279 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

Queens fly just after sunset and can often be found running across the ground and can also be caught out of the sky with a net, as they fly low. Try looking for hunting dragonflies, as they love to feast on them, and are a good indicator of a flight. At sunset, you can see colonies expanding the nest entrance and males and queens crawling in and out of the nest, usually after a rain. Queens and males who fly a little later on in the evening can be found occasionally at lights. Don't worry. Pheidole bicarinata are surprisingly common.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I made a quick little video of the new Strumigenys silvestrii colony if any of you want to check it out:

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=nFoddkSUNUo

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've spotted an egg in the Strumigenys louisianae colony! As long as they don't destroy the egg, the it'll be a pretty good sign that the colony has an ergatoid queen. A lot of the larva have grown and will metamorphosing within a few days.

 

The Strumigenys silvestrii colony has been settling in well, and have been finding nice places in the cotton to nest.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I caught a local colony of Brachyponera chinensis just for the heck of it. The colony has a single queen and around 30 workers. The queen laid eggs last night. I gave them about 10 termites and they were all paralyzed in under 30 seconds.

 

The Crematogaster sp. queen died last night. She wasn't looking too good at collection anyways, so I wasn't thinking she'd get too far.

 

I collected a founding colony of Formica pallidefulva with two queens and two workers. There were more workers and another queen, but they shot off before I could capture them.

 

I found a small colony of Pseudomyrmex pallidus with 9 queen, 7 workers, and a small amount of brood. I'm going to move them into my Madagascar Giant Day Gecko's vivarium to complete the bioactive setup. They're probably end up nesting in one of the hollow bamboo twigs.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I caught a huge Strumigenys membranifera colony under a large brick today! It has around 10 queens, 125 workers, and that same amount in brood, mostly large larva and pupa, many about to eclose. I have seen a few eggs too.

 

I caught a new Pheidole queen, this time the tiny Pheidole navigans. I hadn't seen one of their queens in so long that I'd forgot how tiny their queens are. They're like half the size of Pheidole bicarinata queens!

 

The founding Pseudomyrmex pallidus queen died. 

[Ferox_Formicae]

The Strumigenys membranifera queens have been busy at work laying tons of new eggs. I gave them along with all of my other Strumigenys colonies some springtails last night, and they definitely seemed to enjoy them.

 

The Brachyponera chinensis queens laid a batch of about 10 eggs. I gave them more termites, and they were quickly eradicated. I still think it's crazy how quick Poneratoxins work on termites. One of the Brachyponera workers barely even nicked the exoskeleton of a termite, and within not even half a second, it was paralyzed, twitching its legs around.

 

I ended up capturing yet another Pheidole navigans queen from under a log.

 

I've captured five more large Temnothorax curvispinosus colonies, all from within Hickory nuts on the forest floor.

 

Also from within a Hickory nut, I found a small Hypoponera opacior colony with an ergatoid queen and a bit of young brood.

[TennesseeAnts]

Pics or it didn't happen!

[Ferox_Formicae]

Pics or it didn't happen!

What do you need pictures of? 

[TennesseeAnts]

ALL THE ANTS!

[TennesseeAnts]

I've identified my Strumigenys! Strumigenys rostrata!

[Ferox_Formicae]

ALL THE ANTS!

I'll certainly try.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The smaller Camponotus castaneus colony isn't doing too good. I put some honey in their test tube, but it spilled out and all of the workers died. I don't know if the eggs are okay yet. Next time I find a wild colony, I'm going to collect some pupa and brood boost her once again.

 

The larger Pseudomyrmex pallidus colony is doing pretty well, with lots of brood and some new workers.

[ponerinecat]

nice

[Ferox_Formicae]

The Strumigenys louisianae colony has died.

 

I collected a large colony of Aphaenogaster (rudis group) sp. The colony has around 300 workers and a small amount of brood. They're currently in the outworld, but I'm attempting to induce a move into the nesting area.

 

I climbed up into a maple tree and found a nice sized colony of Pseudomyrmex ejectus with a single queen, around 100 or so workers, and a large amount of brood.

 

Up in that same tree, I collected another twig, a much smaller one. I figured there would be a small colony of Pseudomyrmex ejectus in it. I broke a portion of it off and a Pseudomyrmex ejectus worker fell out, but I also saw a yellow Pseudomyrmex female alate slip back inside. I figured she was a callow worker, but Pseudomyrmex ejectus callow workers aren't yellow. I cracked the twig open more and the alate fell out. She was yellow. She looked almost identical to P. pallidus but she was smaller and the spots on her first gastric tergite were more pronounced. I cracked the twig open more and another alate and a dealate along with some brood fell out. It finally hit me. They were Pseudomyrmex leptosus! The first ever record north of Florida! I've given them more P. ejectus brood and I figure I'll give my hand In caring for this highly unique colony.

 

In the same tree, I was able to find a single P. ejectus queen.

[TennesseeAnts]

Congrats on the new Pseudomyrmex!

