Offline AntsDakota - Posted July 3 2019 - 7:53 AM

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Alright, here’s some pictures:

Pheidole bicarinata:
These are pictures of one of the total two Pheidole bicarinata queens. This one removed her wings, so I really hopes she’s fertile:








Pheidole cf. morrisii:
I’m putting cf. in here because I’m PRETTY SURE that they are P. morrisii, but they might just be a different variant of P. bicarinata (if you know what species they are, please tell me). They all kept their wings so far (but one has eggs), so sorry if they get in the way with the pictures:




I read that P. bicarinata were polygynous, though.


"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#328 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 8:20 AM

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Alright, here’s some pictures:

Pheidole bicarinata:
These are pictures of one of the total two Pheidole bicarinata queens. This one removed her wings, so I really hopes she’s fertile:








Pheidole cf. morrisii:
I’m putting cf. in here because I’m PRETTY SURE that they are P. morrisii, but they might just be a different variant of P. bicarinata (if you know what species they are, please tell me). They all kept their wings so far (but one has eggs), so sorry if they get in the way with the pictures:




I read that P. bicarinata were polygynous, though.

They are, I just chose to put them all separately.
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#329 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 9:19 AM

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Here’s some pictures of the brood boosted 11 queen temnothorax colony. You can see the callow worker too. So far, they are all getting along great! :D:





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#330 Offline NickAnter - Posted July 3 2019 - 10:16 AM

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How big are they compared to the bicarinata? If they are the same size, they are likely just a color morph.

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#331 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 10:22 AM

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How big are they compared to the bicarinata? If they are the same size, they are likely just a color morph.


They are pretty much the same size, so I guess they probably are P. bicarianata. I don’t mind at all though :D I’m just happy to have Pheidole!
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#332 Offline AntsDakota - Posted July 3 2019 - 3:07 PM

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I've actually never even seen Pheidole before. :( I guess the ants around here are rather plain, yet then again a colony of Tetramorium is enough to keep me happy. :lol:


Edited by AntsDakota, July 3 2019 - 3:09 PM.

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#333 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 3 2019 - 3:35 PM

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I've actually never even seen Pheidole before. :( I guess the ants around here are rather plain, yet then again a colony of Tetramorium is enough to keep me happy. :lol:

I’ve never seem them either nor Colobopsis.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#334 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 3 2019 - 4:07 PM

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I've actually never even seen Pheidole before. :( I guess the ants around here are rather plain, yet then again a colony of Tetramorium is enough to keep me happy. :lol:

I’ve never seem them either nor Colobopsis.

I’ve never seen Colobopsis until this year. And I’ve only found queens, no actual wild colonies.
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#335 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 4 2019 - 4:15 AM

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Alright, I’ve made a separate box from the one I have now. This box will be the “check every 2 weeks” box (so on the 18th of July). I’m putting all of my Pheidole and Colobopsis queens in it in hopes that they lay after 2 weeks of no disturbance.

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#336 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 4 2019 - 9:31 AM

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I saw two of the queens fighting in my 11 queen temnothorax setup, so I just have them some honey. They all SWARMED over it. Problem solved :lol:.

I've also noticed some new eggs appearing, so they must be laying.

Edited by CatsnAnts, July 4 2019 - 9:32 AM.

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#337 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 4 2019 - 4:24 PM

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Just found a monomorium minimum queen, but she escaped. These colonies get pretty big, so I’ve been iffy or not on whether I want to keep them. Probably not.

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#338 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted July 4 2019 - 4:29 PM

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They are awesome! Tough to contain, but very fast growing, accept queens and workers from foreign colonies, and very interesting.

#339 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 4 2019 - 5:13 PM

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They are awesome! Tough to contain, but very fast growing, accept queens and workers from foreign colonies, and very interesting.


They are definitely a target species of mine with all of their cool traits (and small size), but with my parents, this species probably wouldn’t be allowed as they can be a “pest” ant.
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#340 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted July 5 2019 - 3:14 PM

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In all three of my Camponotus subbarbatus colonies, pupae is finally darkening! I can expect workers here really soon!
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Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: formicarium, temnothorax, antkeeping, catsnants, blacklight, small species

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