60 replies to this topic

[sgheaton]

So you don't know and base it solely on what you determine to be overcrowded.

 

Didn't want that answer because I don't trust my judgement skills with ants. What I'd probably consider overcrowded, I'd imagine others would say is "normal" for them to crawl over one another in tunnels. 

 

Edit:
Will workers start to get..testy.. with one another? Is that even a behavior of ants - to attack their own? 

Edited by sgheaton, April 5 2017 - 6:58 AM.

[dspdrew]

Will workers start to get..testy.. with one another? Is that even a behavior of ants - to attack their own? 

 
I don't think it happens that often, but I know it can. Ever read through my Acromyrmex versicolor journal? They had an epic civil war and killed off the majority of the colony.

[sgheaton]

I'm sure I looked at the pictures and skim-readed things when I came here a year ago. I've learned sooo much since then that I probably should re-read a lot of your journals. It's on my list. 

 

Heh..civil war...though that's exactly what it is huh. ..... though the actual pictures of the war are disgusting. Not..like..blurry mess..like....just look at all the body parts! I don't remember this so I'm going to assume I didn't read it, or if I did not very well. Real kicker is I probably made a reply on it. Dang. Really that's something else.. Very upsetting.. 

 

It looks like you can come across Acromyrmes Versicolor fairly easy though. I remember your...modular boxboxes. Like...the perfect....you essentially built them for fungus growing, yeah? Either way..I hope you get them up and going again with the simplest of ease and no problems. 

[KBant]

update please!!!  

[dspdrew]

Update 10-2-2017
 
The large colony has well over 400 workers now and lots of brood. They have been consuming a lot of seeds, and like pretty much all Pogonomyrmex, almost anything I give them, no matter how disgusting. They're still in the large dirt box setup, and have dug small tunnels in every inch of it. I'm probably going to have to move them into something larger soon. Maybe when I do, I can give them the sand they live in naturally this time.

 

The small colony eventually died off completely.

 

I was recently given another colony by Retroman, which is now up to about 100 workers, with plenty brood. This colony is being kept in one of my small starter formicariums.

[dspdrew]

Update 11-30-2017
 
Sadly, the queen of the smaller colony died.

 

The large colony is still doing great and only getting larger.

[AntsCalifornia]

I'd like to see the tunnels, can you put up a picture?

[dspdrew]

I'd like to see the tunnels, can you put up a picture?

 

Sure, I'll get a picture.

[YsTheAnt]

Update?

[dspdrew]

I don't have time right now, but nothing has changed really except the colony has probably gotten larger. I'll post that picture that AntsCalifornia requested the next time I update this.

[dspdrew]

Update 6-9-2019
 
Found a bunch more of these queens running around east of Twentynine Palms, CA, near the 62 &177 highway junction about a week ago.
 

 

 

[Acutus]

Drew what photography setup do you have to get such nice pics? These look really good!

[dspdrew]

Drew what photography setup do you have to get such nice pics? These look really good!

 

Thanks. It's just a Sony A6300 with extension tubes.

[Somethinghmm]

How large are these queens? I found an incredibly small Pogonomyrmex queen that I'm thinking might be this

[DDD101DDD]

Update?

[dspdrew]

Update 10-29-2019
 
I sold my large colony of these. I now just have two really small brand new colonies.

[dspdrew]

Update 11-9-2019
 
I actually decided to keep three new colonies of these. None of them have gotten very large yet. The biggest is at 21 workers, while the other two are six and one worker.

 

I recently moved the colony with 21 workers into a prototype of my large starter formicarium.

 

 

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Since the queens are so small, do you think these could be polygynous?

[dspdrew]

I don't feel like that would have any thing to do with it. I don't know of these as being polygynous.

[TheAntGuy]

I am curious now after reading this, how are those new colonies after all these months?