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NickAnter's Polygynous Lasius americanus Journal(Over 250 workers!)

Started By NickAnter , Aug 12 2019 5:40 AM
lasius eastern sierras

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199 replies to this topic

#141 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 22 2020 - 3:00 PM

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It’s been three months now in 80 degree temps and still waiting for my Nerdbox neoniger to get workers.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#142 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 22 2020 - 3:15 PM

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That's not normal. She might not be fertile. Or you could try more hibernation, I guess.


Edited by NickAnter, April 22 2020 - 3:15 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). 

#143 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 22 2020 - 3:35 PM

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Crap. Maybe time to pull the plug on that one then.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#144 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 22 2020 - 3:37 PM

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I would feed her protein and sugars.


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). 

#145 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 22 2020 - 3:57 PM

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That's not normal. She might not be fertile. Or you could try more hibernation, I guess.

Yeah, queens usually lay within a week of capture. There are not many hardier species out there.
  • Ants_Dakota likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#146 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 22 2020 - 4:46 PM

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Just to clarify, she has a brood pile, some of which are larvae, but it’s going absurdly slow.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#147 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 22 2020 - 4:55 PM

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Oh, then she's fine. Just wait it out.


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). 

#148 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 23 2020 - 9:06 AM

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Video of the winged queen's colony:


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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). 

#149 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 23 2020 - 9:12 AM

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That is one physogastric queen. :)


"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#150 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 23 2020 - 9:57 AM

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Yep! She is always like that, more so than other queens. Same with Queen 4.


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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). 

#151 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 23 2020 - 10:02 AM

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Yep! She is always like that, more so than other queens. Same with Queen 4.

Mine was like that even before she got workers:

 

wPWoyxT.jpg?1


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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#152 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 24 2020 - 7:39 AM

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The second generation of workers has begun! Queen One got her first, larger, second gen worker last night! I will make a video later today, and post it here. And she is skinnier today, as she has laid about 15 eggs. She is turning into the most productive queen. Queen Four seems to be the least productive.


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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). 

#153 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 24 2020 - 9:52 AM

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So looking back in my journal, I realized my neoniger didn’t lay eggs until early March, so it’s been actually seven weeks or so. I’m still perplexed why she is taking so much longer than the Formica and Crematogaster queens I had in the same incubator box, all of which have thriving colonies now.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#154 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 24 2020 - 10:02 AM

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Lasius are very slow in the beginning. I think neoniger are especially so.


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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). 

#155 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 24 2020 - 10:16 AM

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But it'll be worth it. Some of those large colonies are amazing, especially if they have an extremely physogastric queen (of which Lasius are capable of).


  • ANTdrew likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#156 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 24 2020 - 10:20 AM

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They are so quirky too, with their little jumps, as seen in my videos.


  • RushmoreAnts 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). 

#157 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 24 2020 - 10:21 AM

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They are so quirky too, with their little jumps, as seen in my videos.

I love that about them! Their callows are also SO CUTE!!!


"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#158 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 25 2020 - 11:22 AM

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It turns out I completely missed the first second generation worker of Queen Two. She probably hatched on the same day Queen One's did. They now have eleven workers. So here is another reason I think they are different species. Queen One's gaster expands backwards, and not so much upwards. All the others seem to expand in a more symmetrical fashion.

 

Also, I really need to put The Trio in an outworld Its getting harder and harder to feed them. And, they have so much brood, its almost impossible to pick up the tube, and not knock over a bunch of brood.


  • RushmoreAnts and mantisgal 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). 

#159 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 8 2020 - 1:30 PM

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Video of the Trio. All of the colonies of these love THA ant juice, whereas my Nylanderia could care less, unless it is just the sugar, as seen in this video.

 


Edited by NickAnter, May 8 2020 - 1:30 PM.

  • AntsMaryland, RushmoreAnts and mantisgal 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). 

#160 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 8 2020 - 1:48 PM

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Nice. My Nerdbox neoniger has larvae now, but they’re still tiny. It’s ridiculous how long this is taking.
  • AntsMaryland and RushmoreAnts like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.
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