Actually just found out the Pogonomyrmex queen laid around five eggs. Myrmica eggs are hatching into small larvae.
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Actually just found out the Pogonomyrmex queen laid around five eggs. Myrmica eggs are hatching into small larvae.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
yikes, the golden death is back? Sounds like a serious yikes from me...
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
yikes, the golden death is back? Sounds like a serious yikes from me...
It was an isolated incident. None of the other colonies have shown symptoms, and I plan to keep it that way.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
gud
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
wow. I had no idea lasius brevicornis was so coveted! I might need to keep one of my queens for myself!
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)
UPDATE #0007
Thursday, May 14th, 2020
Lasius brevicornis
First appearance on Update #0005
Getting a dealate queen from Ants_Dakota. Her two nestmates will be given to Ants4fun. Here's a picture he took of them:
Myrmica sp.
First appearance on Update #0005
Their giant egg pile of over 100 (could even be as many as 200) has been hatching into small larvae. A distinct color difference can be seen between the eggs and larvae, as the larvae are slightly paler and a bit larger than the eggs. I didn't manage to get a photo of the larvae, but I got this picture of the egg pile when it was still mostly eggs:
You can see a couple queens in the picture, if you look closely enough.
Lasius aphidicola
First appearance on Update #0005
Nothing new with the colony, however I plan to collect a couple hundred more hosts from a mature colony. I ordered a THA Inception Chamber to support the larger colony. Anyways, I was able to get a clearer picture of the queen:
Ponera pennsylvanica/Hypoponera opacior
First appearance on Update #0005
Might be getting a colony from Ants_Dakota. It has two queens, and a dozen or so workers. If Ants4fun finds another, I may trade for it and attempt to merge them. Here's Ants_Dakota's colony:
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
First appearance on Update #0005
Nothing new. Just noticed a little egg pile. They also seem to like pumpkin seeds:
Aphaenogaster picea
First appearance on Update #0006
The colony's been doing well. The largest larvae look almost ready to pupate. The workers are also very active in their outworld.
Here's them doing their thing in their outworld:
Formica subsericea
First appearance on Update #0006
Fed these, and the queen laid again, after the colony ate their eggs. Also gave them an outworld.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
Mini Update #0007A
Aphaenogaster picea
I did not realize how much brood this colony had until looking in this morning! The whole floor is literally covered with eggs and small larvae! However, that knowledge came at a price......... it turns out half the workerforce decided to up and leave the nest and head for the outworld, for some reason. That happened yesterday, but it turns out today most of them were dead. Oh well, at least I can see the brood and queen better......... and I know those workers will be more than replaced in a couple weeks.
Here's some of the brood and queen (There's MUCH more than shown in the picture):
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
That is sad.
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)
Mini Update #0007B
Aphaenogaster picea
So, it turns out these guys kept on dying. It finally got the point where there were not enough workers to even carry their dead into the outworld. I finally decided to move them into a test tube, as an attempt to save the rest of the colony. Managed to get the queen, around 15 workers, and a few dozen brood:
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
UPDATE #0008
Friday, May 22nd, 2020
Lasius brevicornis
First appearance on Update #0005
Got three queens from Ants_Dakota. I will be keeping one, as the other two will be given to Ants4fun and his colony, which I gave to him. They have 20 or so eggs. I'm also trying an experiment in their test tube- I 'planted' some of my Pogonomyrmex's grass seed in the cotton, hoping that roots will grow into the cotton. They are currently in the top cotton (not the water cotton), which I am keeping moist. As of now, the seeds are beginning to sprout. If grass does grow in their tube, then I would be able to successfully raise root aphids in captivity.
Myrmica sp.
First Appearance on Update #0005
Pretty much all the eggs are small larvae by now. I really can't see them that well, as to me (and the camera), they're just one big blob of brood. Many of the large larvae look almost ready to pupate:
Lasius aphidicola
First appearance on Update #0005
I added several hundred more host workers, and moved them into a THA Inception Chamber. However, most of the ants are still in the outworld, as I dumped them from a temporary holding container. I truly am sorry for the poor quality of this photo, as the Inception Chamber's design makes it difficult to take photos with an iPad (I just scrapped the macro lens, as it was big and bulky and getting in the way). I also circled the queen's gaster.
