1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Boy I love this Aphaenogaster longiceps queen already, she is decent size 12-13mm I think, but her manner and character is great.

Love the way she walks as well

She moved all the brood I got for her from one end of the capture tube to the other, placing them under the lid, where it is shaded from the light.

She has been curled over inspecting her gaster quite a lot, I hope she isn't laying eggs already!

 

I can just tell she is a great mom

Edited by CoolColJ, October 18 2018 - 12:44 AM.

[CoolColJ]

My Aphaenogaster longiceps queen, 12-13mm she sure likes to curl her gaster forward
and the larvae brood boost I gave her are shaped like bowling pins


click to enlarge

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 11:10 PM.

[CoolColJ]

19th October 2018

 

Papyrius sp. 8mm queen
16mm test tube - aquarium filter wool - red film

RIP, I found her dead, dying

It can't be from starvation as food was eaten, so she must be a social parasite after all

Edited by CoolColJ, October 18 2018 - 4:02 PM.

[CoolColJ]

queens in my ghetto incubator
Temperature hits 28C degrees inside the box, 30 inside the test tube and 34 directly under the heat cable at the end of the test tube.


Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
50 eggs

Brood still scattered everywhere...
Looks like 50 eggs at least if they are still alive

dual black Iridomyrmex queens 8mm
20mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
60? brood

There are a few pupa! So nanitics in 1 week or so

 
Nylanderia sp. 6mm - 4 queens
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
100? eggs
 
50% are small larvae now, 1-2 insta

[CoolColJ]

Myrmecia nigrocincta queens x9

 

Put all the new queens into 20mm test tubes and fed them honey on my usual 3D printed dishes.

After an hour they had they fill, and started pulling on the entrance cotton, I removed the dishes.

 

They still kept pulling on the cotton and made substrate balls out of it.

So I guess they just want to dig and create some comfy substrate

[YsTheAnt]

Nice Aphaenogaster queen! They drag food into the nest and put their larvae on top of it, then the larvae will literally start eating straight from the insect, it's quite entertaining.

[CoolColJ]

Nice Aphaenogaster queen! They drag food into the nest and put their larvae on top of it, then the larvae will literally start eating straight from the insect, it's quite entertaining.

 

Just like Myrmecia and Rhytidoponera then

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance - heatcable
clump of brood

second nanitic has eclosed.


Pheidole Colony F - Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen - originally a partner of Pheidole Colony A
heatcable
8 Nanitics, small clump of brood

 

Test tube is just running on water fumes, so I attached an fresh test tube via vinyl tubing. and with heat cable applied to the new tube.

So far they are not budging

 

 

 

[Leo]

Myrmecia need outworlds.

[CoolColJ]

Myrmecia need outworlds.

 

Yeah, but I've sold 7, and traded 1 so I need to keep them in the test tube for the time being until I can send out next Tuesday morning.

Plus I don't have enough containers for them all

 

Found another one today, to make it 10 here and 11 total.

[CoolColJ]

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
heat cable - Atom C nest inside circular outworld
15 workers, 5 cocoons, some large larvae and a stack of small larvae and eggs

 

Zoinks, 4 workers eclosed over the last few days!

Looking more dense inside the nest now

 

One worker likes to sit on the heat cable itself, outside the nest 

Edited by CoolColJ, October 18 2018 - 9:49 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Aphaenogaster longiceps 12-13mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 egg, about 13 brood boost larvae
 
Woot, she laid an egg in addition to her brood boost larvae

And she is exposed to light.

 

Not using the heat cable much, she likes standing on the cotton dam, and stacks all the brood against it

Edited by CoolColJ, October 18 2018 - 11:55 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Termite alates are flying in now, at least near the bush behind the football park near me.

 

I was looking there after dusk with a torch to see if A.longiceps were flying, they were not... and was walking back up a ramped road at the back of the football field on the edge of bushland, and saw a winged termite alate on the road.

So I put the torch down to try and capture her, which is hard!

I had to use a sheet of small paper to do it in the end. And more arrived both winged and unwinged, attracted by the torch I guess.

Lots of Camponotus were running around as well, nigriceps and consobrinus, plus Polyrhachis 　

 

Wasn't sure which are queens or kings so collected 8 and hope they tandem run when put in a large container

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 1:22 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 20th October 2018

 

queens in my ghetto incubator
Temperature hits 28-29C degrees inside the box, higher inside test tubes.


