159 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

Update 1-13-2019

Both colonies are dead.

[Thebrute99]

Do you know what happened

[sirjordanncurtis]

Have you ever tried putting multiple queens together?

[dspdrew]

No, they are not polygyne.

[dspdrew]

Update 7-13-2019

I found a few more of these queens in Trabuco Canyon on June 9th.
 
Two days later all but one removed their wings.
 
I found another one of these in Trabuco Canyon on June 30th.
 
A couple days ago the three colonies I had left from the first night got their first workers, but one of the queens died.
 
Last night (July 12th) I found another two in Trabuco Canyon again. It's weird to find these this late in the year, but with the freezing cold weather we have been having, I guess I'm not surprised.
 
I'll be moving all of the ones with workers into small Starter formicariums.

[FSTP]

when you find them are they just meandering around? or are you digging them up ? I want to try and get some and I know where some colonies are but I"ve never seen any queens.

[NickAnter]

Did you mean, last night as in the 12th, and not the 13th?

[dspdrew]

Update 7-22-2019

The last two queens I found both ended up dying of parasitic fly larvae. That explains why they were still running around this late in the year.

[dspdrew]

when you find them are they just meandering around? or are you digging them up ? I want to try and get some and I know where some colonies are but I"ve never seen any queens.

 

They usually land on the ground around my black light.

[dspdrew]

Update 8-4-2019

I went a little too long between feedings with these, so one of them is not doing well at all--most of the workers died. The other two I moved into starter formicariums. Of those two, one is doing okay, but a lot of the workers have died. The last is doing really well, with lots of workers.

[dspdrew]

Update 8-24-2019

Well, I just found two more of these again in Trabuco Canyon a couple days ago. Now it's very late in the season for these to fly, but both of them removed their wings and laid eggs, so it looks like they are probably fertile. There has been no real changes to the other colonies.

[Mermecophilia]

what do you feed you liometopum. O

[dspdrew]

Update 2-25-2021

These all died about a year ago.

[dspdrew]

what do you feed you liometopum. O

 

Sugary liquids and protein.

[Mermecophilia]

they seem to like honey and various insects but i can't seem to find enough do they take meat well

[Zeiss]

they seem to like honey and various insects but i can't seem to find enough do they take meat well

Just buy some feeder insects from a pet store.  Give them sugar water (1 part sugar to 3 parts water) instead of honey.  Honey isn't a great idea since the ants can get stuck in it more easily.

[Mermecophilia]

thanks

[antsriondel]

Drew, will you ever revive this journal?

[dspdrew]

Maybe, if i ever find any of these queens again.

[AsdinAnts]

I’ve found a queen that was more than likely liometopum (dk which exact species) but I could not catch her since I didn’t have anything big enough to catch her with.