123 replies to this topic

[Canadant]

Currently Raising:

Camponotus Novaboracensis (3rd Year)
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus
Tetramorium Immigrans
Crematogastor sp. (cerasi I think)
Aphenogastor sp. (Picea or rudis, I think)
Formica sp. (Integra, I think)
Formica sp. (subsericea, Ithink)




Intro
This is my third year anting. I fell in love with it instantly about 3 years ago in the spring of 2017. I watched an AC video with Mikey Bustos (Thanks Mikey) and realized that all those things I wanted to do as a young bot are now possible with shared information on the web. I absolutely love it. I find it fascinating, calming and of therapeutic value to me. And I LOVE creepy crawlies. Throwing insects into anthills when I was a boy.... hell ya eh!

Unidentified Species/Formica
I have 4 species that remain unidentified. Two Formica and a crematogastor and Aphenogastor. I will post pics of these for others to aid my in ID later. I don't want to disturb my Formica (Integra) queen at the moment. There are about 15-20 nanitics at the moment. They're quite small and extremely skittish so I want to give her time to grow the colony before I try to get a pic. But I definitely want to ID that species. I've always loved Formica ants. They're fast and healthy at the moment, and I just moved them into a new test tube attached to an AC mini outworld. I've tried this species two winters before this both unsuccessful but third time's a charm.

Camponotus Novaboracencis

This is my 3 year old colony. She is the second queen I caught. The colony grew a lot in it's second year so much so that I had to move them from my old AC Hybrid nest. Thank god. They chewed right through the plastic mesh. Now they're in my new Hybrid nest 2.0 and it's waaaayyyy better. I went into last winter with about 500 ants. I don't hibernate in the fridge as I just don't have the space. However, they go into a type of torpor. I lost a lot of ants over the winter. I think the colony was halved. Rough, and maybe because of the no hibernation thing. They have been my last species to wake up but the eggs that were undeveloped in the fall are still there and now I see some larvae. The ants have become bigger and I have some majors and super majors these days. They'll be even bigger this year! The goal this year for all my ants and myself is a more varied diet. Too many crickets! I've just ordered some roaches and flightless fruit flies also some bloodworms. Thanks for all the tips on the forum, guys (meaning guys and gals). Here are some pics of the colony and outworld. This is a pic of the colony just when they woke up. They piled some garbage and bodies in their formicarium but like the last formicarium the cleaned it when they needed room.

I will update my other colonies in the coming days.

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Edited by Canadant, April 4 2021 - 4:18 AM.

[Nare]

Can't wait to see the Formica. If I may ask, where in Canada are you? Cause if you're in Toronto, and you've found F. cf integra, I'd better keep my eyes peeled.

[Canadant]

Can't wait to see the Formica. If I may ask, where in Canada are you? Cause if you're in Toronto, and you've found F. cf integra, I'd better keep my eyes peeled.

I'm in Nova Scotia. I've ordered the book Ants of New England but Amazon is out of stock so I'm waiting. That should have a comprehensive look at some of the species in our area. I'm just taking a wild guess on the species. They're gorgeous though. Red and black although you can't really see the red yet on the smaller workers. I'm super excited about them, but they go hog wild when I uncover they're test tube.

[Canadant]

Also the queen just laid eggs. No parasitic needs or slave making. Do all formica practice that? I don't think so, so that could narrow down the species.

[RushmoreAnts]

Parasitic queens are known to lay eggs before they receive hosts in captivity, but they still need hosts.

[Canadant]

Here she is! My formica queen #1. Not the best pic but that's her with her minions. Would like some advice on how to keep this colony going if they're parasitic.

Sorry, not integra but incerta. Just a guess.

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Edited by Canadant, April 2 2020 - 2:00 PM.

