Do those Iridomyrmex spray Formicarium acid? Sorry, it’s a dumb question, but I have never raised Iridomyrmex...
Sorry, formic acid...
They mostly have powerful bites, but I think some species do spray something that smells as a deterrent.
Do those Iridomyrmex spray Formicarium acid? Sorry, it’s a dumb question, but I have never raised Iridomyrmex...
Sorry, formic acid...
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, January 10 2019 - 11:25 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/
Edited by CoolColJ, January 10 2019 - 11:26 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/
Checked up on setups in my incubator
Colobopsis macrocephala 9mm queen
16mm test tube - red film - in styrofoam and heatcable incubator
4 eggs
Moved her into my incubator a few days ago and she laid 2 more eggs for 4 total
At least what I can see anyway
She still hangs out at the test tube entrance
Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2 nanitics, 3 cocoons, 1 large, 1 small larvae, 10 eggs - raw honey dish
2 more cocoons have been spun and these are from her own larvae
Pretty quick by Camponotus standards from the feel of it.
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, January 11 2019 - 3:01 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/
Summer 12th January 2019
Iridomyrmex species from Alice Springs - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
13 nanitics - 11 pupa, 15+ larvae, 30+ total brood
Up another 3 nanitics!
Starting to darken up even more, but still pretty grey when lit up, so maybe this is how they are.
The gasters on the bloated ones are clear, so they might colour up nicely like some Camponotus
They sure do love their liquid bubbles, a few workers standing on the cotton with big liquid bubbles in their mandibles!
Must be a trait of this species, and maybe they use it to grow fungus or something...?
click to enlarge
3 workers with liquid bubbles
Worker on the right has an iridescent gaster, so maybe that's how all will look when they fully darken
Some of the workers do have red on their thorax, but it's like a pattern instead of a full red like the queen. That newly eclosed worker looks quite a lot bigger
Touches of red on the thorax and that clear bloated gaster on the replete looking ones. Reminds me of the spider ant repletes
Gaster on that one looks clear from the side
Edited by CoolColJ, January 11 2019 - 7:12 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/
Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
5 nanitics, 7 cocoons, 1 large, 9 eggs - raw honey dish
Woah she laid another 4 eggs since 3 days ago
Moved them out of the incubator and blu tacked onto the heat cable outside, on the right of my computer.
Didn't want to miss out observing their founding activities
So 4 nanitics, 8 cocoons, 1 larvae + the 2 cocoons and 1 larvae I donated to my other queen is quite a nice first batch 16.
Second batch of 9 eggs ready to follow it up in 2 months based on how long it took in the incubator.
The workers remind me of meat ants than the usual sleepy nocturnal Camponotus.
They move really fast and jerky, so hyper and active!
Day, and maybe night forager as well.
Video of the suffusus - note how zippy and peppy the workers move
Also show the red and bronze gaster Iridomyrmex colony and the Polyrhachis rufifemur on my table
https://photos.app.g...jwd58i4jof8rnq6
The size difference...
edit - make that 5 nanitics now, as another eclosed an hour after I typed this
Edited by CoolColJ, January 12 2019 - 4:41 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/
I have to give you this. Your pictures are AWESOME!?
thanks
yeah it does take a bit of work and time
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/
Colony update - Summer 13th January 2019
Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - tip ofheat cable pressed against side of nest
40+ workers, 10+ cocoons, 10+ larvae, 20+ eggs
Yesterday 4 workers got out and about!
I can only assume from a gap formed on the cotton blocking the expansion port that I feed the heatcable into... when I moved the nest a little.
Got 3 of them back inside easy enough when they crawled up my hand. Lucky they don't run away like some species, despite their good eyesight, as they are extremely fast!
Like look like they teleport 3 inches fast
I didn't even know there was a 4th escapee, until she crawled up my hand later when I was typing on my computer nearby
I estimate worker count is over 40 now
This Atom C nest should hold 150 workers, and that might be it, as these do not form large colonies.
A few hundred according to the net.
Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 Major, 1 medial, 3 minor workers - 1 naked pupa, 1 major larvae, 1 large, 1 medium, 7 small, 20 eggs.
Queen laid 8 eggs this week!
Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest - heatcable
4 workers, 1 cocoon, 2 egg/larvae
Up to 4 workers now, after another eclosed yesterday I think.
I gave them a semi alive baby roach and it appears they either sting or spray formic acid, as the workers were curling their gasters forward into the roach
Not sure how much brood thye have, I can see one cocoon left and 2 small larvae/egg
Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 1 large, 2 medium, 8 small larvae
....unbeliveable slow... the two C.Suffusus colonies already have workers after 2 months before these brood have even formed a cocoon
Pheidole Colony G - Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm queen
16mm test tube - styrofoam double chamber entrance - heat cable
100+ workers, 2 majors, third major pupa, 3+ major larvae, lots of brood
I have the colony reserved to be sold next week
Third major about to eclose, and numbers looked to have cracked 100
brood pile is just massive, 200+ in a months time!
see pic below, the bottom colony
Pheidole Colony H - Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
16mm test tube, styro foam chamber entrance - heatcable
10 workers, small clump of brood
2 workers eclosed this week, baby steps...zzzz
Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
12 nanitics, 10+ pupa, 10+ larvae, 20+ eggs
12 workers, and brood pile looks crazy already after 3 weeks since the first nanitic eclosed, for 7mm size workers!
Since these take a month to eclose, easily over 50 workers in 1 month!
The top colony
Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2 nanitics, 4 cocoons, 1 large, 1 small larvae, 8 eggs - raw honey dish
3 cocoons formed this week, all from the queens own larvae - nice!
So brood is developing fast.
fresh piece of young cricket and raw honey comb for the week and back into the incubator.
Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
5 nanitics - 7 cocoons, 1 large, 9 eggs
Moved them out of the incubator yesterday and so far they haven't complained about the light exposure.
Looking good for getting over 20 workers before winter.
Not much brood left so they probably won't be needing to eat much, except for some raw honey comb.
Workers love it.
Iridomyrmex species from Alice Springs - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
13 nanitics - 10 pupa, 10+ larvae, small clump of eggs
5 more dark pupa to eclose soon.
These girls are super easy to feed, they appear to eat even days old dried out peices of insects.
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, January 13 2019 - 10:07 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/
Edited by CoolColJ, January 13 2019 - 7:45 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/
Edited by CoolColJ, January 14 2019 - 1:32 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/
Sold the Iridomyrmex species from Alice Springs to a keen buyer... :)Posting her off tommorrow
Sold the Iridomyrmex species from Alice Springs to a keen buyer... :)Posting her off tommorrow
WHY??? They were like one of my favorite....
Edited by CoolColJ, January 14 2019 - 7:57 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/
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, January 15 2019 - 6:17 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/
Edited by CoolColJ, January 15 2019 - 6:20 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/
Good, you MUST get more gold bums ( Iridomyrmex), because those were like, “cooperative” and would make you feel good, and lay lots of eggs..
Well generally speaking I'm not as drawn to non polymorphic species that grow fast
Having a massive amount of identical looking ants doesn't tickle my fancy quite the same way
Slower growing ants with lots of character like Polyrhachis and Myrmecia are ok
Edited by CoolColJ, January 15 2019 - 11:31 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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