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Adak's Ant Keeping Journal Updated 6/12/20 POLYGYNOUS C. VICINUS! LOTS OF NEW COLONIES!

Started By RushmoreAnts , Apr 3 2020 3:32 PM
pogonomyrmex pogonomyrmex occidentalis aphaenogaster lasius lasius aphidicola parasitic lasius formica formica subsericea myrmica aphaenogaster rudis camponotus pennsylvanicus camponotus vicinus camponotus modoc camponotus novaeboracensis formica incerta tapinoma sessile tapinoma camponotus aphaenogaster tennesseensis

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#1 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 3 2020 - 3:32 PM

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Introduction

Welcome to my new journal! In case you missed out, all my previous colonies were wiped out by a fungal infection within the genus Aspergillus. Now I am starting over fresh. Enjoy!

 

Also, if you wish to read my previous journal and the demise of my previous colonies, go here.


Edited by AntsDakota, June 12 2020 - 8:35 AM.

  • Thunder_Birds likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#2 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 3 2020 - 3:40 PM

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UPDATE #0001
Friday, April 3rd, 2020


NEW!!!
Prenolepis imparis

So unfortunately, I missed these gals' flights. I was looking in the wrong places, wrong parks. I did get to see males, though. Fortunately for me, Ants4Fun sold me a few of the queens he captured. I currently have four, and am temporarily caring for Ants_Dakota's (he gave him one as well) until COVID clears up, and I can see him in person. So, here they are:

I moved them out of their original test tube, since it looked pretty wet, and could possibly flood. Also, the visibility was terrible.
XPPu39I.jpg

5MbAkmS.jpg

Ants_Dakota's queen is in her original test tube, showing the poor quality:

NdrmQ7Z.jpg

neCY0ii.jpg

Edited by AntsDakota, April 5 2020 - 7:50 AM.

  • Ants4fun, FeedTheAnts, Da_NewAntOnTheBlock and 2 others like this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#3 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted April 3 2020 - 4:42 PM

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congrats on the queens


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#4 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 3 2020 - 4:56 PM

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Thanks! This is what I was talking about earlier.
  • TennesseeAnts and Da_NewAntOnTheBlock like this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#5 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 4 2020 - 3:07 AM

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Godspeed!
  • RushmoreAnts likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#6 Offline Ants4fun - Posted April 4 2020 - 5:03 AM

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Yeah, the test tubes were outside a bit. Temperature difference must have caused it to flood. Hope they work out well for you! Just a tip, temperature changes are critical with this species. They go through a mini brumation during summer months. So, they need slowly increasing temperature. I might be keeping mine in my garage. It’s about 60 in there now, and it should rise in temp with summer, so they get a more accurate cycle.
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#7 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 4 2020 - 5:27 AM

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How large of groups are you keeping them in? Or are they all separate?

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#8 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 4 2020 - 7:46 AM

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Quick question- are these ants really as sensitive as I’ve heard? They don’t seem that much more jumpy than Lasius, and they did fine when this guy checked them once a week: https://www.ohioants...mparis-journal/

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#9 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 4 2020 - 9:25 AM

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I may just experiment. I’ll see what they’re up to next week.

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#10 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted April 4 2020 - 11:34 AM

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Hope they survive! And hope you get a booming colony!


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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#11 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 4 2020 - 11:36 AM

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It’ll be a long road. Most colonies take at least two years to exceed fifty workers. A thirty worker year old colony is considered large.
  • Ants_Dakota likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#12 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted April 4 2020 - 11:57 AM

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wow. well, keep grinding it out.


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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

My Lasius sp. Journal

My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#13 Offline Ants4fun - Posted April 4 2020 - 3:30 PM

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I’m keeping them in groups of 4 with a few singles. Testing out different founding setups.
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#14 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 5 2020 - 5:07 AM

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Yeah, the test tubes were outside a bit. Temperature difference must have caused it to flood. Hope they work out well for you! Just a tip, temperature changes are critical with this species. They go through a mini brumation during summer months. So, they need slowly increasing temperature. I might be keeping mine in my garage. It’s about 60 in there now, and it should rise in temp with summer, so they get a more accurate cycle.

So estivation requires warmer temperatures, then?

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#15 Offline Ants4fun - Posted April 5 2020 - 6:48 AM

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Yeah, they take a break during summer, and that has to be induced, just like winter hibernation.
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#16 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 5 2020 - 7:41 AM

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Do you think a heating mat would work?

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#17 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 7 2020 - 1:47 PM

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UPDATE #0002

Tuesday, April 7th, 2020

 

Prenolepis imparis

 

I found another one of these, and put her with the four queens I received from Ants4Fun. She must have cleaned her gaster at least a half dozen times on the way home! I also was using my macro lens wrongly, and have now figured out how to use it correctly, improving the photo quality to the enth degree.

 

She's one of the ones without wings:

lbBVBex.jpg

 

ujFyus7.jpg

 

 

XKiWQ17.jpg

 

0tt8nvj.jpg

 

Here's Ants_Dakota's queen:

i27VTGI.jpg

 

The Imgur link: Polygyne in the ant Prenolepis imparis (False Honeypot Ant) (Winter Ant)y - Album on Imgur


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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

#18 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 7 2020 - 1:59 PM

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Best of luck! I’ll be following.
  • RushmoreAnts likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#19 Offline Da_NewAntOnTheBlock - Posted April 7 2020 - 2:17 PM

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I found an established colony of Tetras, so I may get into keeping those gals soon...I'll keep an eye on this journal as well, glad you could get over the golden death period and hoist yourself into the golden period (literally) of ant keeping for you :)


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There is a important time for everything, important place for everyone, an important person for everybody, and an important ant for each and every ant keeper and myrmecologist alike

#20 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted April 7 2020 - 2:34 PM

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I found an established colony of Tetras, so I may get into keeping those gals soon...I'll keep an eye on this journal as well, glad you could get over the golden death period and hoist yourself into the golden period (literally) of ant keeping for you :)

I also ordered more Pogonomyrmex.
  • Da_NewAntOnTheBlock likes this

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis

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Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: pogonomyrmex, pogonomyrmex occidentalis, aphaenogaster, lasius, lasius aphidicola, parasitic lasius, formica, formica subsericea, myrmica, aphaenogaster rudis, camponotus pennsylvanicus, camponotus vicinus, camponotus modoc, camponotus novaeboracensis, formica incerta, tapinoma sessile, tapinoma, camponotus, aphaenogaster tennesseensis

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