[Canadant]

Here are my Crematogastor sp. I ve posted about why I've moved them into this piece of 2x4. Its part of their nest. They just absolutely refused to stay in my former outworld. They tried to escape every night none stop. They were even pushing the queen up and over the brim of their previous outworld one morning when I woke up. Not on my shift.... buggers! I saved the queen. They moved into my desk and about 10 feet away in the door surbase. So I put this in their outworld and they moved in. can't see the queen but I think they're happier here. We'll see what the season brings. Here they are stuffing a cricket head into their sealed nest. They're super cute! Love them.

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[Nare]

 

Can't wait to see the Formica. If I may ask, where in Canada are you? Cause if you're in Toronto, and you've found F. cf integra, I'd better keep my eyes peeled.

I'm in Nova Scotia. I've ordered the book Ants of New England but Amazon is out of stock so I'm waiting. That should have a comprehensive look at some of the species in our area. I'm just taking a wild guess on the species. They're gorgeous though. Red and black although you can't really see the red yet on the smaller workers. I'm super excited about them, but they go hog wild when I uncover they're test tube.

 

Haha I just ordered and received a copy of that one last week! I might have been the one who put it out of stock... sorry about that. It's a gorgeous book though, and super informative. Well worth the wait.

 

EDIT: Ah, okay incerta makes more sense. There are some records of parasitic Formica founding fully / semi claustrally, but not in the rufa-group. incerta are still really nice - are they slightly orange or yellow?

Edited by Nare, April 2 2020 - 3:29 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

Any Formica’s nice looking, in my opinion. It’s also the only genus my spell check doesn’t underline red.........

[Canadant]

C. novaboracensis

 

There are now some pupae in the nest. The eggs laid last fall are starting to develop. However, I haven't seen any new eggs in the nest. I'm sure she'll pick up soon. I fed the colony an apple and cricket today. Hopefully my fruit flies will arrive tomorrow. Some members were having a tug of war with one of their dead members today. Not sure why they exhibit this behaviour. No super majors yet this year but they will come. Here is a major sharing some apple. She's gorgeous. 

 

Crematogastor sp. 

 

These guys appear to be doing great! They're really enjoying their nest. I can just tell. They're in and out and searching all over. I see more everyday. The group that escaped last fall and made it to my door frame are now waking up. I caught 4 today and placed them back in with the old colony. Not sure how it turned out for them. They went straight into the nest. I would be happy to see them accepted again. I'll keep my eye out for more. I'm really excited about this colony. I need a new camera for some close ups. The old galaxy S8 just can't do it. Terrible. They love to stick their heads out of their nest and watch. Kinda cute seeing their little antennae sticking out on top of their heads. Some pics of them with cricket. 

 

Formica sp.  (Incerta?)

 

Lots of larvae in the test tube. They're not as skittish these days. I can actually look at them now in their tube. I'm not sure why the change. Maybe since the colony is bigger now they feel more secure. Maybe getting used to me. maybe the heating cable has given them extra comfort. Either way i expect this colony to grow substantially this summer. They'll be getting extra care. They love dragging food back to the nest. No pics today.

 

Tetramorium immigrans

 

The brood pile is growing slowly. I'm hoping things ramp up with these guys. Their eggs are so small though that a small pile has lots of eggs in there. I'm expecting an explosion soon. I'm very excited for these guys too. These guys drag food into the tube/nest as well. Not the greatest pic but will do for now. A small pile. 

Edited by Canadant, April 6 2020 - 2:00 PM.

[Canadant]

Crematogastor sp.

 

