27 replies to this topic

[Amazant]

Today my crematogaster got her first nanitics after waiting a month and they look great! I’ll post some pictures tomorrow. Also she has tons of pupae and brood still which really surprises me. Also my other Crematogaster laeviuscula queen only has larvae and was captured a week after, she also has a dent in her gaster should I brood boost her or see what happens? Is this species polygynous because I haven’t found much information on it, Thanks!

[ANTdrew]

How did you ID your Crematogaster to species level?

[Amazant]

How did you ID your Crematogaster to species level?

I did some research on the internet and found images of my exact queen and some information about them. Also these ones have a significant different appearance compared to a lot of the other crematogaster species.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Congrats on the nanitics!

[Amazant]

3 days after capture


Yesterday’s pictures of her and her first two nanitics






I’m really excited for this queen

Edited by Amazant, August 25 2019 - 6:10 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Excellent! Crematogaster are the very best!

[Amazant]

She has more than 8 nanitics now and she still has a huge brood pile of pupae and some eggs!
Also can anyone help me with my Formica Subsericea Queen, she has been doing great and had 9 pupae and today she only had 6 and had eaten one of the workers that enclosed today it was cut in half and was dried out, thanks for any help.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Maybe give the Formica queen half a mealworm. Of course she is fully claustral, but if she has raised some workers it couldn't hurt to replenish her protein reserves. Otherwise just hope for the best.

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, August 26 2019 - 6:42 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Without careful microscopic examination and comparison with accurately identified specimens most Crematogaster are nearly impossible to Id to species.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Yep. I always just refer to the different species by general appearance or by arbitrary numerical designations. Couldn't be anywhere near as bad as Myrmica though. Those all look the same and half of them aren't even named. 

[Amazant]

Thanks for the advice, I’ll give her a mealworm if she kills the next worker that encloses which will happen in probably 2 days so I’ll check on her probably Friday night just to make her less stressed out and if she kills the worker I’ll give her the mealworm or if the worker does live I’ll give them a mealworm either way, also my crematogaster is doing well and her first workers are now foraging around. Also, fingers crossed I could be getting one of my favourite types of ants! Don’t worry it’s in my city. But it might not happen but I hope it works out.

[Amazant]

I use Vaseline for all my ants and it worked last year but then this year every single one of my colonies has had an escapee! Should I invest in Pdfe or is my outworld not suitable. Most of my colonies are in tubs and tubes setups.

[RushmoreAnts]

I use Vaseline for all my ants and it worked last year but then this year every single one of my colonies has had an escapee! Should I invest in Pdfe or is my outworld not suitable. Most of my colonies are in tubs and tubes setups.

Plain baby powder is very effective.

[Amazant]

So no rubbing alcohol just baby powder? Also how would you apply it.
The crematogaster Queen is doing good she now has 11 nanitics and a still large pile of pupae, my second crematogaster has had pupae for a few days and is doing well, she also has a deformity or damage on her gaster.

[ANTdrew]

To contain Crematogaster you need fluon applied on overhanging lip or cut out lid. They can’t hang upside down on the fluon.
Baby powder may work awhile, but I think a big colony would just wear out a path. Crematogaster are just hell-bent on wandering/escaping. It’s their nature.

[Kaelwizard]

I think for Crematogaster it would be worth giving them a very large outworld or multiple outworlds.

[Amazant]

Okay thanks, I’ll be saving up some money for some fluon meanwhile I’ll just closely watch the colony.

[Amazant]

I caught another crematogaster today! she is a lot different she is a silvery black and is a lot more bulky.

[ANTdrew]

Nice! You’re having a lucky year.

[Amazant]

I guess so! I had bad luck in spring and early summer finding a huge Camponotus I tried to catch as it landed but then decided to fly again, then I found two pennsylvanicus that were infertile, a small queen who died after laying an egg then a parasitic queen while I had no hosts. But now everything’s going good. I even ran out of homes so I bought some extra tubs!