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Antennal_Scrobe's Ant Journal

Started By Antennal_Scrobe , Aug 15 2019 1:41 PM
journal antkeeping queen formicarium

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387 replies to this topic

#201 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 21 2019 - 12:01 PM

Antennal_Scrobe

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The Myrmica cf. americana queen laid another egg! And the M. punctiventris brood is growing like crazy.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#202 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 22 2019 - 11:59 AM

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The Myrmica cf. americana queen now has 3 eggs.


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#203 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 23 2019 - 12:01 PM

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That Myrmica queen laid another egg! She is laying one a day with no signs of stopping! Thanks so much Pumpkin_Loves_Ants! In other news, I gave the M. punctiventris a new test tube yesterday, and they moved in. I think the new one has much better moisture, as they aren't clumped around the cotton but rather spread out comfortably.


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#204 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 23 2019 - 1:30 PM

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My Tetramorium always seem like they're plotting to escape, but they don't have any kind of master plan or anything, they're just worried about dead bodies being near their colony. 


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#205 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 23 2019 - 1:40 PM

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Myrmica punctiventris yesterday, soon after moving into the new tube.
Myrmica punctiventris
 
Myrmica punctiventris today.
Myrmica punctiventris

  • ANTdrew likes this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#206 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 23 2019 - 1:48 PM

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That picture looks great as my icon, especially since it's too small for anyone to be able to tell it was taken on a regular iPhone camera c. 2016.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#207 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 23 2019 - 2:23 PM

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The colony has 39 workers and 4 queens. One worker was in the outworld when I took this picture. The sum of all the pupae and large larvae is about 20, and there are a bunch of tiny eggs/larvae too.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, October 23 2019 - 2:25 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#208 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 23 2019 - 2:56 PM

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I like that picture a lot.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#209 Offline NickAnter - Posted October 23 2019 - 4:51 PM

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I am so jealous of your Myrmica. I hope I find more next year.
  • Antennal_Scrobe 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). 

#210 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted October 23 2019 - 6:06 PM

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Your Myrmica looks more like M. incompleta. (Based on where the bend in the antennae is)

My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

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#211 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 24 2019 - 11:59 AM

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Your Myrmica looks more like M. incompleta. (Based on where the bend in the antennae is)

No, I have looked at them under a microscope and they are unmistakably M. punctiventris. They are heavily rugose and have very long, curved propodeal spines, neither of which would signify incompleta. This species has a bend in the antenna too, you just can't always see it. This photo from AntWiki is a good example: https://www.antwiki....28_dorsal_1.jpg.


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#212 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted October 24 2019 - 12:03 PM

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Ah. Must just be the photos.


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My Main Journal | My Neivamyrmex Journal | My Ant Adoption | My YouTube

Join the TennesseeAnts Discord Server! https://discord.gg/JbKwPgs

#213 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 24 2019 - 12:16 PM

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The Myrmica cf. americana queen laid another egg today.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#214 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 25 2019 - 2:44 PM

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My Aeacus nest came today, and it is very nice, possibly the best formicarium I have seen so far. I hooked it up to the Myrmica setup, and while they explored it, they have not moved in yet, and probably won't until after they're done with that cricket I gave them. One of the Myrmica workers died yesterday, probably of old age.


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, October 25 2019 - 2:46 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#215 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 25 2019 - 3:00 PM

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I am so jealous of your Myrmica. I hope I find more next year.

Which species do you find?


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#216 Offline Mdrogun - Posted October 25 2019 - 3:15 PM

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Always amazed by how many Myrmica spp. you guys get up in Wisconsin. I don't know if my area is just locally lacking in Myrmica but I am very, very lucky to find even the more common species.


Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega

#217 Offline NickAnter - Posted October 25 2019 - 3:24 PM

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I am so jealous of your Myrmica. I hope I find more next year.

Which species do you find?
I think I found tahoensis in the Eastern Sierras. Gonna try even harder next year we go.
  • Antennal_Scrobe 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). 

#218 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 25 2019 - 3:45 PM

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Always amazed by how many Myrmica spp. you guys get up in Wisconsin. I don't know if my area is just locally lacking in Myrmica but I am very, very lucky to find even the more common species.

Myrmica are actually uncommon where I live as well; I need to explore a forest or nature area to find them. In northern Wisconsin where there are no Tetramorium they are everywhere, even living in the sidewalk!


  • Mdrogun likes this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#219 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted October 25 2019 - 3:49 PM

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Speaking of northern Wisconsin, I need to go back there next summer to find Myrmica, now that I like them and know about them. I especially want some of those tiny red cf. fracticornis queens I saw foraging.


Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

#220 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted November 2 2019 - 4:56 PM

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A while ago I released the Lasius aphidicola; the queen was infertile and her brood never got past the tiny larva stage, despite there being heaps of it. Today however I caught two queens of the same species under rocks! I don't think they need hosts until the spring. I also gave my Temnothorax longispinosus colony to Pumpkin_Loves_Ants; go check out his videos of them in his "Lasius Enjoying Honey" thread.


  • TennesseeAnts and Pumpkin_Loves_Ants like this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis

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