39 replies to this topic

[AntsCalifornia]

(Update 12/19/17)

This is my C. fragilis colony and I'm going to start a journal on them. To start off, this is my first and most successful queen. Funny story, I was visiting during a family reunion and when I got in my bed to go to sleep, no joke, I look down, and see this queen running across the ground next to my bed. I was amazed and immediately picked up the queen and got it in a test tube. It has been the most successful and best looking of all my current ant colonies. I'm currently replicating drew's dirt shacks and am going to move them in one of those as soon as I'm finished. As you can see in my picture, I tried to color them, but the food coloring isn't working so well, they don't really look red. For some weird reason, they love the center of the test tube. They never snuggle up to the cotton like my other colonies do, maybe they like drier conditions. So far this is the only desert species I have.

Edited by AntsCalifornia, December 19 2017 - 5:40 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

Sweet looking colony! Hope they do well.

[nurbs]

Excellent species to rear, one of my favorites. Easy to care for. Very clean. Moderate to quick growth.

 

Had 24 samples of them this year, and nearly all of them had moldless cotton for months, unlike C. laevigatus or C. modoc where they will dirty the cotton within weeks. 

 

Unlike other mountain Camponotus species, they also do not require hibernation.

[AntsCalifornia]

Yeah, so far this is my favorite colony. I will update again when I get them in their formicarium. 

[AntsCalifornia]

So I built a clone of the dirt shack drew made.

And now I'm moving my colony in. I got a new macro lens for my phone, so these pictures should be a clearer view of my camponotus.

[Mettcollsuss]

Cool coloration on the queen!

[dspdrew]

I think your pictures are upside down. I have also noticed this species needs very little moisture. I almost think you could put them in a completely dry formicarium as long as they had access to water for drinking.

[AntsCalifornia]

I've found that is true too as when the test tube is full of water, they like to move away from the cotton, and move back when water is running out. Sorry about the upside down pictures, but you get the idea. I was disappointed to  find that the space between the wall and the inner chamber is to thin. Now I think I need to find a better formicarium to house these ants. I'm open to cost effective ideas if anyone has them. I'm thinking of 3d printing a new one but that could take a few months. For right now I guess I'll just wait and see if they happen to dig a nest and fit the queen in. I don't think so though as the space looks to tight for even the workers.

[Bryce]

Do these dig down in earth or do they live under rocks and wood in there natural environment?

[dspdrew]

Do these dig down in earth or do they live under rocks and wood in there natural environment?

 

I have never seen them nesting anywhere but at the base of trees or large bushes.

[AntsCalifornia]

 

Do these dig down in earth or do they live under rocks and wood in there natural environment?

 

I have never seen them nesting anywhere but at the base of trees or large bushes.

 

Oh, do you think they will still dig in the dirt?

[dspdrew]

 

 

Do these dig down in earth or do they live under rocks and wood in there natural environment?

 

I have never seen them nesting anywhere but at the base of trees or large bushes.

 

Oh, do you think they will still dig in the dirt?

 

 

Not sure. I had some in a Dirt Box for a while, and I think they did dig, but there was already a nest dug when I put them in there. I can tell you that other species of purely ground nesting Camponotus never seem to dig nests either when I put them in dirt. Novomessor seem to be the same too. I have no idea why.

[nurbs]

 

 

 

Not sure. I had some in a Dirt Box for a while, and I think they did dig, but there was already a nest dug when I put them in there. I can tell you that other species of purely ground nesting Camponotus never seem to dig nests either when I put them in dirt. Novomessor seem to be the same too. I have no idea why.

 

 

 

Witnessed a flight of N. cockerelli last year in the Mojave and literally sat there for an hour completely mesmerized by them. As one user here reported, they "walk like dogs with worms".   

 

They don't seem to create founding chambers or even dig, but look for nooks and crannies under rocks and crevices.

[AntsCalifornia]

hmmm, seems I need a natural formicarium in an aquarium with some logs and rocks.

[AntsCalifornia]

So as it turns out, they do dig. I watched them dig really cool large tunnels. Only problem is that the space between the inner chamber and the outer wall of the formicarium was to small. I watched the queen run out and try to jam into the nest, but she couldn't even get her giagantic head in. I will 3d print a smaller inner chamber that gives 1in of space to dig. I'll put an update when I finish the new one and move them in.

[Jadeninja9]

Wow the queen looks so cool

[AntsCalifornia]

Sadly when changing formicariums, I lost the queen for this species. This was my favorite colony. Hopefully I can find a new queen of this species later. For now, though, i guess this journal is closed. 

[YsTheAnt]

Awww... Hopefully you catch some more next season.

[Jadeninja9]

Aw wow. That’s lame. R.I.P.

[AntsCalifornia]

So after 2 days I found her! She was not in good condition, not moving and dried up. I put her back in the nest and she laid on her back twitching. I left her for a few hours and when I came back I saw the workers decided to build a cave for her instead of digging a nest. She is now back on her feet but not moving much and she is weak, but she should regain her health and start producing eggs in a day or two. I was lucky to find her right before she died. 

Edited by AntsCalifornia, February 25 2018 - 3:16 PM.