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NickAnter's Strumigenys membranifera Journal (Pictures!)

Started By NickAnter , Jun 12 2021 2:14 PM

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#1 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 12 2021 - 2:14 PM

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  Finally! After a long time of searching, I found another one!

 

For some backstory, to those who do not know, I found an alate Strumigenys queen in the pool in 2019. I didn't even have a macro lens, and she escaped after a couple days of capitivity.

 

This time is different!! I was out in the backyard today, checking under a large piece of wood I had set under the ground for exactly this reason. That area is normally super dry, so I figured if I soaked the area, then put wood and a tile on it, eventually, they would become oases perfect for queens. A few weeks later, and I come upon this beautiful queen!

 

 

 

I think the likelyhood of this queen being fertile is quite high, as she was likely hunting the abundance of springtails under the wood. I have her in a small natural, hydrostone based formicarium in a 2x2x0.5 inch container. It is perfect for her IMO. I will feed her some springtails this evening. Soon I will drill a tiny hole and, using some small tubes, connect it to another container where they will be able to(hopefully) forage.

 

 


Edited by NickAnter, December 29 2021 - 7:40 PM.

  • Antkeeper01, antsandmore and AntBoi3030 like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 12 2021 - 2:24 PM

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Nice work!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#3 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 12 2021 - 2:25 PM

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Nice work!

Thanks! :D

 

I was absolutely ecstatic when I first found her! Thought it was a thief ant worker at first, glad I bent down to look properly!


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#4 Offline ANTS_KL - Posted June 12 2021 - 8:43 PM

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Hope she can succeed! I used to have a strumigenys colony but they died due to them rejecting prey. Same with a queen I found. Hope it doesn't happen with urs!

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Young ant keeper with a decent amount of knowledge on local ant species.

YouTube: https://m.youtube.co...uKsahGliSH7EqOQ (It's pretty dead. Might upload again soon, don't expect my voice to sound the same though.)

Currently kept ant species, favorites have a star in front of their names (NOT in alphabetical order, also may be outdated sometimes): ★ Camponotus irritans inferior, ★ Ooceraea biroi, Pheidole parva, ★ Nylanderia sp., ★ Paraparatrechina tapinomoides, Platythyrea sp., Anochetus sp., Colobopsis sp. (cylindrica group), ★ Crematogaster ferrarii, Polyrhachis (Myrma) cf. pruinosa, Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) laevissima, Tapinoma sp. (formerly Zatapinoma)

Death count: Probably over a hundred individual queens and colonies by now. I cannot recall whatsoever.

#5 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 12 2021 - 8:45 PM

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Thanks! Currently she hasnt gone for any of the springtails in there, but hopefully she will eventually. Maybe she would go for them if they were pre-killed? Any advice on founding lone Strumigenys queens much appreciated...


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#6 Offline SYUTEO - Posted June 12 2021 - 11:57 PM

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Maybe you can try feeding her other kinds of tiny prey like, fruit flies and tiny mealworms (newly hatched mealworms are only 2-3 mm long). Also, not all Strumigenys species have a trap jaw.


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Began antkeeping in 2018  :)

 

All ant journal: https://www.formicul...os-ant-journal/

#7 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 13 2021 - 7:08 AM

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Maybe you can try feeding her other kinds of tiny prey like, fruit flies and tiny mealworms (newly hatched mealworms are only 2-3 mm long). Also, not all Strumigenys species have a trap jaw.

 

 I think I will try tiny gnats first. A fruit fly is over 3x as large as she is, so I don't think that would work. I'm pretty sure this is membranifera as well, and they specialize in springtails.


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#8 Offline ReignofRage - Posted June 13 2021 - 10:52 AM

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Rip on it being invasive.


Ant Shop | Journals | Scanned Literature

#9 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 13 2021 - 1:54 PM

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I'm actually not 100% sure now. I found a worker near where I found the queen, and it looks like reliquia to me. I'm no expert on Strumigenys by any means though.

 

In relation to the queen, I added some booklice in. I'm just going to keep adding stuff until she eats something. When I see she has interest in something, Ill just add a bunch of it in, and leave her alone for like 10 days.


