Also, are you ever gonna keep Myrmecia? I know their pretty expensive so are their any colony's near you? Is their Carabera near you?
Edited by Major, August 28 2018 - 1:57 PM.
Edited by Major, August 28 2018 - 1:57 PM.
Pheidole is one of the more common species in Australia, while in NY it's one of the rarest, haven't even seen a worker. I know a guy who's willing to trade me some next year.
Also, are you ever gonna keep Myrmecina? I know their pretty expensive so are their any colony's near you? Is their Carabera near you?
Yeah, I have several colonies in my backyard, but the smaller black Iridomyrmex species are even more common, like your typical black pavement/garden ant that each country has
Probably next year my backyard colonies will start to swarm the yard when they have flights.
Myrmecina? or Myrmecia? First I have heard of Myrmecina, and for sure there might not be any near me.
Nor have I seen or read of anyone selling one.
But you never know, the diversity of ants in this 10m square area of bush near my house is amazing. I mean I found a spider ant here recently, which I would never have guessed would have a colony here!
Along with countless ants I never knew were in my backyard, but have seen queen/workers in my backyard like Ponera, Rhytidoponera, Camponotus lownei
We do have some Carebara species, but most are obscure and unknown.
The most known one and largest here is Carebara affinis, but they are a tropical species, so can only be found in Cairns to the tip of Australia.
I have not heard of anyone here keeping one though, nor have I ever seen any for sale.
Most likely due to them only nesting at the edge of forest regions away from towns and cities.
It would be too cold and dry for them in other Australian states to easily keep.
Edited by CoolColJ, August 28 2018 - 4:13 PM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
I meant Mymecia, I'm so used to these US ants
There are these girls, that I discovered near my house - a little scary as they can jump 3-4 inches and have amazing eyesight, they were stalking me after I pulled the rock out to reveal their nest
They can have gamergates and they are a slaving species
https://www.instagra.../p/BktzIOwhIvq/
https://www.instagra.../p/Bk4mlXSgdJZ/
They are kinda scary though with their hops.
Honestly I just don't have the space for these large ones. You really need an aquarium sized outworld for them.
I would like to keep a small species though, they have the look and same eyesight of the larger ones, but more Camponotus sized.
People do sell the queens quite cheap from time to time, and recently Ant keeping Depot had a 50% off for a week on all Myrmecia, to clear out stock I guess before the new season starts.
Edited by CoolColJ, August 28 2018 - 3:12 PM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
Winter 29th August 2018
Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
No eggs, 1 nanitic. 1 small Camponotus larvae
No changes, till spring
The second crippled nanitic is finally dead... I found her dead body outside the nest last night
Was just a matter of time, as she was always on her back and couldn't walk
Either she starved to death or the others killed and ate her a bit.
Well her body is mostly intact, but I did see the queen and other nanitic working over her body a couple of days ago
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
I think these would be good, a smaller size than most and good colour. I was tempted to buy one at 50% off but with shipping that's still $91 for an ant with no brood, and that was the cheapest Myrmecia they had. It was still tempting though but the timing was wrong, I only get paid fortnightly.
I meant Mymecia, I'm so used to these US ants
There are these girls, that I discovered near my house - a little scary as they can jump 3-4 inches and have amazing eyesight, they were stalking me after I pulled the rock out to reveal their nest
They can have gamergates and they are a slaving species
https://www.instagra.../p/BktzIOwhIvq/
https://www.instagra.../p/Bk4mlXSgdJZ/
They are kinda scary though with their hops.
Honestly I just don't have the space for these large ones. You really need an aquarium sized outworld for them.
I would like to keep a small species though, they have the look and same eyesight of the larger ones, but more Camponotus sized.
People do sell the queens quite cheap from time to time, and recently Ant keeping Depot had a 50% off for a week on all Myrmecia, to clear out stock I guess before the new season starts.
I think these would be good, a smaller size than most and good colour. I was tempted to buy one at 50% off but with shipping that's still $91 for an ant with no brood, and that was the cheapest Myrmecia they had. It was still tempting though but the timing was wrong, I only get paid fortnightly.
I used to find them when I had a gardening round but they're not that common in my area, too cold and wet most likely. I've decided that it might be worth a shot collecting workers if I find a nest and hoping for gamergates but a queen would be better of course.
Edited by CoolColJ, August 29 2018 - 5:31 AM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Yeah, closest to carebara I can get and pheidole antipodum is THE pheidole...polymorphic, the individuals look very similar to carebara, and the queen's massive bulkiness...almost like army ants!
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
Edited by CoolColJ, August 29 2018 - 9:05 PM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
pretty nice!
pretty nice!
