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

AntsAreUs's Strumigenys pilinasis Journal

strumigenys strumigenys sp. strumigenys pilinasis

  • Please log in to reply
27 replies to this topic

#1 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 18 2018 - 4:12 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

Ok, so I caught this colony in the hollow of a dead branch. Nothing too special so far, just moving under the larger pieces of wood in their setup. I would say they have around 70-80 workers and just as much brood. I don't think any of the pupa are alate pupa but they did have a small pile of eggs which could eventually turn into alates. I have watched them hunt down springtails. They simply approach the springtail slowly after sensing it several millimeters away and then latch on the legs and sting it. After about 10 seconds the springtail is completely immobile and therefor dead as it gets carried back to the colony.

 

I may try and get pictures or videos on the process of hunting some other time. Here is them moving into their setup for now:

 


Edited by AntsAreUs, July 14 2018 - 2:37 PM.

  • FeedTheAnts likes this

#2 Offline ponerinecat - Posted June 18 2018 - 5:06 PM

ponerinecat

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,650 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

Strumigenys! My favorite! Good luck with these guys.



#3 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 18 2018 - 5:32 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

Strumigenys! My favorite! Good luck with these guys.

Honestly the main reason I'm keeping them is to find when they get alates. This way I can try and catch queens and attempt the founding of their colonies.



#4 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted June 18 2018 - 8:21 PM

AnthonyP163

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 982 posts
  • LocationWaukesha, Wisconsin.

 

Strumigenys! My favorite! Good luck with these guys.

Honestly the main reason I'm keeping them is to find when they get alates. This way I can try and catch queens and attempt the founding of their colonies.

 

A keeper in Nebraska found a mated queen in March.



Ant Keeping & Ethology Discord - 2000+ Members and growing

Statesideants.com - order live ants legally in the US

 


#5 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 18 2018 - 8:48 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

 

 

Strumigenys! My favorite! Good luck with these guys.

Honestly the main reason I'm keeping them is to find when they get alates. This way I can try and catch queens and attempt the founding of their colonies.

 

A keeper in Nebraska found a mated queen in March.

 

Walking around or inside a log or something? I wouldn't be surprised if it was a queen from a previous years flight.



#6 Offline AnthonyP163 - Posted June 18 2018 - 9:10 PM

AnthonyP163

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 982 posts
  • LocationWaukesha, Wisconsin.

 

 

 

Strumigenys! My favorite! Good luck with these guys.

Honestly the main reason I'm keeping them is to find when they get alates. This way I can try and catch queens and attempt the founding of their colonies.

 

A keeper in Nebraska found a mated queen in March.

 

Walking around or inside a log or something? I wouldn't be surprised if it was a queen from a previous years flight.

 

He found her in the forest I believe.



Ant Keeping & Ethology Discord - 2000+ Members and growing

Statesideants.com - order live ants legally in the US

 


#7 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted July 1 2018 - 1:43 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

7/1/18

 

These are doing surprisingly great! I didn't see many foraging so I thought something bad happened. I would only assume that they are well fed because of this.

 

Look at all that brood. :D

9qCZGpu.jpg


  • Ants4fun likes this

#8 Offline ponerinecat - Posted July 1 2018 - 2:03 PM

ponerinecat

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,650 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

So jealous... also, a woman found a virgin queen and several males on her car in fall.



#9 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted July 1 2018 - 2:12 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

So jealous... also, a woman found a virgin queen and several males on her car in fall.

Yea, I knew they fly in fall, like most other cryptic forest inhabitants. I just wanted to know exactly when they fly in my area. Such as the last 2 weeks of August for example (not the actual flight time).



#10 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted July 1 2018 - 6:50 PM

MegaMyrmex

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 637 posts
  • LocationEllicott City, Maryland
Arrgghh, so jealous! Good luck thougj, I have yet to find another colony of this genus again...
  • AntsAreUs likes this

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#11 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted July 11 2018 - 8:53 AM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

I made a small video to show off their foraging habits upon springtails. It is quite amazing to watch and I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I do. Also helps anyone who has looked through documents of Strumigenys to visualize what they were talking about in their foraging habits. Basically they will sense a springtail nearby and very slowly approach them until they are in bite range of their leg or antennae. They may also wait in one spot and wait for a springtail to walk over them in order to snap at them. The whole process may only take about 10-15 seconds and isn't always successful as seen in the video.

 

 


Edited by AntsAreUs, July 11 2018 - 8:58 AM.

  • Ants4fun, LC3, VoidElecent and 3 others like this

#12 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted July 19 2018 - 12:53 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

7/19/18

 

They have alate pupa now! They are still laying eggs too I guess. Still doing great.

 


  • rdurham02 likes this

#13 Offline ponerinecat - Posted July 19 2018 - 6:45 PM

ponerinecat

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,650 posts
  • LocationCalifornia

So jealous... they seem to be doing much better than your last try.



#14 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted July 30 2018 - 5:28 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

7/30/18

 

As they currently stand, I can confidently say they have over 100 workers now. The queen has been busy laying eggs recently although the workers stand over them so I can't get a good photo. They also have what looks to be a male alate and some more alate pupa.

 

T66vFJI.jpg

8i8fGrV.jpg

 

Here is the queen finally:

82xYszZ.jpg


  • LC3 likes this

#15 Offline Zxirl - Posted July 31 2018 - 10:16 PM

Zxirl

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 55 posts

Good lord those are some small ants.. Interesting journal as always mate. I'm interested to see what you discover for flight times for them.


  • futurebird likes this

Spoiler

#16 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted August 1 2018 - 4:22 PM

AntsAreUs

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,041 posts
  • LocationIndiana

8/1/18

 

I caught a new colony of these ants except it has 3 queens instead of the 1 in my previous colony. I'll be attempting breeding them in captivity but I doubt it will work. Who knows? 

 

Try to spot the queens.


  • Ants4fun, Canadian anter, VoidElecent and 2 others like this

#17 Offline neoponera - Posted November 18 2018 - 7:17 PM

neoponera

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 92 posts
  • Locationnuevoleon mexico

what about, merging them?



#18 Offline Leo - Posted November 18 2018 - 8:09 PM

Leo

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,530 posts
  • LocationHong Kong

I have to wait till next year for a colony



#19 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted March 10 2019 - 6:23 AM

TennesseeAnts

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 4,920 posts
  • LocationNashville, Tennessee
These are everywhere where I live. They are most common in hickory nuts.

#20 Offline neoponera - Posted March 10 2019 - 7:42 AM

neoponera

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 92 posts
  • Locationnuevoleon mexico

try merging them to double their worker force







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: strumigenys, strumigenys sp., strumigenys pilinasis

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users