So last season I brood boosted my queen with hundreds of pupae from another colony. She went from a couple eggs to hundreds. She accepted and the colony began to explode in size. However, I could not keep them in their outworld. Each night they would stage an escape. Like i said one morning they were just pushing the queen over the lip of the outworld when I caught them. There was a line of ants about 15 feet in the direction of my doorway to my balcony. The eventually embedded themselves in the surbase of the door frame. I had no idea how many left or made it there. Well they started to wake up. I've seen the odd one hovering around that small corner and when I do i grab them and put them back with their colony. So, I put down some sugar water to coax a few out if possible. Nothin' yesterday. Nothing. Then today there was like 30 ants crowded around my sugar water!! I should have snapped a pic but grabbed a Tupperware container and fired them in. Easy because they were all on the foil. I snapped a pic in the container. Crazy. I cooled them off in the fridge and threw them in. Well there did not seem to be a fight. They just disappeared into their wooden nest. Amazing. I still catch the odd straggler over there every few hours. I can't believe it. My house is by no means filthy either. Ha. They're just really wedged in there. I can't see there being another 30-40 there. No way, but you never know. I've seen at least two more but can't get at them. Here's the pic with 25 ants from the door frame others were just picked up in my fingers: 

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[ANTdrew]

How did I miss all this?? Looking great, man. I'll be following.

[Canadant]

I just love my Crematogastor sp. They seem so enthusiastic compared to my other ants. I'm sure my Formica will be great to watch in the future as well. But, if I give my Crematogaster something, they all come out and put a group effort into jamming it into their nest. They just love the bloodworm slurry, too. My other ants are somewhat indifferent to it, but these guys go ape-[censored] for it! I'm going to wet their cotton swab I have stuffed into their nest today for some moisture. You can see a bloodworm sticking out of the nest. Lol. It didn't make it in. Love them. And they love their nest.

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[Canadant]

Here are some more close up pics of my Formica queen. If you're able to make an ID attempt that would be appreciated. I'll post this in the ID Thread as well. Sorry for the pic quality. Hope they can provide some more information.

 

Caught: Mid Late July 2019

Where: Kentville, Nova Scotia Canada

Wandering aimlessly in my unpaved (Grrr) parking lot. 

Colour: Red thorax, black gastor

Interesting Notes: She's a beauty!! Skittish but calming down now with her twenty or so workers.

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[ANTdrew]

I just love my Crematogastor sp. They seem so enthusiastic compared to my other ants. I'm sure my Formica will be great to watch in the future as well. But, if I give my Crematogaster something, they all come out and put a group effort into jamming it into their nest. They just love the bloodworm slurry, too. My other ants are somewhat indifferent to it, but these guys go ape-[censored] for it! I'm going to wet their cotton swab I have stuffed into their nest today for some moisture. You can see a bloodworm sticking out of the nest. Lol. It didn't make it in. Love them. And they love their nest.

Preach, brother! Do you have the escapes under control?

[Canadant]

 

I just love my Crematogastor sp. They seem so enthusiastic compared to my other ants. I'm sure my Formica will be great to watch in the future as well. But, if I give my Crematogaster something, they all come out and put a group effort into jamming it into their nest. They just love the bloodworm slurry, too. My other ants are somewhat indifferent to it, but these guys go ape-[censored] for it! I'm going to wet their cotton swab I have stuffed into their nest today for some moisture. You can see a bloodworm sticking out of the nest. Lol. It didn't make it in. Love them. And they love their nest.

Preach, brother! Do you have the escapes under control?

 

Well, for now. I have them covered with a meshed lid. They will outgrow this small outworld this season though I think. I'll probably put them in a small glass/plastic aquarium and run a thin layer of fluon around the top. Thy're ok now though. 

[Canadant]

Crematogastor sp.

 

These guys just gush out of the nest when I put out something sweet. placed some sugar water down for them and they just poured out of the nest. Pretty cool. I think there is more in there than I thought. Perhaps a successful winter after all. here are some pics of them stacking on top of each other to drink. 

 

 

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[ANTdrew]

Today, I fed my Cremas some big beetles I found in the woods, and I added a few springtails into their formicarium.

[FeedTheAnts]

Today, I fed my Cremas some big beetles I found in the woods, and I added a few springtails into their formicarium.

Were they passalas beetles? I see those a lot in rotting chunks of wood, but try to steer clear of feeding them to my ants because they're always covered in tiny mites. 

[ANTdrew]

Not sure. They were iridescent black with orange legs.I froze them for several hours as a precaution.