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
Winter 31st August 2018
Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
heatcable
17 workers. 1 Major
The major is darkening up.
Saw her in action for the first time a few days ago. I replaced their foil/wax paper combo dish that holds the raw honey (which they dump rubbish on) with a 3D printed test tube bowl.
Small dabs of raw honey on 2 corners, and a small peice of cricket and raw almond at the bottom.
As soon as I put it in the major came rushing up and grabbed the cricket bit, and dragged it back
Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm
heatcable
second pupa is online
Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
Queen 1 - heat cable - 2 pupa. big clump of brood, over 20, some small and medium larvae
double chamber setup, exposed to light
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
in red test tube rack
Queen 1 finally has some pupa. Possibly two.
Edited by CoolColJ, August 31 2018 - 2:16 AM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube attached to outworld - heatcable
1 minor worker, 1 egg
Holy crap after months and months of no eggs, one of my Melophorus has finally laid a new egg... and she was down to one worker... damn
One day before official start of spring.... hell of a body clock!
Suprised how bloated the gaster of the worker, as she barely touched the raw honey outside, maybe once in the last 2 months, but she dragged in a small piece of cricket I left in front of the test tube that was all dried up by the time she started nibbling on it. I see her feeding the queen
They placed the egg right on the heat cable now. As you can see from the pics, is running on the top back side of the test tube, and that's where they placed the egg
click to enlarge
Edited by CoolColJ, August 31 2018 - 2:04 AM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
congrats!
There was a small rock on the side of the bush trail near my house, it didn't look any different from any other rock.
I decided to pull it out, and woah lots of large angry black and orange things can bursting out of the hole where the rock was!
Man these things are big. I think they are Camponotus nigriceps.
I noticed some of the majors have off coloured gasters, instead of pure black like the rest.
I captured one major, and she measured over 15mm
The minors are only like 2mm smaller than the majors, so it's just a bunch of very large and chunky ants
Hell, I think they are larger than my Camponotus suffusus workers!
click to enlarge
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
An easy 15, 16 more like!
You really gotta keep your eyes peeled for a flight!
Camponotus intrepidus fly next month and they have 2cm queens and probably similar sized majors, but with a maroon coloured thorax.
I have seen a few workers around with maroon thorax, that move really fast, in the same area.
But these type of ants are nocturnal and also fly at night so unless your willing to go walk through there with a torch it can be hard to get a queen
Although you can dig them out of claustral chambers later on if you can find the dirt mounds from the digging.
This area is pretty dense with diversity - the C.consobrinus I found earlier is from here, so add C.nigriceps and intrepidus to the list!
Also saw a black and orange Myrmecia today as well climbing a small tree
Edited by CoolColJ, September 1 2018 - 2:48 AM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
The major is so large, thicc and cute.... she became quite docile after a while.. I could lift the lid of the petri dish she was in, and she would just sit there and groom herself
Anyway I took her back to release her, and the colony is still there, but retreated further into the tunnels but they did come out to greet me when i took a peek
The whole area seems to be filled with nigricep nests under most the rocks there. I lifted a few more and most do not have any brood, only the largest 24x12 inch rock had like 5-7 extremely large and fat larvae.
There was also a small black ants colony on one side the rock, which appeared to be an old termite nest, which had a ton of brood.
They probably didn't know they were nesting next to a nigriceps nest under the same rock... and fights erupted all over the place, but the large Camponotus can't do much against the 2-3mm sized black ants when they latch onto the legs, apart from spraying formic acid.
Then again the small ants don't do much damage either.
Well at least I know where to look come nigricep flying season for a queen if I ever wanted one
It looks like they don't fly far, but none of these colonies had any alates.... but I didn't see the queen so maybe they are in a different chamber
They fly in January
---
yikes, i just found a nigriceps major on my sleeve?!
She is now sipping the raw honey in the same petri dish the other one did yesterday
I'll have to take her back tomorrow...
Edited by CoolColJ, September 1 2018 - 11:08 PM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
Someone I know just caught a Camponotus nigricep queen in Western Australia, it was wandering around...
WTH, well out of flight season!
Gives you an idea how big they are
Very similar looking to a C.consobrinus, except without the orange band around the gaster, and a bit more chunky
Here is what my "black" version of the C.consobrinus queen looks like - still eggless
They normally have an orange thorax
She's around 16-17mm, so slightly smaller than the C.nigcriceps
The nigricep major I have here looks way chunkier and with a much larger head than her
With a larger gaster as well, suprisingly... but I haven't seen a consobrinus major in person yet to see if her majors will be chunkier than her as well
old pic
Edited by CoolColJ, September 2 2018 - 4:13 PM.
Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/
Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/
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