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Observation on feeding Camponotus

Started By Foogoo , Mar 23 2015 3:39 PM

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#1 Offline Foogoo - Posted March 23 2015 - 3:39 PM

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When I last fed my colonies crickets or fruit flies, I noticed some of them wouldn't touch it, Camponotus being one of them. Lately when any of my queens bite the dust (pun intended), I'd put her in the freezer for a few hours then feed it to my other colonies. Why waste a nutritious bug? 

 

Yesterday, I decided to give my Camponotus a deceased D. insanus queen. I dropped the queen in and right when the worker touched the body, it ran all over the container frantically, returning to fight the body. Eventually it calmed down and began tugging at the substrate, I assume to bury the queen. After watching this for a while, I determined they're not going to eat it, so I gave it to the Crematogaster.

 

Has anyone else witnessed this? Considering they didn't touch any other insect I fed them, could they just not be bug eaters?


Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta

#2 Offline antmaniac - Posted March 23 2015 - 3:49 PM

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Maybe it depends on the larvae or hunger level of the colony? My camponotus would go after insects. Sometime I think they felt the "food" is dangerous or a threat, so they would run away, even carry the brood away if it is near or keep attacking it. I find that this would rarely happen if the insect is in outworld, since they feel safe in nest and go out forage make them "braver".

#3 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 23 2015 - 4:41 PM

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They probably just aren't hungry for food high in protein right now. When colonies are really tiny, they don't see to eat or do much of anything else in a regular fashion. When the colony gets larger, they will start to act more normal and consistent I find. As for the ants running around crazy, they probably smelled some of the Dorymyrmex ant's pheromones, and thought they were under attack. When I feed a lot of my Camponotus, the first thing they do is attack the food.


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#4 Offline Foogoo - Posted March 23 2015 - 5:49 PM

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Interesting, I would've thought a small colony would want to stock up on protein.


Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta

#5 Offline antmaniac - Posted March 24 2015 - 4:21 PM

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Interesting, I would've thought a small colony would want to stock up on protein.

All my ants are hoarders and there is a pile of insects inside the chamber now. I guess at least your formicarium will be clean.


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