33 replies to this topic

[ponerinecat]

Beautiful ants. Size differences in the new workers is interesting.

[Aaron567]

September 19, 2020

 

This colony is right at around 30 workers now. Slower growth than what I’d expect from them, especially with 6 queens, but it’s still steady and they’re doing well. I am not yet seeing any intermediate worker brood.

 

First picture is without flash diffusion so that you can see all the brood easily. I haven’t figured out a way to get rid of that glare on the test tube glass when the flash is diffused. Other pics are diffused and show the ants’ color more accurately. The photos with them in the sand are from when I dumped them out of their old tube to move them into a new tube.

 

Edit: I also forgot to mention that this is the only colony left now. I sold the rest.

 

Edited by Aaron567, September 19 2020 - 5:28 PM.

[Aaron567]

November 7, 2020

 

About 60 workers now. They'll be going in a formicarium soon, just not sure which one. I might get some sort of acrylic nest for them.

 

[Bobby_Hill]

Update?

[antsandmore]

first of all: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW So cute.
second, Update?

[Antkeeper01]

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aaron567]

February 25, 2021

 

There are right at around 400 workers in this colony now. In the last update in early November, I said this colony would be in a nest soon. More than three months later, I have finally moved them into a small nest and they are looking good. For a long time they were filling the whole test tube and it was so dirty that I really couldn't see, in detail, what types of brood they had. I've been anticipating intercaste workers for a while. For a couple months I took the heat cable off of them and left them in room temperature so that they could get some 60s instead of being heated all the time. Having a cold period for the winter is supposedly what makes them create alates.

 

They've been back on the heat for 13 days now and the first male alates are beginning to eclose. I didn't even know they were producing males until yesterday, when I dumped the entire colony into their outworld so that they could move into their new nest. I was able to see all of the brood clearly and take photos. I saw at least 3 male alates, all of which were newly hatched. More are on the way. Unfortunately, I still don't see any evidence that they're producing intercaste workers yet. I'm surprised that they've hit 400 workers without getting a single intercaste. 

 

Here are photos I captured yesterday when the colony had just been dumped into the outworld. The first photos show a tiny newly hatched male alate, which is even smaller than the workers, as you can see. The size difference between males and queens of this species is very impressive. Another thing I noticed upon dumping them was that the queens have gotten pretty plump over these last few months. All six of them are still alive.

 

 

Here they are today, all moved in. I know it doesn't look like 400 workers, but I counted them. They're bunched together very tightly.

[Canadant]

Cool. Such awesome pics.

[Kaelwizard]

Amazing.

[antsandmore]

very beautiful species I wish I had

[Aaron567]

February 28, 2021

 

Just a micro-update, since the colony has settled and spread out in the new nest. They look great and are very fun to watch now.

 

[Spazmops]

Beautiful ants! Is that a THA nest? 

[Aaron567]

Beautiful ants! Is that a THA nest? 

 

It's a nest I made out of Ultracal-30.

[M_Ants]

 

Beautiful ants! Is that a THA nest? 

 

It's a nest I made out of Ultracal-30.

 

I understand the basics of making nests like these but how do you do it so well? It looks so perfect.