212 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

I’d call them poor man’s strobe ant.

[NickAnter]

No offence, but even you didn't spell Oecophylla correctly.(I assume auto-correct struck again) I guess you are right, but they are just so varying and non-uniform, it is rather irritating.

Edited by NickAnter, May 1 2020 - 1:12 PM.

[Nare]

Funnily enough, the common names that I've seen used most often for Formica are wood, mound and/or field ants. Field ants would probably refer to fusca, pallidifulva, and neogagates group, while mound ant might refer to the others. Formica rufa (and probably rufa-group as well) are usually referred to as wood ants. Thing is, I've heard of species of Lasius also referred to as field ants, and some might associate wood ants with Camponotus. For these reasons, if I used common names, I'd just refer to Formica as mound ants. Avoids the confusion in my opinion. 

[RushmoreAnts]

No offence, but even you didn't spell Oecophylla correctly.(I assume auto-correct struck again) I guess you are right, but they are just so verying and non-uniform, it is rather irritating.

Oh......... I always mess that one up.........     And I guess 'offence' should be 'offense', and 'verying' should be varying'. Just saying......... 

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, the English teacher in me was going to point that out. Oecophylla in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Edited by ANTdrew, April 8 2020 - 10:42 AM.

[NickAnter]

 

No offence, but even you didn't spell Oecophylla correctly.(I assume auto-correct struck again) I guess you are right, but they are just so verying and non-uniform, it is rather irritating.

Oh......... I always mess that one up.........     And I guess 'offence' should be 'offense', and 'verying' should be varying'. Just saying......... 

 

Actually, "offence" can be spelled either way. But, the other was indeed, a stupid, slightly hypocritical mistake.

[ANTdrew]

Update 4-17-2020

 

Things seem to be going fine for Yrse, but she's gone back to never doing anything I can see. They dug a tunnel all the way to the bottom of the dirt box, and I figure they must be comfortable if they never come out. The various small insects I've given them do disappear at some point, though, so I know they're eating. I'm hoping to see more activity as their numbers grow.

 

 One thing I regret is not baking the substrate I used because I'm seeing a lot of mold pop up. I was trying to be slick and keep things bioactive, but I regret that now. To try to remedy this, I dumped in six or so springtails from my culture, and I'll try to keep adding more as I can. If it ain't one thing, it's the other.

[ANTdrew]

Update 4-26-2020

 

There's not a whole lot to report on this colony so far. They keep secretly taking all the food I've been giving them, which has included a camel cricket leg and lots of fruit flies. I was happy to spot one of the springtails I had added the other night scuttling about in the substrate.

One bad thing that happened was when a piece of tape on the lid of my fruit fly container inadvertently stuck on the side of the dirt box and pulled it over when I moved the container. I freaked out and checked on them to see if they were ok, and I got a glimpse of the queen and a big white pile in her chamber, which must be brood. I'm just staying patient and hoping these ants will become more visible as their numbers grow.

[RushmoreAnts]

Update 4-26-2020
 
There's not a whole lot to report on this colony so far. They keep secretly taking all the food I've been giving them, which has included a camel cricket leg and lots of fruit flies. I was happy to spot one of the springtails I had added the other night scuttling about in the substrate.
One bad thing that happened was when a piece of tape on the lid of my fruit fly container inadvertently stuck on the side of the dirt box and pulled it over when I moved the container. I freaked out and checked on them to see if they were ok, and I got a glimpse of the queen and a big white pile in her chamber, which must be brood. I'm just staying patient and hoping these ants will become more visible as their numbers grow.

In a couple weeks, all that brood will have developed into workers.

[Ants_Dakota]

Not checking them seems to be the best for lasius. I always checked mine way to often.

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, I basically never check these, which is why I hope they start foraging more.

[RushmoreAnts]

Not checking them seems to be the best for lasius. I always checked mine way to often.

Did you mean to post this in his Lasius journal?

[ANTdrew]

Update 5-1-2020

 

I've been exercising a lot of self control the past few weeks to give Yrse time to settle into her dirt nest unmolested. I know these are sensitive ants, so I didn't want to be sticking my nose into their 'bidness' all the time. Today, I reaped the fruits of my patience and removed the felt covering I put around their dirt box to survey their tunnels and look for brood. I was really happy with what I saw: they have tunnels going all the way around the box and all the way down. In one of their bigger chambers, about midway down, I can make out at least 6-7 big larvae wiggling about maggot style. These ants are also eating a ton. I've been giving them lots of fruit flies, mealworms, and a few earwigs. The food disappears shortly after I put and then reappears a day later as trash.

 

Mold has decreased significantly as well, which I hope is a sign that the springtails are doing their thing. I added to their set up four more of a very large springtail that is thriving in my springtail culture. They'll either end up as lunch or be a jumbo clean up crew.

 

Tunneling:

 

Close up of larvae:

 

 

 

 

Attached Images

• 

Edited by ANTdrew, March 5 2021 - 11:33 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Update 5-4-2020

 

Just a photo dump. My Formica argentea colony is getting way more active, and they went nuts for a big dubia roach I gave them Friday night. I have high hopes for this colony now.

 

 

Attached Images

• 

Edited by ANTdrew, March 5 2021 - 11:35 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Update 5-10-2020

 

This colony is doing pretty great. They are feeding well and keep tunneling. They have quite a few pupae piled up in their lowest chamber at the bottom of the dirt box. I think the colony should get to 20 workers in no time if they're not there already. One worker was doing the frantic climbing up walls that I've seen before in Camponotus workers trying to leave the colony before dying, so I actually just let her out and haven't seen her since. RIP

 

 

These ants really love dubia roaches and fruit flies. They are less than enthusiastic about mealworms, and the colony basically ignored some earwigs I gave them a few days ago. Most of my other colonies love earwigs, so that's odd.

I'd love to design a big dirt tank for these like the one Dspdrew uses for his Acromyrmex.

 

[RushmoreAnts]

Nice! Just got a colony of these recently from Ants4fun. Hopefully they'll do as well as yours. 

[ANTdrew]

Nice! Just got a colony of these recently from Ants4fun. Hopefully they'll do as well as yours.

Niiiiice! I think the dirt box style is really good for their sensitive nature.

[RushmoreAnts]

Nice! Just got a colony of these recently from Ants4fun. Hopefully they'll do as well as yours.

Niiiiice! I think the dirt box style is really good for their sensitive nature.

I have them in a THA Genesis insert. He claims his colonies of the species do very well in them. I might get a dirt box when the colony gets larger, though.

[ANTdrew]

Update 5-20-20

 

 This colony continues to progress nicely. They really do grow much faster than Camponotus! There are two or three foragers out at all times now, and feeder insects disappear pretty quickly. Twelve termites I gave them the other day as a special treat were gone in twenty minutes! Last night they polished off a chopped up mealworm as well.

 

 

Their tunneling is so extensive now that I've had to remove a lot of the piled up soil. I used my handy DIY aspirator to do this last night (thanks Madbiologist!). I can see lots of workers and brood when I look in their tunnels now, but they don't really show up well for photos. I apologize for that, but I think this dirt nest is much better for their well-being. I love keeping ants like this.

 

 

 

Edited by ANTdrew, February 10 2021 - 5:23 AM.

[ForestDragon]

*when mad biologist is more popular than you but you are in reality way cooler and way hotter in every way possible* *also this is a joke don't get offended mad you know where I live don't come and kill me in my sleep*