1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

My Pheidole antipodum workers do that as well, but not to the same extent
Mostly to clean the queen and sometimes chill out on top of her.

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 18th March 2019


Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 7 cocoons, 4 small larvae

Another cocoon spun



Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
9 workers, 1 cocoon, 1 medium, 4 small larvae, 5 eggs

 

WTF I saw the workers eating a cocoon?!

I counted 9 workers still, so not an eclosure... that's the third cocoon I have seen this colony eat  in the last 2 months.... 

They are all bloated, filled with food, and I have been feeding them.

There must be a legit reason for this....

 

Need to crack 10 workers before the winter shut down!

 

 

 

[YsTheAnt]

They eat cocoons when disturbed too much, try checking on them only once a week. Red film doesn't stop them from being disturbed.

[CoolColJ]

They eat cocoons when disturbed too much, try checking on them only once a week. Red film doesn't stop them from being disturbed.

 

Most of my ants are exposed to light once they have at least 1 worker, so it doesn't matter how often i check up on them

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 20th March 2019


Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 6
All setups 20mm test tube and a styro foam double chamber entrance

Heat cable
Dual queen setup 2
20+ workers - medium stack of eggs, some donated brood from queen 5 and setup 1
Queen 4 with red dirt
15+ nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 5+ donated brood from queen 5
Queen 5 - bare test tube
70+ workers - big stack of brood
Queen 8 with red dirt - former partner of Dual queen setup 1
30+ workers - big stack of brood
Queen 9 - former partner of Dual queen setup 1
20 workers - moderate stack of brood


Ugh the two queens in my largest dual queen setup 1 appeared to be fighting!
Their jaws are locked together, although I don't know which is the dominant one...

I eventually removed one, put her into a new setup and gave her a third of the brood and around 20 workers and a few mini majors
They settled fairly quickly, and things seem to be OK.

I suspect most of the workers I pulled from there were young ones around the brood, so they are all timid and huddled together around the queen.

A few are on the queen cleaning her.

Meanwhile the other setup is busy piling dirt back onto the styrofoam chamber entrance I pulled out to do the rescue operation

Lucky I was up late and noticed them, if I had waited till morning it would ahve been too late!
I will likely sell them both now, well at least one of them.

Now I'm worried about my other dual queen setup which I have high hopes for!

 

 

[CoolColJ]

I have a buyer lined up to buy the 2 recently separated Pheidole antipodum queens.
So that will cut down the numbers to a resonable 4 queens over 3 setups.
But one is likely infertile, so two setups of 3 queens is enough to ensure a long term colony


Autumn 22nd March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 7 cocoons, 4 small larvae, 5 eggs

I was wondering when the queen would start laying again, and boom she laid last night, 5 new eggs

[CoolColJ]

head size comparison between minor worker, mini major and one of these new larger major pupa.
This new pupa is either a new caste member, or just the regular size of the first gen nanitic mini majors

click

[CoolColJ]

Getting a Myrmecia brevinoda queen delivered here before I send it off with the two Pheidole antipodum colonies to their new owner.

Well I'll get to take a look at this giant of a bull ant

Edited by CoolColJ, March 22 2019 - 1:51 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 23rd March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 8 cocoons, 1 large, 2 medium larvae, 5 eggs

8th cocoon spun
second worker should be eclosing within a week or two

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Autumn 24th March 2019

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - tip of heat cable pressed against side of nest
70+ workers, 20+ cocoons, tons of brood

Going well, the only thing that concerns me is the rubbish pile of sand and trash
they created ontop the water tower mesh on the left side of the nest


Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest - heatcable
6 workers - brood?

Brood?
If my experience with small Melophorus species is any indictaion.
I will never bother keeping them again....


Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 worker - 1 large, 3 medium, 4 small larvae

A larvae finally had a growth spurt, went from small to large in a week!
Very off growth patterns, they stay small for months an dthen boom, get large overnight.


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
9 workers, 1 cocoon, 1 medium, 4 small larvae, 5 eggs

A bit of lull till the next batch mature.
Which might be the final one before winter in 2 months time.


Camponotus aeneopilosus aka golden tail sugar ant - 12mm queen
16mm test tube - styrofoam double chamber setup - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 drone - 15 large larvae

still no cocoons yet...


Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 9 cocoons, 1 large, 1 medium, 5 small larvae/eggs

Another cocoon spun.
Looking good.


Myrmecia fulvipes, bull ant, 17-18mm queen
20mm test tube - in small outworld
1 worker

no egg.....


Colobopsis macrocephala 9mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
3 nanitics- 1 large, 2 medium, 7 eggs

Oldest worker has fully darkened to a black, odd, considering the queen is orange
The majors should be orange though.


Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 6
All setups 20mm test tube and a styro foam double chamber entrance

Heat cable
Dual queen setup 2
20+ workers - medium stack of brood
Queen 4 with red dirt
15+ nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 5+ donated brood from queen 5
Queen 5 - bare test tube
70+ workers - big stack of brood, some large larvae
Queen 8 with red dirt - former partner of Dual queen setup 1
30+ workers - big stack of brood
Queen 9 - former partner of Dual queen setup 1
20 workers - moderate stack of brood

Queen 8 and 9 sold, pending payement

queen 5 got has a larger antipodum major eclose, she looks about 4-5mm.
1.5x the size of the minors, 25% longer than the mini majors but thicker.
Maybe just a non nanitic mini major
There are some large plump larvae, continung to grow. 5mm or so in length and rounded.
Probbaly get some 6-7mm majors out of it

Queen 4 still has unhatched eggs

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole antipodum queen 8 and 9 colonies have been sold


Autumn 25th March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 9 cocoons, 2 medium larvae, 5 eggs

Damn, another cocoon spun
Things going well after a shakey start, where the queen ate all but one of her brood in the first batch.

