Jump to content

  • Gallery
  • Members
  • Member Map
  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

NickAnter's Pheidole navigans Journal

Started By NickAnter , Dec 28 2018 8:11 PM

  • Please log in to reply
112 replies to this topic

#101 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 22 2021 - 4:56 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California
20210322 174331

  • TennesseeAnts and M_Ants like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#102 Offline NickAnter - Posted March 22 2021 - 5:37 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California
Accidental re-post. I forgot I had already posted the image above. %) %)

Edited by NickAnter, March 22 2021 - 5:38 PM.

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#103 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 11 2021 - 2:09 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California
Well this colony is now bursting at the seams. They have at least 350 workers, and have completely filled their test tube. Pictures are very hard, all it would be is a mass of ants. I hope to soon move these into a formicarium so I have proper visibility, and have a better setup for taking pictures and video. I do have a mini hearth, but I planned to use that for formica if I found any. I think I might just get another one, as I don't really want to bother making a formicarium that these things can't get out of. Not too concerned that the outworld would be much smaller, as they thankfully cannot scale fluon.

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#104 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 24 2021 - 2:45 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

So, after 13 days of analysis paralysis, one failed formicarium, and another that's really better for a larger species, I decided to just dump them into the mini hearth. They probably have about 400 workers!

20210424 104940
20210424 153842
20210424 153741
20210424 153727

As you can also see, they still have that massive brood pile as well! I really am glad that I moved them into this mini hearth, they take up a quarter of the space, and have room to reach 1k plus workers. All in all, doing great!


  • MrPurpleB, ANTdrew, Antkeeper01 and 1 other like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#105 Offline MrPurpleB - Posted April 24 2021 - 2:50 PM

MrPurpleB

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 307 posts
  • LocationLos Angeles, CA

The outworld looks cute. Is that a small flower design?

 

Enjoying the photos, they got a nice color to them. 


#106 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 24 2021 - 4:35 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

I think it is supposed to be a succulent--not sure.


  • MrPurpleB likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#107 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 24 2021 - 5:17 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 10,116 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Looking good!
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#108 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 6 2021 - 10:35 AM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

Once again, over a month since last update :whistle:

 

This colony is doing incredible!!! They have over 500 workers, and well over 30 majors. All their brood has eclosed, and, thankfully, unlike my Nylanderia, there are usually anywhere from 10-20 workers in the outworld. This means no escapees, and, when I feed them, I still get the same massive swarming this species loves to do. Once again, pictures are difficult. Lots of the workers hang out on the ceiling of the nest, and the ones that don't are covered up by the ones on the glass. I'm really hoping for alates this year, since they are doing so well.


  • TennesseeAnts and ANTdrew like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#109 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 6 2021 - 1:34 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 10,116 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Nick, you should replicate the cut open, ventilated lid I have for my Nylanderia’s outworld. I’ve never had a single escape, despite them trying to do nuptial flights every night for the past three weeks.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#110 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 6 2021 - 2:25 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

Yeah, I probably should do that. I think ll just drill a large hole with a step-drill bit and plug it with some cotton while leaving a ring of fluon around it.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#111 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 6 2021 - 2:59 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 10,116 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
That would work. Then you could just drop in food without lifting the lid.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#112 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 6 2021 - 3:00 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

that's the plan. :)


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#113 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 3 2021 - 8:25 PM

NickAnter

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,307 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

Well this colony has plateaued. On the plus side, they probably will never outgrow this mini hearth. On the downside, they are nowhere near the size of the largest wild colony I have seen.

 

Because there just isn't much to report, Ill update this journal only if anything interesting occurs. Otherwise, this journal will be mostly abandoned.

 

They still have their massive, and very quick feeding responses, so they still are a joy to watch. If anyone wants an easy to raise species, that is aggressive, and small, I couldn't recommend this one enough.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

Back to Ant Keeping Journals · Next Unread Topic →


1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users