11 replies to this topic

[Kaelwizard]

I found this queen yesterday, and today she already has eggs. I'm not super interested in large ants like this, especially Camponotus, but I figured why not. It is pretty cool that she layed after one day though.

Edited by Kaelwizard, May 31 2020 - 8:04 AM.

[Kaelwizard]

I counted today and it looks like she has 3 extremely long eggs.

[RushmoreAnts]

She should lay a few more in the coming days.

[Kaelwizard]

She should lay a few more in the coming days.

Yeah, my neighbor started with four or five nanitics. His colony didn't make it though.

[RushmoreAnts]

She should lay a few more in the coming days.

Yeah, my neighbor started with four or five nanitics. His colony didn't make it though.

That sounds about right. Yet Camponotus (and many other genera) lay more eggs than nanitics, as many will be used for food. My pennsylvanicus laid around 10, and got 5 or so nanitics a couple years ago. They didn’t make it either........

[Kaelwizard]

She now has way more than 3 eggs. I think she had more than 3 to begin with but I just didn’t get a good enough look at the pile.

[Kaelwizard]

She has small larvae now. She keeps them on her back and on her gaster. I don’t know how she puts them there. She did it with the eggs sometimes too.

[CatsnAnts]

She has small larvae now. She keeps them on her back and on her gaster. I don’t know how she puts them there. She did it with the eggs sometimes too.

That’s pretty interesting! I’m curious as to if it is intentional or accidental whether she put them there, pics pics pics please

[Kaelwizard]

I can try to get pics but it is hard with the genesis insert as she hides under the covered area a lot.

[CatsnAnts]

I can try to get pics but it is hard with the genesis insert as she hides under the covered area a lot.

Ah, well that’s too bad D:

[RushmoreAnts]

She has small larvae now. She keeps them on her back and on her gaster. I don’t know how she puts them there. She did it with the eggs sometimes too.

I don’t think queens intend to place brood on their backs, but it just sorta happens, if you know what I mean.

[Kaelwizard]

She was acting really weird for the last week and her brood was nowhere to be seen. She wobbled around a lot and seemed to be suffering so I decided the best thing for her would be to put her out if her misery. I am going to thoroughly clean the test tube because I think she may have gotten whatever my P. occidentalis got that killed them (if there was a “thing” that they got) and that is what was killing her (she did last longer than them if that’s the case). At least now I can use this test tube for a species that is more worthwhile now.