Edited by CoolColJ, March 24 2019 - 7:13 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - heat cable
9 workers, 2 cocoons, 4 medium larvae, 5 small larvae/eggs

 

Sweet another cocoon has spun.

Unexpected, as I didn't think the larvae was large enough yesterday

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 4
All setups 20mm test tube and a styro foam double chamber entrance

Heat cable
Dual queen setup 2
20+ workers - medium stack of brood
Queen 4 with red dirt
15+ nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 5+ donated brood from queen 5
Queen 5 - bare test tube
70+ workers - big stack of brood, some large larvae


Queen 5 has a larger antipodum major eclose, she looks about 4-5mm.
1.5x the size of the minors, 25% longer than the mini majors but thicker.
Maybe just a non nanitic mini major

The largest major so far.
I managed to get a picture of a minor, larger minor and the new larger mini major all in a row.
This large minor is bigger than the nanitic mini majors

If you look closely in the last two pics to the left of the queen, there is an even larger headed major pupa!
On the far left is a big larvae as well, just about 5mm, one of 4 or so.
Plenty more larger castes to come!

click

Edited by CoolColJ, March 25 2019 - 5:30 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 26th March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 9 cocoons, 3 large larvae, 11 eggs

Going well, she laid another 6 eggs!
And 3 large larvae that will cocoon within the week.
Looking good to hit 15+ workers before winter

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 28th March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 9 cocoons, 3 large larvae, 11 eggs

3 cocoons have dramaticly darkened in the last few hours!
I can make out the gaster and head etc.
So they should be eclosing soon.


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - heat cable
9 workers, 2 cocoons, 4 medium larvae, 5 small larvae/eggs

1 cocoon looks dark and ready to eclose this week

Edited by CoolColJ, March 27 2019 - 10:19 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 29th March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
2 workers - 8 cocoons, 3 large larvae, 11 eggs

new worker eclosed.
Watched the queen and nanitic pull her out of the cocoon last night
She came out pretty dark and orange already.

2 more cocoons looking ready to eclose soon


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen, 20mm when bloated
20mm Test tube - heat cable
10 workers, 1 cocoons, 4 medium larvae, 5 small larvae/eggs

And another worker eclosed for these girls as well this morning
Can see the size difference between the nanitics and these newer ones.
But only 1-2mm at most

Edited by CoolColJ, March 28 2019 - 6:53 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Autumn 30th March 2019

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
4 workers - 6 cocoons, 3 large larvae, 11 eggs

Spoke too soon as another 2 workers eclosed yesterday afternoon
All already quite dark.
Looking nice and comfy for the queen now.
Gave them some raw honey and the queen and oldest worker completely sucked it all up!


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen, 20mm when bloated
20mm Test tube - heat cable
10 workers, 1 cocoons, 4 medium larvae, 5 small larvae/eggs

The new worker looks strange, her gaster is quite a lot bigger than all the other workers already.
And it is also bent at a strange angle....

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Autumn 31st March 2019

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - tip of heat cable pressed against side of nest
80 workers, 20+ cocoons, tons of brood

humming along with tons of brood. Sipping raw honey and eating crickets/roaches



Melophorus species - black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest - heatcable
6 workers - brood?

Brood?
Don't think they have any brood...


Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 worker - 1 large, 3 medium, 4 small larvae

Gave them a cricket leg with a chunk of meat on the end, first time in a while they have eaten anything I give them


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - heat cable
10 workers, 1 cocoon, 4 medium larvae, 5 small larvae/eggs



Camponotus aeneopilosus aka golden tail sugar ant - 12mm queen
16mm test tube - styrofoam double chamber setup - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 drone - 15 large larvae

still no cocoons .. the brood don't seem to be growing much, but the slowness could mean they might be all drones...
It's been 2 months since the first drone eclosed.


Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen, 20+mm when bloated
20mm test tube - heat cable
4 workers - 6 cocoons, 3 large, 10 small larvae/eggs

Going well, queen laid 5 new eggs.
Looking to be a fast growing colony.
They sucked up all the honey I gave them, and now the queen and 3 workers are sharing in a piece of cricket.

click



Myrmecia fulvipes, bull ant, 17-18mm queen
20mm test tube - in small outworld
1 worker

no egg.....


Colobopsis macrocephala 9mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
3 nanitics- 1 pupa, 1 large, 9 small larvae/eggs

Going well, another pupa shown up.
Don't known if they are eating the cricket i give them but the workers looked bloated from the raw honey.


Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 4
All setups 20mm test tube and a styro foam double chamber entrance

Heat cable
Dual queen setup 2
25+ workers - medium stack of brood
Queen 4 with red dirt
15+ nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 5+ donated brood from queen 5
Queen 5 - bare test tube
80+ workers - big stack of brood, some large larvae


Queen 5, the largest colony, no longer gets alarmed when they encounter the food I give them.
They get stuck right into it straight away. I fed them a few days ago and they still went for it.
They stripped down 3 small crickets this week!
Got lucky today and snuck in the food with no ants around to see it, saved me a lot of effort

I saw one of the new larger mini majors wanting to go forage, and a minor worker dragged her back to the brood
They are at least 80 workers, but could be closer to 100 now, not sure.
Mine definitely have a far larger appetite than regular Pheidole at this colony size

My other colony still gets alarmed when they see the food
Sometimes the queen comes over and sticks here head out of the styrofoam chamber entrance to take a look

[Leo]

So jelly, my Carebara have about 40 workers now, and a small appetite.

[CoolColJ]

So jelly, my Carebara have about 40 workers now, and a small appetite.

Any small majors yet?