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NickAnter's Pheidole navigans Journal

Started By NickAnter , Dec 28 2018 8:11 PM

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112 replies to this topic

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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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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!


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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

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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

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


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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

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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

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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.


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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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). 

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