1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

So I paid a casual visit to the local bush track this morning after work. Just checking things, not hoping to see much, since it was early and cold.

I flipped over a rock and saw something black, and dug around a bit, but it ran away. Then I saw this big long legged ant scurrying about a few inches away.

 

I captured it, thinking it was a Camponotus intrepidus minor, it was Camponotus looking and big enough, plus with a maroon coloured thorax.

But several others pointed out it's a Leptomyrmex, spider ant
1cm with long legs

Not sure on what species though?

Earlier I thought she might have ocelli, but no, she just a plain worker...

 

She does love her water, lapped the cotton wool in the test tube earlier. And really loves her raw honey
She's been sipping away the last 15 mins, and still does as I type this out!

Still, would never have thought these existed right near to my house!

 

 

click to enlarge

[sirjordanncurtis]

1cm Camponotus minor?

 

Lol, you have huge ants in Australia

 

The Leptomyrmex is soo cute.

Edited by sirjordanncurtis, August 17 2018 - 9:12 PM.

[CoolColJ]

1cm Camponotus minor?
 
Lol, you have huge ants in Australia

It's a Leptomyrmex species, aka spider ant due to long legs.

The photo makes it look more Camponotus, and that's what I thought she was at first, a stretched out Camponotus intrepdius minor

We do have Camponotus consobrinus who's minors are around this size, and my current suffusus minors are this size.

Edited by CoolColJ, August 17 2018 - 9:16 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 18th August 2018
 
Pheidole sp. red 7mm queen
4 pupa, 5 large and 1 small larvae, a few eggs
 
Her first nanitic pupa is getting quite dark, should eclose tonight I think


Iridomyrmex queens - 8.5mm - multiple test tube setups with aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance
3x singles, 1x dual queens - all exposed to light
Exposed to light setups on heat cable
 
1)Solo aggressive queen has 3 nanitics now, one just eclosed, and and the 4th should tonight.
There are at least 9 more pupa, a few larvae and lots of eggs, and the queen is laying another in this pic
Not only did she only take 4.5 weeks to get here, but that is quite the starting batch!

click to enlarge


 
2) Solo queen 2 has at least 5 pupa now. She should get her first nanitic sometime next week

Edited by CoolColJ, August 17 2018 - 11:49 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 19th August 2018
 
Pheidole sp. red 7mm queen
1 pupa?, 3 large and 1 small larvae, 20+ 1st instar larvae, 2 eggs
 
First nanitic has eclosed, and it's tiny
Both the queen and nanitic are so small compared to to my other black Pheidole queens.

Judging from the pics, she's been busy laying a lot more eggs since I moved her into a new test tube, out into the open on top the heat cable.
And all the eggs have hatched into first instar larvae, except the 2 most recent ones, sitting where her gaster end is usually


click to enlarge





Iridomyrmex queens - 8.5mm - multiple test tube setups with aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance
3x singles, 1x dual queens - all exposed to light
Exposed to light on heat cable
 
1)Solo aggressive queen has 5 nanitics now, 5th just eclosed.
The oldest gorged on the honey dish I left in there, and fed the queen a few times.
Today I left a small cricket's upper thigh. They didn't approach it for a while, just stood guard, but just then the oldest one dragged it into the main chamber



 
2) Solo queen 2 has at least 5 pupa now and lots of brood.




3) As for the other 4 queens, I released them into my side yard today...

Edited by CoolColJ, August 19 2018 - 2:57 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm queen
double chamber setup
 
2 large, 6 small, 6 first instar larvae?

Moved queen 1 of the two out from the red test tube holder into the open onto the heating cable.
She didn't mind.
 
click to enlarge

Edited by CoolColJ, August 19 2018 - 3:03 AM.

[CoolColJ]

I was flipping rocks as usual at a bush track near my house. I came across a fairly big slab of stone, that had a hole near it with a funnel of dirt and some discarded seed husks or something similar.

I pulled it up up and found a small colony of Rhytidoponera, same species as the queen I recently found.

I thought, great I can brood boost my queen!

There were a few alates in there, but zero sign of any brood.
No eggs, larve or cocoons.

Looks like even the wild colonies are still in winter mode, and don't lay anything either till spring

 

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Winter 20th August 2018

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
heat cable
7 nanitics, 12 larave

Finally got them eating cricket bits on the regular now. So hope the queen lays more eggs, and next batch of brood should be bigger


Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen

heatcable
1 minor worker, no brood. 

worker almost drowned when the test tube had a pool of water when I overfilled the reservoir in the Chinese refillable test tube
She feel from the top into the pool.
Rescuing her caused much stress to all, but if she died, damn the queen will have no workers!


Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
No eggs. 2 workers
 
So the queen ate the 2 workers that died recently. Body parts near the water mesh.
I've been leaving insect bits for them to eat, but they don't touch it...
At least that gives her some protein to lay some eggs come spring...

 
Pheidole Colony A - Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen
heatcable
33'ish workers, 1 major pupae, and a few more major larvae, one must be close to pupating

Still no sign of that major pupa that was near fully developed. They are hiding it somewhere in the cotton
at the bottom...

Things have really slowed down for them
 

Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
 heatcable
17 workers. 1 Major pupa

Down 1 worker, but a lot of brood. Half near the heat cable, and a bunch of larvae on the cotton
First major pupa has a light shade of brown all over now, getting close to eclosing



Pheidole Colony C - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 7mm queens
heatcable
14 workers
tons of eggs and brood

nothing ready to eclose yet. Their first major larvae should be in the works now


Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
 
No eggs, 2 nanitics, 1 crippled. 1 small Camponotus larvae
No changes, till spring


Camponotus suffusus 18+mm - queenless
 heat cable

12 workers, 11 brood (9 foreign from a different Camponotus species)
 
Another 2 workers eclosed, which are pure suffusus minor workers.
Still some very large larvae left, which are most likely foreign brood.
 
 
Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
 
5 nanitics, 9 pupa, 3 large larvae, big stack of eggs/ist instar larvae
 
One pupa light brown so should eclose by tomorrow night.
Queens been busy, big pile of eggs
 
They will hit 15+ nanitics, pretty crazy number, and in under 2 months from start to finish
Already overtaken my other Pheidole setups that have been here for far longer!
 
Pheidole sp. red, dark gaster 7mm queen
heat cable

1 nanitic - 1 pupa?, 3 large and 1 small larvae, 20+ 1st instar larvae, 2 eggs
 
newly promoted to colony status

Edited by CoolColJ, August 20 2018 - 3:42 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 20th August 2018 - Queen update


Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm
heatcable
clump of 3 large, 1 medium, 8 small larvae

fed her a cricket bit, and she left a mess...


3x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm
heat cable
3 large larvae, and 6 smaller ones?



Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm

No eggs


Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm

Queen 1 - heat cable - big clump of brood, over 20, some small larvae
double chamber setup
 
Queen 2 - 3 large larvae, 4 ist instar larvae
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance
 
Moved queen 1 outside onto the heat cable, so now exposed to light.
 
Queen 2 remains in the red test tube rack.
last week she has 6 larvae, this week only 3 larger hairy larvae, but she laid another 4 eggs whicha re now 1st instar larvae size.
 
Pics of queen 2 - click to enlarge
 

 
Pheidole antipodum? 14+mm
in magnetic glass top gypsum founding nest

19-20? eggs
 
Pretty sure she has over 15 hatched eggs now, but the last time I checked with photo was 15.
closer to 19-20 with a manual count via LED lit jeweller's loupe 30x magnifying glass
 
Quite big ball of brood now, all stuck together!


Rhytidoponera species 6-7mm
Tub and tubes setup - exposed to light
 
no eggs
 
Seeing as the wild colony today didn't have any eggs, larvae, nor cocoons. Don't think she lay any eggs till spring as well.


Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable

Last of the queens left from the big group I had.
Will sell this one when she has a decent amount of workers.
 
Will keep her as a spare for now, but Iridomyrmex have all their flights coming as soon as next week if it rains.
Hoping I land some bigger meat ant queens and different non black species.
If I do, I will get rid of her.

Edited by CoolColJ, August 21 2018 - 1:01 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 21st August 2018

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
in magnetic glass top gypsum founding nest

clump of 32eggs/ first instar larvae

WOW I counted 32 brood, she must be pretty comfortable now!
What great timing heading into spring a few weeks from now, things are going to explode.
Her nest is averaging around 20 degrees celsius, so once it gets into the 25-27 range things will pick up like my queens on the heat cable.
 
Based on another person's experience, there is probably a smaller nanitic major in this first batch.
Normally a queen wouldn't have the resources for a major in the first batch, but she is so big compared to her 2mm (most likely) nanitic minor workers that she can afford to.
Plus her extra thicc booty helps
 
click to enlarge

Edited by CoolColJ, August 20 2018 - 8:23 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
 heatcable
17 workers. 1 Major pupa

First major pupa has a medium shade of brown. progressing much faster than I expected now. It will most likely eclose before the end of the week
They have put it on the brood pile near the heat cable so that's a big help.
Unlike Pheidole colony A, which has chosen to hide it under the water cotton dam.


Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
 
5 nanitics, 9 pupa, 3 large larvae, big stack of eggs/ist instar larvae
 
Light brown pupa has turned medium brown.
4 more pupa have turned light brown

Damn, should have 10 nanitics in a few days time! 

[CoolColJ]

Rhytidoponera species 6-7mm queen
Tub and tubes setup - exposed to light

1 egg

Whoop, she layed an egg

There is all this liquid on the wood roach bit in her nest chamber area... not sure if it's from the roach itself or water is leaking....

click to enlarge

Edited by CoolColJ, August 21 2018 - 1:15 AM.

[Major]

I like the watermark. Also, you should check on that wild Rytidoponera during spring and take some brood to give to your queen.

[CoolColJ]

I like the watermark. Also, you should check on that wild Rytidoponera during spring and take some brood to give to your queen.

Some how makes the pics look more stylish - aha

Yeah, if they haven't moved out. Someone taking the roof off your head tends to cause panic
But it will be a while before they have enough brood at the cocoon stage

Edited by CoolColJ, August 21 2018 - 2:32 PM.

[CoolColJ]

22nd August 2018


Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
 
6 nanitics, 8 pupa, 3 large larvae, big stack of eggs/ist instar larvae
 
Another nanitic eclosed, didn't even notice for a while.

2 more should close tomorrow.

 

They still haven't been all that interested in eating any of the cricket bits I have left.

Just some raw honey when the first batch of workers eclosed

Edited by CoolColJ, August 22 2018 - 5:40 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 23rd August 2018

 

Camponotus suffusus 18+mm - queenless
heat cable

12 workers, 11 brood (9 foreign from a different Camponotus species)

 

This queenless colony has become noticeable more active and bold since they hit 12 workers

Yesterday I dropped a headless live small cricket in front of their nest entrance and 3-4 workers pounced on it, and eventually dragged it inside.

Unlike before where they would cautiously approach one at a time and then run away etc

 

Plus seeing more than one worker outside, at any time, now

 

I also noticed they have been dumping all their rubbish against the cotton wool that plugs the connection hole in the outworld.

Something about cotton wool makes it a nice rubbish dump...

 

sigh, if only the queen was still around

 

this is what their nest looks like - old pic, I use raw honey in a dish instead of the Sunburst shown, just lasts longer, less work...

They drink water from the feeder though

 

 

 

Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
8 nanitics, 8 pupa, 3 large larvae, big stack of eggs/ist instar larvae

 

2 more eclosed. Maybe the 9th will tonight.

Queen still doing most of the work, while the nanitics idle around.

 

1 guards the cotton double chamber entrance, upside down the the glass - quite different to other setups without this, where the guard stands on the test tube entrance cotton plug instead.

I know which I prefer from a feeding standpoint

Edited by CoolColJ, August 22 2018 - 7:18 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
 heatcable
17 workers. 1 Major pupa

I haven't seen Pheidole colony A's first major pupa in a while, they hid it under a fold in the water cotton...
meanwhile Pheidole colony B, looks like it's going to beat colony A to the punch
Despite having less workers 17 vs 33'ish, and the major pupae starting a few weeks behind.
They are making better use of the heat cable though, and it shows...

click to enlarge

 

Edited by CoolColJ, August 22 2018 - 8:37 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Winter 23rd August 2018

 
Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
10 nanitics, 4 pupa, 3 large larvae, big stack of eggs/ist instar larvae
 
2 more eclosed. 1 still not moving much, but damn 14 nanitics by the end of next week!

 

I gave them a dead termite worker but they don't seem to be interested...workers too young maybe


Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
heatcable
17 workers. 1 Major pupa

 

Body of major pupa is just about black, but head remains a dull yellow. I think she will eclose tommorrow

Lots of worker pupa now, so I'm expecting a population jump next week.


Pheidole Colony C - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 7mm queens
heatcable
14 workers

 

1 dark brown pupa, ready to eclose tonight

 

 

[CoolColJ]

Winter 25th August 2018

 
Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
11 nanitics, 3 pupa, 3 large larvae, big stack of eggs/first instar larvae
 
1 more eclosed.
Now they are finally foraging, munched on the small cricket leg and termite worker, but then dumped it ontop the smll dab of raw honey I put on the 3D printed test tube feeding bowl...




Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
heatcable
17 workers. 1 Major pupa
 
Major pupa finally eclosed this morning!
but it's not moving much yet...
After she was cleaned, a worker dragged her over to the brood pile near the heat cable to babysit
First time I have seen this species's major, and they are not as big as others I have seen, about 4mm, but there may be a third caste of larger majors...
her thorax and head are still pale, not sure what colour they will darken into though.

Video of her

Edited by CoolColJ, August 25 2018 - 12:46 AM.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Your major looks really cute with that huge light colored head