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Kael's Formica glacialis Journal

Started By Kaelwizard , Jun 13 2020 2:25 PM
formica journal ant

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25 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 13 2020 - 2:25 PM

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I just collected this colony under and in some wood at the local cemetery. I collected 1 queen, and 12 workers, but 2 workers died leaving 10. From what I can tell, they are either subaenescens or glacialis, as they are super shiny, but do not look like the subsericea or argentea queens I have found. I also found a Aphaenogaster tennessenensis queen who was being attacked by Tetramorium workers, but I did not keep her. There was no brood in this colony, and I know that for a fact. This colony has to be at most a year old though. There does seem to be one nanitic, so if I am correct and they are only a year or so old, then this is the only surviving nanitic. The rest of the workers are full sized. They are currently being housed in a mini hearth, except I am unable to hydrate the water tower as THA never sent the needle for the syringe, so I just use a nestmate. I will get pictures eventually.


Edited by Kaelwizard, June 18 2020 - 2:50 PM.

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#2 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 13 2020 - 3:57 PM

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IMG_0983 (2).JPG IMG_0982 (2).JPG


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#3 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 13 2020 - 4:10 PM

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Order blunt tipped syringes on Amazon.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#4 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 13 2020 - 4:18 PM

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I’ll have to ask my parents.

#5 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 13 2020 - 5:34 PM

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The queen now has an egg in her mouth.
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#6 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 14 2020 - 4:39 PM

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There are now more eggs being held by a worker. I think about 3.

#7 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 14 2020 - 5:55 PM

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IMG_0987.JPG

IMG_0988.JPG

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IMG_0990.JPG

IMG_0992.JPG

IMG_0994.JPG

 

Zoomed in of eggs:

 

IMG_0990 (2).JPG

IMG_0994 (2).JPG


Edited by Kaelwizard, June 14 2020 - 5:56 PM.

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#8 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 15 2020 - 5:12 AM

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There are now a LOT more eggs than that.

#9 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 15 2020 - 6:02 AM

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Picture of now large egg pile:

IMG_0996 (2).JPG


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#10 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 15 2020 - 3:58 PM

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It might be almost twice as big as that pile now.


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#11 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted June 15 2020 - 5:01 PM

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Nice! I haven’t heard of this species before, but they seem like pretty ants.

Spoiler

#12 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted June 15 2020 - 6:59 PM

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I’ve heard of subaenescens, but not glacialis.

"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

#13 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 17 2020 - 9:20 AM

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Any time there is fresh honey water in the food bowl, they go out to drink it. The workers have a bad obesity problem. They have the biggest gasters out of any ant I have ever seen (not including queens).

Edited by Kaelwizard, June 17 2020 - 9:21 AM.

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#14 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted June 17 2020 - 9:21 AM

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Any time there is fresh honey water in the food bowl, they go out to drink it. The workers have a bad obesity problem. They have the biggest gasters out of any ant I have ever seen (not including queens).

A fat ant is a good ant.
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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

#15 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 18 2020 - 2:51 PM

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They have been ID'd as F. glacialis.


#16 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 18 2020 - 6:33 PM

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The nanitic worker has died.

#17 Offline Antkid12 - Posted June 19 2020 - 6:08 AM

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:(


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

#18 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 21 2020 - 2:15 PM

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Another worker is dying.

Edited by Kaelwizard, June 21 2020 - 2:16 PM.

#19 Offline TechAnt - Posted June 21 2020 - 9:11 PM

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rip

Seems like they are dying oddly quicker then they should for nanitics.

Edited by TechAnt, June 21 2020 - 9:12 PM.

My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#20 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted June 22 2020 - 5:29 AM

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rip

Seems like they are dying oddly quicker then they should for nanitics.

They are not nanitics. Only the one who already died was.
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