Week 2 update

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
30-50? eggs

While there are a lot of eggs all scattered around the test tube, only 10 or so look large and round, the other look deflated..
I worry about her, hope to get a nanitic ASAP

In hindsight maybe keeping her in the gypsum nest would ahve been better, at least there she kept all her eggs in a round ball clump.
I dunno, maybe she really hates the test tube?



dual black Iridomyrmex queens 8mm
20mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
60? brood

4 pupa, 10 large larvae and tons of eggs remain

 
Nylanderia sp. 6mm - 4 queens
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
100? eggs
 
They have some medium sized larvae now

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 11:03 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Aphaenogaster longiceps 12-13mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
4? eggs, about 13 brood boost larvae

She laid a few more eggs already, but hard to see as she is always bent over on top her brood.
I counted 4, there may be more
Even exposed to light, great mum!


Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - heat cable applied to outside of nest
16 workers, 4 cocoons, some large larvae and a stack of small larvae and eggs

Another worker eclosed, I like the extra density around the queen and brood now!
Even on a warm 27 degree day, they still love the heat cable.

On a funny note - I love watching their reactions everytime I fill up the Atom C water tower.
The syringe makes a gurgling sound when the water is full squirted out which the ants notice and freak out.
Strobing around the nest, makes me crack up everytime


Myrmecia nigrocincta queens x11

Found 2 more of these this morning, So 12 total so far!
One of the two new ones looks to have a plump gaster, maybe full of eggs.

Have sold/traded 7

The one in the tub and tubes setup has not eaten any protein so far.
All queens have lapped up the raw honey for at least 30 mins.
I'll give all queens another serve before I post them off, which should keep them fed for at least a week.

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 11:07 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Spring 22nd October 2018

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
heat cable - Atom C nest inside circular outworld
16 workers, 4 cocoons, some large larvae and a stack of small larvae and eggs

Got all 16 Strobe ant workers in the frame - I like the density now
If you look closely, you can see the newer workers are larger.
A few of the 4 cocoons ready to eclose and a stack of new eggs

The original 7 nanitics are still alive and well, and it must be around 7 months now...

click to enlarge



Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 minor worker, 13 brood

Almost 2 months now, and even with a heat cable their eggs still look like eggs
They must need even more heat...




Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest
2 large sized larvae. 1 worker
 
Must be getting close to cocooning

 
Pheidole Colony A - Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen
heatcable

40 workers, first major pupa

Sent to Davejay


Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
 heatcable
40'ish workers. 2 majors, second one is larger, super major?

Tons of brood and pupa, ready for another population boom

Dirty test tube makes it hard to get clear photos -
but look at how different the two majors look, size, colour, texture.
Both are used as repletes but the older and smaller major, not much older, gets to go out and forage and tear things apart.
The larger one stays home with the brood, it won't even attack any food brought to the brood





Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube connected to outworld via grommet
1 nanitic, 2 small larve, 3 eggs, 1 medium Camponotus larvae
 
no major changes. I keep giving them cricket bits but they never eat and just drag it back out.
But the nanitic has finally got old enough to start foraging and feed the queen.


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

Queen 1 - heat cable - 7 nanitics, clump of brood
16mm test tube, double chamber setup, exposed to light
13 nanitics, decent amount of brood, lots of pupa

Only 1 more eclosed last week, a bit of a lull.
They don't forage much


Pheidole Colony F - Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen - originally a partner of Pheidole Colony A
heatcable
8 Nanitics, small clump of brood

Test tube just about out of water, attached a new test tube but they haven't moved yet after a few days...If they don't move I just might release them


Pheidole Colony G - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm queens
16mm test tube - cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
5 nanitics - 3 pupa, small pile of larvae and eggs

2 nanitics eclosed last week, didn't even notice.
Need to get to 20+ before the water runs out, getting on the low side now.


Rhytidoponera aspera Gamergate colony
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate.
7 workers - 2 maybe more as Gamergate queens, 30+ brood boost larvae.
 
The drone escape into my room somewhere, it'll probably die...
Not much has happened, but they are feeding the larvae, and dumping rubbish out as needed.


Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance - heatcable
2 nanitics, clump of brood, 3-4 pupa.

Double test tube Mod is working great, except they put their brood where I didn't expect them to, once the workers arrived…
It means I can no longer pull out the water test tube to refill… and the cotton wick is likely to get moldy over time….
Will have to refill with the test tube connected, which is likely to leak when the cap is pulled off and all vacuum lost.

Edited by CoolColJ, October 21 2018 - 4:52 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 22nd October 2018 - Queen update

Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm - black thorax colour scheme
in Minihearth - heat cable
No eggs
 
Still no eggs
If she doesn't lay when summer rolls around, I'll try the Atom C or back into a 20mm test tube


Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
? eggs
 
scattered eggs, worrying
She's not a good mum, need nanitics ASAP
I'm not even sure how many good eggs she has, I see a few round ones, but the scattered ones look half eaten and deflated
Maybe I should have never moved her out of the gypsum nest, at least there her 80+ eggs were in a big ball even if they were developing very slowly...
She just may not be fertile which would kill me as this is one of my dream species!

