Colony update - Spring 23rd September 2018
Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
heat cable - Atom C nest inside circular outworld
7 nanitics, 10 cocoons, some larvae and at least an egg
Up 4 cocoons from last week, and I see at least the first egg since months ago!
Colony growth rate looks to be on an upward trend, although these ants do not have large colonies from what I know
Been seeing 1 worker in the outworld eating whatever I give them at least one a day, yesterday I put in an termite alate nymph
Didn't expect them to eat it, as the sentry and the forager were peeping from the nest entrance and looked anxious.
But she did later come out and munch on it
Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 minor worker, 13 brood
Queen is still cranking them out 2 eggs at a time.
I wonder if she will continue going at a constant rate until winter, as opposed to laying in batches with pauses inbetween
If she does, this colony will get bigger in a hurry, after a slow start.
Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest
2 eggs. 1 worker
I think she still has only 2 eggs, Hard to see them
Pheidole Colony A - Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen
heatcable
30-40 workers, first major larvae/pupa
First major larvae pupating. I think this will be the largest major of the lot with a red head, and be around 6mm
So will likley take the longest to eclose.
Pile of pupa turning brown, their first significant boost in worker population since a few weeks back where they stalled
Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
heatcable
35-40 workers. 1 Major. 1 major pupa
They have retracted all the brood to the cotton, away from the heat cable, and the queen is on the cotton as well after the incident when i tried to clean their test tube and feed them a day ago..
They will eventually recover and return to normal hopefully.
So the test tube started to leak water for some reason, maybe due to heat from my hand holding it over the water area, when I was cleaning their test tube and feeding them
Then had lots of workers charge out into the container where I had opened their test tube up.
Took ages to get them all back in.... they are no longer timid... and definitely ready to move into a formicarium.
That was messy and stressful for all!!
Pheidole Colony C - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 7mm queens
heatcable
20'ish workers - lots of brood, major larvae/pupating
Nothing major to report, they have a steady stream of workers eclosing.
Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
1 egg, 1 nanitics, 1 small Camponotus larvae
Still at one egg i think
Camponotus suffusus 18+mm - queenless
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - heat cable
14 workers, 1 large 3 medium larvae
I might release them this week, with no queen and not much brood, I could use the nest and outworld for someone else.
Iridomyrmex - black 8.5mm queen
aquarium filter dam and cotton wool chamber wall/entrance - heat cable
12 workers, lots of brood
Due to events this week, their population took a hit.
Pheidole Colony D - Pheidole sp. red, dark gaster 7mm queen
cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
5 nanitics - lots of brood
Another nanitic eclosed, didn't even notice, they are so small
6th one should in a few days time.
They have a decent amount of brood which they bury into the cotton - A trait these red Pheidole species seem to have that the black ones don't.
Pheidole Colony E - Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
Queen 1 - heat cable - 5 nanitics, clump of brood
16mm test tube, double chamber setup, exposed to light
Damn 3 nanitics eclosed and things are going well.
While the other queen of this species still has no nanitics yet, in the red test tube rack, no heat cable
Pheidole Colony F - Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen - originally a partner of Pheidole Colony A
heatcable
3 Nanitics, 1 pupa, a few larvae, clump of eggs
Just one pupa and some larvae, but a new clump of eggs
Rhytidoponera species - black, red legged 9mm queen
Tub and tubes setup - exposed to shadowed light
heatcable
4 workers - 6 larvae
Not much has changed, I add new food for them every few days, after they feed and discard the remains outside.
Hope the larvae start to cocoon soon.
Looking to sell this setup soon.
Edited by CoolColJ, September 23 2018 - 6:08 AM.