30 replies to this topic

[RushmoreAnts]

I love Solenopsia molesta, too. I never got the prejudice against small ants. A bunch of huge Camponotus huddled up with full social stomachs doing nothing for days at a time is my idea of boring. To each his own, though.

Around here, they have massive flights, where thousands of queens can be seen walking around. I could collect dozens, and they would all get along fine. They even breed in the nest: Solenopsis molesta inbreeding - General - Ants & Myrmecology Forum. They also grow as large as Tetramorium, yet don't require nearly as much space.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Wow, I'm really interested in all these gynandromorphs showing up. Do they always have the wing stubs?

Really cool.

[RushmoreAnts]

 now the queen is partially fertilized?

No, a queen is either fertilized or its not. A fertilized queen can produce males as well. 

[rcbuggy88]

Its not that small ants are boring, its just that I see monomorium all the time and they are kinda the only ant in the area within a mile radius walking around. Camponotus aren't really in the area and the closest place I know they are is like 3+ish mi away and even then its mostly prenolepis there (which would be cool to catch but of the 4 queens that I caught, 2 died within a week, 1 died sometime a month later with no eggs, and 1 has eggs but no workers after 3 months (but still alive). Solenopsis would be cool but there are none nearby.

 

In preparation for the weird hybrid male nanitic, is isopropyl alcohol sufficient in a small container? (I have 70 and 90%) I was reading about Kahle's solution is that worth buying? I was reading the point of the solution was to keep the insect from turning black, but its already black so idk. 

 

I will hopefully post some more pictures for better identification tomorrow.

 

edit: might not even be monomorium, might just be argentines. 

Edited by rcbuggy88, May 16 2020 - 7:13 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

Nice colony! Its amazing how you got such a rare genetic anomaly. By the way, these look like Camponotus clarithorax

Edited by YsTheAnt, May 17 2020 - 8:28 AM.

[Kaelwizard]

If you see monomorium all the time, your are lucky. Are you sure they aren't tetramorium or something?

[RushmoreAnts]

Its not that small ants are boring, its just that I see monomorium all the time and they are kinda the only ant in the area within a mile radius walking around.

I see Solenopsis molesta all the time, and I still consider them one of my favorite ants..........

[rcbuggy88]

Dude I have no clue I'm a complete newbie. All I know is they are very polygynous, black not brown, and pretty tiny. The males are also a deep black. I'm pretty sure its either monomorium, argentines, or tetra. They are too small to see clearly with my phone macro lens.

 

Edit: Videos too big to upload

Edited by rcbuggy88, May 19 2020 - 4:18 PM.

[JenC]

Camponotus Clarithorax or Hyatti probably
Argentines are smaller. Tetra queens look a little bit like Veromessor. Monos are also smaller.

Edited by JenC, May 19 2020 - 6:16 PM.

[rcbuggy88]

6/9/20

 

I've brood boosted from a local Camponotus colony, the gynandromorph has died, all it did for the days before death was getting its leg stuck in the cotton. It's it isopropyl alcohol currently. The colony currently has 3 workers 1 pupae, 2 large larvae, and a couple eggs/small larvae plus the couple brood that I boosted. I got some extension tubes so I'm using a dslr and the 35 mm has too much distortion around the edges and only the very center is in focus.

 

 

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[rcbuggy88]

6/26/20

 

Some more news, a new worker has arrived. She is deformed and very pale. I expect she is from the brood that I boosted from a wild colony. One of the front legs is bent backwards and not used. Walks in a weird way, hopefully the colony will use her as a replete. She also has a deformed wing on one side. Honestly idk what I'm doing but I'm getting a lot of deformations from this colony lol.

 

edit: oh and also the wild colony I got the brood from wasn't fragilis it was some sort of all black species.

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Edited by rcbuggy88, June 26 2020 - 3:39 PM.