 
Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube, cotton double chamber setup - heatcable - red film
22 brood
 
nice 22 eggs/brood now, she is laying easily, just need to hold off eating them for a while


Rhytidoponera cf aspera queen 8-9mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, and cotton double chamber setup - in small outworld
12+ eggs, 27 brood boost larvae

Been dropping in pieces of cricket inside her test tube, and she attacks it and the forceps.
But she has been eating and feeding the larvae, and taking rubbish outside.
She also dumped a larvae carcass outside, either it died or she ate it.

her original stack of 12 eggs look like small larvae now, and I see at least 1 small new egg separate from these, so she is still laying....
 

dual black Iridomyrmex queens 8mm
20mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
50+ brood

Looks like at least 7 pupa now, when a few days ago, only 4. They are growing so fast!
I think nanitics this week.
There are some dead, eaten and moldy eggs at the front of the test tube, and some fluid

 
Rhytidoponera, green/gold 8mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
10+ eggs

 
Rhytidoponera sp2, green 7-8mm queen2 - purple/blue gaster iridesence
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
10+ eggs

 
Nylanderia sp. 6mm - 5 queens
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
100? eggs/brood

They have a big stack of brood on the cardboard, and 2 smaller stacks on the left side.
I see some large larvae.
Just exploding all round!



Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - heat cable - red film
4 small larvae, some eggs?
 
No longer all that skittish anymore. pretty chill now.
The 4 eggs look like small 2nd-3rd insta larvae now.
There might be some more eggs as well, but it's hard to see.


Aphaenogaster longiceps 12-13mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
5+ eggs, about 13 brood boost larvae

She has laid at least 5 eggs, damn, and exposed to light 24/7




Pheidole cf piele, red, darker gaster 7mm
16mm test tube - heat cable
2 eggs?

I see 2 eggs, there may be more.
Exposed to light, and she still laid.

May not keep her around, we will see.


12x Myrmecia nigrocincta 20mm queens

One in a tub and tubes setup that has been here the longest, has an egg
One of the more recently caught ones in a sealed test tube has also laid an egg, and another 3 eggs!

8 of these will get posted off tomorrow to other people as sold and 1 trade.
Leaving 4 here. 2 I have reserved for Davejay,
2 for me, 1 for trade perhaps....

Edited by CoolColJ, October 21 2018 - 6:23 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Another day of bush walking, another find!
Well lean in queens...
But on one part of the trail, they must have cleared the area off track between it and a small gorge, for fire safety.
It allowed me to explore areas and rocks which are normally covered by bush.
 
I found a Rhytidoponera metallica nest with a decent amount of cocoons, so I took some to give to my 2 queens for a head start in life
I counted 21 cocoons and 1 springtail or mite lurking among the cocoons.. which I will have to kill it just in case...
 
Later on, I was walking down the trail on the way back to my car, and I glanced at a tree, one that I have walked past many times.
Something caught my eye, an ant!
I thought it froze in fear like some ants do.
It looked red and fairly big, could be a queen?
I put my plastic test tube around it, but it never reacted and then fell down!
WTF, I had to look for it and found it eventually.
 
Turns out it was a dead muscle man ant, Podomyrma worker I think.
Pretty big too, over 1cm, so that means the queens must be around 15mm!
If there is a dead worker, then there must be a colony, which I have never seen around here, then there shall be queens
Apparently they nest in trees, so I will look at this tree in more detail next time.
 
Pic from Alex Wild will do
 

Edited by CoolColJ, October 22 2018 - 2:32 AM.

[CoolColJ]

My Pheidole antipodum queen may well be infertile... the signs sure say so...

But I've been given a gift from the heavens!
Normally you can't send ants out of Western Australia, this state has strict laws regarding this, but this guy put in the effort and got a permit to do so,

and he is giving the queen to me free, just have to pay for the express post and permit fee of $20

Edited by CoolColJ, October 21 2018 - 9:47 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 22nd October 2018
 
Rhytidoponera, green/gold 8mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
10+ eggs, 10 brood boost cocoons

Gave her 10 of the cocoons I found today.
She moved forward to see what all the commotion was, and instantly carted every cocoon to her little space between the cardboard substrate and the water dam
 
 
Rhytidoponera sp2, green 7-8mm queen2 - purple/blue gaster iridescence
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
10+ eggs, 11 brood boost cocoons

Gave her 11 cocoons. Well she is the favored one, and the one I may keep
This queen took longer to respond, but she too eventually moved all the cocoons.

Edited by CoolColJ, October 22 2018 - 2:30 AM.