  • Antkeeper01 likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#10 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 14 2021 - 12:58 PM

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Just checked on her a little bit ago, and she had caught a springtail, and was happily munching away! Hopefully she will lay eggs soon. Apparently, under 77 degree temps, which is about what this queen is at, the eggs take 13 days to develop into larvae, if this is membranifera.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#11 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 17 2021 - 12:10 PM

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She is still alive and well! She ate another springtail yesterday. IDK how she can completely clear away a springtail yet have no distension of her gaster. I'm really hoping she lays some eggs soon! Has anyone on here raised a lone Strumigenys queen to workers before? If so, any advice would be appreciated.


  • TennesseeAnts likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#12 Offline azzaaazzzz00 - Posted June 17 2021 - 1:16 PM

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Yup, I have, but she died a few days after she got her first worker. :*(. Honestly, I don't have much advice on raising a Strumigenys queen as I've only done it once and that did not go as planned.


Edited by azzaaazzzz00, June 17 2021 - 1:18 PM.

Been keeping ants since January of 2021

Always try new things, even if its hard, hard is not impossible. We are smart and it's good to be smart but not too smart for your own good.

#13 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 26 2021 - 8:29 AM

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I have found another queen! Same place as the last one too.

 

I have put her in with the other queen, since this is likely membranifera, and they are polygynous. The old queen has not yet laid any eggs, but appears to have been eating, so hopefully it is only a matter of time.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#14 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 26 2021 - 8:37 AM

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Went back and look under a different piece of wood and caught an alate of the same species!


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#15 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 29 2021 - 7:42 AM

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Caught 2 more queens this morning, one dealate under the most lucrative piece of wood, and an alate under a small rock I placed just yesterday.

 

I put them in with the other queens, that I was very happy to see were cooperating! Yesterday, when feeding the three queens more springtails, I saw, for the first time, a queen actually rush a springtail and catch it! I'm going to put as many springtails as I can in there today, and leave them alone for a time.


  • TennesseeAnts, CatsnAnts, Antkeeper01 and 2 others like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#16 Offline CatsnAnts - Posted June 29 2021 - 10:32 AM

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That’s really neat! Would you mind taking a picture of this “piece of wood”? I know it’s probably pretty simple, but I want to try it out. Did you dig any space out under it? Or did you just stick it flat into the ground? If you can’t tell I’m desperate to find more Strumigenys this year c:

Spoiler

#17 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 29 2021 - 11:37 AM

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I shall take pictures of the holy wood!


  • CatsnAnts and antsandmore like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#18 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 29 2021 - 11:46 AM

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Exterior of the wood, with a water bottle for scale.

Under the wood. Note, the hole seen here was for the original purpose of the wood, which was a cover for a subterranean bait. I suppose a benefit of this hole is that it keeps the humidity in there higher, but other than that I am not sure if I plays much of a role.

 

That is where I find almost all the queens, and the spot of the wood that covers that. I assume the perfect conditions are created there(center of the image, on the flat spot).

 

That is the piece of wood that I believe has a Strumigenys colony under it, I have found 3 workers under there, and the first alate. This piece of wood does not have a hole under it.

 

On an unrelated note, the alate caught this morning has shed her wings.


Edited by NickAnter, June 29 2021 - 11:49 AM.

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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#19 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 29 2021 - 12:14 PM

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Here is a video of a few queens!

Quality isn't great, as my lighting setup isn't very good. Good pictures are sadly pretty much impossible with my current photography setup.


  • Antkeeper01, UtahAnts and ReignofRage like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#20 Offline NickAnter - Posted June 30 2021 - 12:14 PM

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Good news!

I have found another alate under the rock, and I am extremely happy to say I am pretty sure a dealate has an egg! She is holding a shiny white thing in her mandibles, but due to the fact the mandibles cover most of the object, I cannot be 100% certain that it is not a baby springtail. This dealate is the one in the group of 3. I hope the group of three will expand into more queens.

 

EDIT: It has been confirmed! It is indeed an egg!


Edited by NickAnter, June 30 2021 - 2:09 PM.

  • CatsnAnts, Antkeeper01, SYUTEO and 1 other like this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

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