25 replies to this topic

[AntsAreUs]

So I finally caught the only ant I've ever wanted, Stigmatomma pallipes! I have an nice abundance of centipedes (4 or possibly 5 different species) along with plenty of pseudocentipedes. I shouldn't have an issue at all feeding them as I've previously fed them various prey which they willing accept from moth larva to beetle larva. I've read about Stigmatomma pallipes seeking a parent colony after they mate so later this year if I find some workers foraging from a nearby colony I'll introduce them to her.

 

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 23 2018 - 2:29 PM.

[Major]

How painful is their sting? What about ponera stings?

[AntsAreUs]

How painful is their sting? What about ponera stings?

Ponera are too small to sting and Stigmatomma stings are quite painful. I'd say like a hot needle for like 15 minutes. They won't sting you unless they are pinned down against a thin layer of skin somewhere.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 16 2018 - 5:30 PM.

[AntsAreUs]

She has been hunting springtails all day today. She created a spot where she keeps the dead springtails. I'll be giving her a centipede to see if she'll take it later.

 

[Canadian anter]

My Stigmatomma loved mealworms

[AntsAreUs]

My Stigmatomma loved mealworms

I'm feeding them a large variety of things. So far my queen has been eating springtails, symphylans, and Lithobius centipedes.

[AntsAreUs]

3 more things to note compared to last post. The queen has killed a Geophilomorpha centipede and is currently hunting Pogonognathellus springtails. She has attacked a baby millipede but couldn't kill it. She now ignores the millipedes. Mites of various kinds are ignored and just dispose of all her killings.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 18 2018 - 11:29 AM.

[AntsAreUs]

I can officially say that the queen is digging her own chamber in some clay/sand mix from a nearby river that I have pressed against the side of her setup. I have added 2 different millipedes, one being a very common flat backed millipede found throughout mesic habitats here (I believe Oxidus gracilis). The smaller millipedes I suspect to be subterranean (Blaniulus guttulatus) and are very, very small. It sure would be great if the queen laid eggs but it seems I'm having more fun introducing random arthropods to see how they interact with each other.   I might end up removing the flat back millipedes as they get pretty big for this setup. Right now they are just nymphs from eggs laid in my compost bin.

 

List of centipedes I plan on trying as prey:

• Scolopocryptops sexspinosus
• Lithobius sp.
• Scutigera coleoptrata
• Strigamia bothriopus
• Geophilus sp.
• Geophilus vittatus

These are all of the ones that I have recognized, some are definitely more common than others. Strigamia bothriopus being the rarest of them all (likely due to subterranean habits?).

 

 

Note - I will not be feeding these centipedes alive as they can easily kill the queen. I've tested this with workers and I'm just taking precautions.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 18 2018 - 7:30 PM.

[AntsAreUs]

Nothing too much to report on progress. I have a total of 4 workers along with the queen now. After adding 2 extra workers to the existing 2 workers the queen started behaving differently now. She would find a worker and push them away with her mandibles closed and very rapid antennae movement. I think the workers also move their antennae in response but don't push back. This happens 3-4 times until the worker gets out of the way. Does anyone know what this is?

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 23 2018 - 2:44 PM.

[PurdueEntomology]

I caught a worker the other day and have put it in my collection, and will look for more and possibly  a queen this weekend.  This was in Walland, TN in a cove/ravine area that was dark, damp and many logs strewn around.  What was the  location like where you found your queen?

[AntsAreUs]

I caught a worker the other day and have put it in my collection, and will look for more and possibly  a queen this weekend.  This was in Walland, TN in a cove/ravine area that was dark, damp and many logs strewn around.  What was the  location like where you found your queen?

I have what I think to be 2 colonies in my yard actually. I just found them under stones. I actually found 3 queens this year total. I've also found many workers foraging at a nearby forest. They come out mostly the day after rain from what I find.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 23 2018 - 3:39 PM.

[VenomousBeast]

So you know how I said I was going to find some Stigmatomma tody? Well found a huge colony in a log and now I have 1 queen, 15-20 workers and 10-15 larvae and several batches of eggs!! I can't believe I found one so easily! I had just gone outside after talking with you and found a log with, guessw what,  aphenogaster in it!  I think my hypothosis is on the right track so far! 

[AntsAreUs]

So you know how I said I was going to find some Stigmatomma tody? Well found a huge colony in a log and now I have 1 queen, 15-20 workers and 10-15 larvae and several batches of eggs!! I can't believe I found one so easily! I had just gone outside after talking with you and found a log with, guessw what,  aphenogaster in it!  I think my hypothosis is on the right track so far! 

that is a really nice find!

[VenomousBeast]

Thanks! I'll send pictures when I can!! Right now I'm using a Kindle Black and white kind so the really old one and I'm getting like 2 frames per second on this thing XD.

[AntsAreUs]

Thanks! I'll send pictures when I can!! Right now I'm using a Kindle Black and white kind so the really old one and I'm getting like 2 frames per second on this thing XD.

If you can make a journal over your colony. I'm wanting to know if a colony can be created without a parent colony. I'm thinking it has something to do with the queens needing a diet of larval hemolymph to lay eggs.

[VenomousBeast]

Will do! (when I can) also I think my colony is producing alates! and I've found a few males around so maybe I can help test your hypothesis? maybe then I can also start selling some on the Antscanada GAN project. Its definately a huge interest ant with very little to no suppliers.

[AntsAreUs]

So far so good. They are staying alive. They don't seem to be eating much or taking interest in potential prey items. I suspect this may change after they hibernate. No centipedes I've offered seemed remotely interesting to them. At very most the centipedes will move drastically and bump into a worker and the worker may snap at it in defense. The only thing they may be eating now is springtails (I think).

 

 

As you can see, there seems to be a worker with a really bright orange band on the gaster. I'm not sure if that means anything or if it is weird genetics.

Edited by AntsAreUs, August 25 2018 - 4:07 PM.

[AntsAreUs]

9/1/18

 

Nothing much has happened really. I kept them in complete darkness for 3 days and mold has taken over a decent portion of the surface. 1 single worker has died which is the one that would frequently joust with the queen. I'm not sure how the worker died. No feeding of centipedes observed yet. The queen has taken interest in hiding away in any hole or crack possible and I think they have a little chamber made.

[AntsAreUs]

9/13/18

 

Original colony died, I think due to heat. I was testing out if they would care for heat much and accidentally left it over night. I did however find 2 clusters of workers and single queens. One cluster I'm keeping inside one of those gel Uncle Milton ant farms but I took the gel out and added compost and springtails. The other cluster went into the original setup.

[AntsAreUs]

Strigamia bothriopus

 

Edited by AntsAreUs, September 15 2018 - 4:11 PM.