26 replies to this topic

[Spazmops]

7-26-2020
So about a week ago I was on a bike ride, and whilst on my ride, I saw the biggest queen I’d ever laid eyes on in person. This was of course the only day I didn’t have a container in my pocket, but I knew that I had to catch this queen, because the only other queen I had at the time was tetramorium and those are minuscule. I scooped up the queen and biked home one-handed with her cupped in my fist. With the help of you good people on this site, she was identified as a Formica queen, likely in the Fusca group. I then placed her in a test tube setup and went on vacation for a week. When I got back, I saw that she had around 5-10 eggs and a gaster full of more! I can’t wait to see the larvae, and I’ll update this journal once the eggs hatch. Until then, I’ll leave you with this photo of her and her brood pile.

Thanks for reading!

Edited by Spazmops, December 26 2020 - 2:50 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

That's nothin' compared to Camponotus. However, I love Formica btw.

[ANTdrew]

That’s up there with the good crazy capture stories. Given how neurotic Formica are, I’m surprised she didn’t die of cardiac arrest on the bike ride.
I caught a Lasius neoniger in a box of Nerds last Halloween.

[Spazmops]

That's nothin' compared to Camponotus. However, I love Formica btw.

I don’t have much experience so I thought it was Camponotus at first, and I was a little disappointed when I found out it wasn’t. But there’s still a small chance this year, and many many years to come.

[Spazmops]

That’s up there with the good crazy capture stories. Given how neurotic Formica are, I’m surprised she didn’t die of cardiac arrest on the bike ride.
I caught a Lasius neoniger in a box of Nerds last Halloween.

I read about that in one of your journals I believe, it cracked me up. It was also really resourceful, I would never have thought of that. She’s incredibly skittish, but I’ve found she dislikes movement more than light.

[Kaelwizard]

That’s how my Formica are. If I bump the nest they turn into freakazoids but if I shine a light on them they don’t care.

[Antkid12]

I hope I find a Formica queen soon.

[Spazmops]

Update 8-1-2020

We have some itty bitty larvae now! They’re so small I can’t even get a clear picture, plus the queen has an aneurysm every time I slide back the paper.

[Spazmops]

8/22/2020

A few weeks ago she decided that her own brood was gourmet dining and ate everything. After putting her next to my lava lamp she laid a fresh batch, which now have tiny larvae again. But a F. fusca group queen I caught less than a month ago already has pupae! I think that might be even faster than my tetramorium, I was shocked. I don’t have pictures because I don’t want to disturb her, but once I see nanitics I’ll put a picture of those up. It’s only 3 pupae and no other brood to speak of, but it’s progress.

[RushmoreAnts]

8/22/2020

A few weeks ago she decided that her own brood was gourmet dining and ate everything.

That's Formica for you. To them, brood is a delicacy. 

[Spazmops]

9/6/2020 Nanitic!

The first worker came out of her cocoon! She’s much smaller than workers from mature colonies of the same species, so I’m confident after a few generations the workers will be a lot larger. The other two cocoons are getting pretty dark, so I think I’ll have 2 more workers by the end of the day. I’ll update when that happens.

In other news, the Formica queen I caught first finally has a bare pupae. I can already tell this species is larger than the one with the nanitic.

Edited by Spazmops, September 6 2020 - 5:57 AM.

[Antkeeper01]

Hi, do you know any good anting places in arvada?

[Spazmops]

Hi, do you know any good anting places in arvada?

Not specifically. Look in the dry, bright open spaces near canals.

[ANTdrew]

Welcome to Team Formica.

[Antkeeper01]

ok thank you, i found my p. occidentallis next to a highway.

[Spazmops]

Welcome to Team Formica.

Thanks! This is currently the largest species I have, so I’m enjoying being able to tell which end of the ant is which. 

The other 2 workers emerged! I’ll give them some honey once they’re fully hardened.

 

Edit: I gave them a drop of organic honey, which the queen guzzled without hesitation. I also got to observe trophallaxis for the first time.

Edited by Spazmops, September 6 2020 - 12:42 PM.

[Spazmops]

Well, the queen I caught on a one-handed bike ride died right before she got workers. I’m especially disappointed because she had the coolest coloration out of any of the Formica queens I’ve caught. The 3-worker colony is doing great though, which makes me happy.

[Ants_Dakota]

Well, the queen I caught on a one-handed bike ride died right before she got workers. I’m especially disappointed because she had the coolest coloration out of any of the Formica queens I’ve caught. The 3-worker colony is doing great though, which makes me happy.

I love formica. Hopefully the queen will do good! I am guessing the other one had bad genetics.

[Spazmops]

 

Well, the queen I caught on a one-handed bike ride died right before she got workers. I’m especially disappointed because she had the coolest coloration out of any of the Formica queens I’ve caught. The 3-worker colony is doing great though, which makes me happy.

I love formica. Hopefully the queen will do good! I am guessing the other one had bad genetics.

 

I noticed she was kind of shuddering and twitching. I thought she might be starving because she’d gone a while without food, so I gave her some honey. She ate it and it looked like she was doing fine, but then died out of the blue. 

[Antkeeper01]

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