This is my first experience with this species.
References:
0 - https://en.wikipedia...ki/Gnamptogenys
1 -http://www.antwiki.o...togenys_bicolor
2 - http://www.antstore....ys-bicolor.html
3 - http://www.alexander...a/Gnamptogenys/
Experience:
I received the colony in a test tube with water and cotton. The test tube was starting to get dirty, and the glass was already stained.
My first step was to transfer the colony into another test tube. I have an acrylic box with two test tube entrances, where I connected a new one and the old one. The acrylic box (outworld) was filled with soil (for invertebrates) and dry wood chips. The colony never changed test tube but accepted their new setup very nicely. I immediately placed some rock sugar (new discovery, all ants love rock sugar!!) and water.
Next day I started to feed them crickets which they handle easily.
Few days passed on, and I noticed two things :
- a couple of dead workers would show up everyday
- the amount of dirtiness increased drastically
A week gone by, and everyday same thing, two dead workers everyday.
I was getting nervous (because the number of workers was decreasing drastically, and secondly its not easy to find the queen) and after talking with my supplier, he advised me to handle this species like Harpegnathos Venator.
I had my plaster nest ready but they didn't ever transfer even if the test tube was black already from mold and garbage!
Two days ago lost my temper (after yoga) and just dropped them directly into the nest by shaking the test tube (??!! yes i did it).
Caught gently 3 remaining eggs from the test tube and placed them inside. Covered the top, and waited for next day.
I saw an increase of activity from the colony. And they settled quite well. They went for the sugar and water. Organized their preferred location and larvae and eggs disposition.
Until now, no more dead workers.
I am not giving them food yet, because they have a cricket part they are handling. And I will try to keep track of how long they take to handle an insect, I am seeing that they take more than normal (from what i am used to) to process the insect (because they are quite small). So basically, I guess that I overfed them before, and since the test tube was very moist that created the awful conditions that I referred before.
I am hoping to start boosting this colony while keeping the nest clean as much as possible.
I have another colony from another species which I having the same problems.
Cerapachys Sulcinodis, which I will also do a journal of them.
Edited by RapaNui, November 9 2015 - 5:22 PM.
