2 replies to this topic

[Nexus]

Hi everyone !

 

I'm going to present you a little experiment accessible to all and rather amusing : the colorant experiment.

 

Basically, you have to put some colorant on the food you give to the ants, so that you can observe the transmission and cycle of the food in the colony.

It goes without saying that, the brighter your ants will be, the better the experiment will be. (you have the proof with Mohamed Babu's experiment :

 

 

 

 

 

So, here is what I got with red colorant and sugar :

Lasius niger

 

Lasius flavus :

 

Camponotus cruentatus

Before... ... After

 

Camponotus ionius

 

I will show you what I've got with each of my 12 species of ants and I'll change the color so that we can see what colors and which species work the best. You can, you to, show us the result with your species...

Edited by Nexus, April 17 2015 - 10:46 AM.

[Mercutia]

Byformica provides some food called Formula in colors. The blue one turns your ant larvae blue too, not just your ants. Pretty cool.

[Crystals]

We saw something like this when Drew's honeypot ants decided to tank on on red hummingbird nectar. 

The effect was quite startling.