Managed to get a better one here:
Ponera pennsylvanica/Hypoponera opacior
First Appearance on Update #0005
Finally got this colony from Ants_Dakota. It only has one queen, however, but it may have a couple ergatoids in there as well. I fed them a few fruit flies, which they took readily. I also circled the queen to make her easier to pick out:
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
First Appearance on Update #0005
There are lots of eggs now! I have been vainly trying to get a picture of the pile, but they are extremely good at hiding it. They also separate it into smaller batches, making counting confusing for me. However, I now know that there are at least 50 or 60 eggs! They also have 15-20 pupae, a few large larvae, and 4 new callows! In this photo I managed to capture a smaller egg pile, along with many of the pupae.
Aphaenogaster picea
First Appearance on Update #0006
Nothing new. They seem to be recuperating in their new test tube.
Formica subsericea
First Appearance on Update #0006
The colony has around 15 eggs. I am beginning to see workers foraging in their outworld.
Edited by AntsDakota, May 22 2020 - 5:38 AM.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
The grass would grow out of the cotton, and into open air, so I could cover the test tube, and still give the grass ample lighting.The issue would be getting the plants enough light without stressing out the subterranean ants. Most grasses need full sun to grow.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
And put root aphids for the ants to eat. I think it is an awesome idea, and will be trying it myself.
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)
I’d have it by a window sill.The light inside a house may still be too low. Full sun plants need at least six hours of direct sunlight to thrive. Sorry, just playing devil’s advocate.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
The light inside a house may still be too low. Full sun plants need at least six hours of direct sunlight to thrive. Sorry, just playing devil’s advocate.
Questioning people will make better products
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)
That was probably it. They’ll probably bounce right back in the test tube.Usually when I have large die-offs it’s due to lack of humidity. Aephenogaster especially need moisture constantly. They also don’t have social stomached, so they can’t transport water to their nest mates. They need constant water at all times. I usually include a test tube attached to their nest for that purpose. A couple days without constant hydration can be disastrous.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
UPDATE # 0009
Friday, May 29th, 2020
Myrmica sp.
First Appearance on Update #0005
Several hundred eggs and small larvae. However, I am not heating them, so they're developing SUPER slowly.
This is their version of a tiny egg pile.
And this is their main pile.
Lasius aphidicola
First Appearance on Update #0005
So, it turns out the neoniger workers began attacking the queen. I figured the queen could hold her own and eventually gain the workers' trust again, yet she failed after a day or two. Subsequently, I captured some Lasius americanus workers and stuck them in with her. They bit her for a few minutes, yet then they surrounded her and groomed her like she was their own queen. I'm expecting eggs any time now.
Ponera pennsylvanica
First Appeareance on Update #0005
Found a couple more queens and introduced them. They're all getting along great! Also fed them a mealworm a day or so before the introduction, which they seemed to like. Still no eggs.
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
First Appearance on Update #0005
These guys are thriving. They've eaten a lot of mealworms (besides their regular seeds). Eggs have hatched, lots of pupae are eclosing, and everything else in between is growing at a good pace. I also find it interesting that queen still tends to the brood every once and while. Probably typical of a semi-claustral queen.
Aphaenogaster picea
First Appearance on Update #0006
Nothing new. Fed them a couple sunflower seeds.
Formica subsericea
First Appearance on Update #0006
Around 20 eggs. Fed them another mealworm and some honey.
NEW!!!
Lasius americanus
While searching for Lasius americanus workers to act as hosts for my Lasius aphidicola queen (see above), I must have accidentally grabbed a Lasius americanus queen (didn't realize it until I was sorting through the workers I had collected). I then gave her most of the workers (500 or so) and a couple hundred small larvae. I moved them in to a dirt setup (technically it has sand, but whatever). Recently the queen laid a few dozen eggs!
In the picture, the colony was still on the surface, yet has since excavated some tunnels, and has moved underground.
NEW!!!
Aphaenogaster rudis
Found a colony of these with a couple hundred workers. They had several dozen larvae between 2nd and 4th instars. I'll edit this post once I get pics.
"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:
Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea
Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra
Myrmica sp.
Lasius neoniger, brevicornis
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