20 replies to this topic

[cpman]

So, this queen finally settled in an laid an egg!
I found her wandering around at around 9:00 PM on April 3rd of this year along with many (hundreds) of others of her species.
I'm not sure on the ID, but it is my best guess. I haven't really extensively looked at her so that she'll be more comfortable.
I found her with an egg today, April 9th.
Here is a picture with her holding her egg in her mouth:

Edited by cpman, June 16 2015 - 9:44 AM.

[dspdrew]

These look exactly like the ones we find so many of out here. They seem to be the very first Camponotus to fly.

[Gregory2455]

These look exactly like the ones we find so many of out here. They seem to be the very first Camponotus to fly.

I guess this solves that year old ID thread!

[dspdrew]

Well not entirely, but I think it might be good enough, considering that was already the most likely ID.
 
Edit: I was just looking at the AntWiki page for these again, and I noticed they actually have a description of the males.
 

Male
Wheeler (1910) - Length, 8-9 mm.
Head proportionally shorter than in the male maccooki. Cheeks hairy. Antennal funiculi, tarsi and tibire yellowish brown; wings less suffused with yellow and paler than in the female; veins and stigma pale yellow.

 
Male Camponotus are usually useless, but these might help a little at this point. I'm going to check out the male specimen I have when I get home today and see if it matches up.

Edited by dspdrew, April 10 2015 - 6:17 AM.

[dspdrew]

I just remembered I posted a picture of the male on my old ID thread, and from what I can see in the pictures, it matches up.

 

 

 

I did see a few other male Camponotus on the internet that seemed to match the coloring, including C. ocreatus, assuming the images were correct, but I also saw quite a few that looked a lot different. I starting to wonder if most all the males from the Tanaemyrmex subgenus might look similar to this; if that's the case then this probably doesn't mean much. I think I might have some other male Tanaemyrmex specimens I can check out when I get home.

 

@cpman do you still have that male specimen?

[cpman]

Darn. I tossed it. I may have a picture of the whole thing though...

There was another one in a spiderweb last night, but it dissappeared....

[dspdrew]

I just checked, and I don't have any other Camponotus males.

[cpman]

They seem to be the very first Camponotus to fly.

 

This was the 2nd species to fly here. My Camponotus sp. 1 flew earlier than this. Among the larger species we've got around here, this one was the first.

[dspdrew]

Oh yeah, there is one that flies earlier around here--C. semitestaceus.

[cpman]

Update 4/12/2015:

 

So, this queen now has 6 eggs! I didn't want to disturb her for a picture.

[cpman]

Update 4/16/2015:

She has a lot of eggs now, probably around 10.

Here is a new picture:

[Wamdar]

Awesome!

[cpman]

Update 5/5/2015:
She has lots of large larvae. I think she should get pupae soon:


I'm excited for this species. The majors are enormous.

[dspdrew]

Yeah they get pretty big. Most of the new ones I recently caught just got their first workers today.

[Forestflamboyant]

Howdy! Does the test tube slip all the way into the tinfoil?? 

[cpman]

Howdy! Does the test tube slip all the way into the tinfoil??

Yes it does. I wrapped it in foil, and taped it into a cylinder. I do this for all of my founding queens so that they can stay in the dark, but I can observe them easily.

[Forestflamboyant]

Cool!! But I don't use test tubes very much. Get tired of the mold and confined space to feed them. So I use specimen containers and they are stack-able. Have found as long as you put them in a very quiet place and dark the queens will lay. I'm able to feed and keep them very clean while being able to view. I still like your ideal and will come in handy for more difficult species!! Thanks!!! 

[cpman]

Update 5/30/2015:
I've got workers from this colony! This means I now have workers from all my Camponotus queens.
She has 4 nanitics now.

Because I'm leaving for 2 weeks, I decided to feed them today:

[cpman]

Update 6/16/2015:

This colony is my largest now, at 7 workers. They've got two pupae and a bunch of other brood. I fed them again yesterday, and they gorged themselves on it.

Unfortunately, when I checked on them today, their tube was flooding! Therefore, they are chilling in the fridge at an angle to drain liquid until I can move them. It is going to have to be a forceful move, as their tube is smaller than my other test tubes, so I won't be able to just tape them together.

 

Here is a picture from yesterday:

[dspdrew]

It is going to have to be a forceful move, as their tube is smaller than my other test tubes, so I won't be able to just tape them together.

 

That's how I always move mine. I couldn't possibly wait for all my colonies to move on their own.