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've captured an even larger Pseudomyrmex ejectus colony from that same maple tree. It is possible that the two colonies are related, and I may try merging them at some point. I tried introducing one of the Pseudomyrmex leptosus alates to the colony to see what their reaction would be, and after a few minutes of her darting around and dodging them, she was finally caught, stung repeatedly, and torn apart. So, I just gave the leptosus 'colony' some ejectus brood, and they accepted it and started tending to it.

 

One of the Pheidole bicarinata queens has died.

 

Both of the Pheidole navigans queens have laid eggs!

 

The Solenopsis invicta queens have tons of brood, some in the later stages of larval development. There should be pupa within the next few days. I'm expecting that by the time I put my other colonies away for hibernation, they should have around 15 or so workers, and as RIFA don't need hibernation, they may have upwards of 100 workers by the time the other colonies come out.

 

I took the humidity gauge containing the Pseudomyrmex pallidus colony out of the container, placed it into a Petri dish, and opened it. The colony is getting bigger, with tons of brood in all stages.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've captured an even larger Pseudomyrmex ejectus colony from that same maple tree. It is possible that the two colonies are related, and I may try merging them at some point. I tried introducing one of the Pseudomyrmex leptosus alates to the colony to see what their reaction would be, and after a few minutes of her darting around and dodging them, she was finally caught, stung repeatedly, and torn apart. So, I just gave the leptosus 'colony' some ejectus brood, and they accepted it and started tending to it.

 

One of the Pheidole bicarinata queens has died.

 

Both of the Pheidole navigans queens have laid eggs!

 

The Solenopsis invicta queens have tons of brood, some in the later stages of larval development. There should be pupa within the next few days. I'm expecting that by the time I put my other colonies away for hibernation, they should have around 15 or so workers, and as RIFA don't need hibernation, they may have upwards of 100 workers by the time the other colonies come out.

 

I took the humidity gauge containing the Pseudomyrmex pallidus colony out of the container, placed it into a Petri dish, and opened it. The colony is getting bigger, with tons of brood in all stages.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've captured an even larger Pseudomyrmex ejectus colony from that same maple tree. It is possible that the two colonies are related, and I may try merging them at some point. I tried introducing one of the Pseudomyrmex leptosus alates to the colony to see what their reaction would be, and after a few minutes of her darting around and dodging them, she was finally caught, stung repeatedly, and torn apart. So, I just gave the leptosus 'colony' some ejectus brood, and they accepted it and started tending to it.

 

One of the Pheidole bicarinata queens has died.

 

Both of the Pheidole navigans queens have laid eggs!

 

The Solenopsis invicta queens have tons of brood, some in the later stages of larval development. There should be pupa within the next few days. I'm expecting that by the time I put my other colonies away for hibernation, they should have around 15 or so workers, and as RIFA don't need hibernation, they may have upwards of 100 workers by the time the other colonies come out.

 

I took the humidity gauge containing the Pseudomyrmex pallidus colony out of the container, placed it into a Petri dish, and opened it. The colony is getting bigger, with tons of brood in all stages.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've captured an even larger Pseudomyrmex ejectus colony from that same maple tree. It is possible that the two colonies are related, and I may try merging them at some point. I tried introducing one of the Pseudomyrmex leptosus alates to the colony to see what their reaction would be, and after a few minutes of her darting around and dodging them, she was finally caught, stung repeatedly, and torn apart. So, I just gave the leptosus 'colony' some ejectus brood, and they accepted it and started tending to it.

 

One of the Pheidole bicarinata queens has died.

 

Both of the Pheidole navigans queens have laid eggs!

 

The Solenopsis invicta queens have tons of brood, some in the later stages of larval development. There should be pupa within the next few days. I'm expecting that by the time I put my other colonies away for hibernation, they should have around 15 or so workers, and as RIFA don't need hibernation, they may have upwards of 100 workers by the time the other colonies come out.

 

I took the humidity gauge containing the Pseudomyrmex pallidus colony out of the container, placed it into a Petri dish, and opened it. The colony is getting bigger, with tons of brood in all stages.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've captured an even larger Pseudomyrmex ejectus colony from that same maple tree. It is possible that the two colonies are related, and I may try merging them at some point. I tried introducing one of the Pseudomyrmex leptosus alates to the colony to see what their reaction would be, and after a few minutes of her darting around and dodging them, she was finally caught, stung repeatedly, and torn apart. So, I just gave the leptosus 'colony' some ejectus brood, and they accepted it and started tending to it.

 

One of the Pheidole bicarinata queens has died.

 

Both of the Pheidole navigans queens have laid eggs!

 

The Solenopsis invicta queens have tons of brood, some in the later stages of larval development. There should be pupa within the next few days. I'm expecting that by the time I put my other colonies away for hibernation, they should have around 15 or so workers, and as RIFA don't need hibernation, they may have upwards of 100 workers by the time the other colonies come out.

 

I took the humidity gauge containing the Pseudomyrmex pallidus colony out of the container, placed it into a Petri dish, and opened it. The colony is getting bigger, with tons of brood in all stages.