17 replies to this topic

[SYUTEO]

For me it's Colobopsis, I should also mention that Colobopsis that are capable of doing autothysis (self destruct) are semi claustral. The reason why is because they are very willing to eat their own eggs and are very picky (at least for me). What do you think is the hardest?

[Chickalo]

Ection burchellii probably since they usually found new colonies via colony fission and they need huge space for their raids.  IIRC some college once did this but they ended up dying.

[ANTdrew]

What does IIRC mean?

[NPLT]

Dolichoderus quadripunctatus, for how cute their four-dotted butts look, I know only of a handful of the most experienced Polish ant keepers that raised them from a single queen.

[Kaelwizard]

What does IIRC mean?

If I remember correctly.

[ANTdrew]

Hardly anybody has had much luck with Lasius claviger.

[SYUTEO]

Hardly anybody has had much luck with Lasius claviger.

I see, it seems like parasitic species are harder to raise than semi claustral species.

[Chickalo]

What does IIRC mean?

If I remember correctly, it means if I remember correctly 

[M_Ants]

For me Hypoponera. 

[Chickalo]

What about permanent inquilines?  Bet those hard extremely hard to found since you need an entire colony, right?

Edited by Chickalo, June 3 2021 - 6:46 AM.

[SYUTEO]

What about permanent inquilines?  Bet those hard extremely hard to found since you need an entire colony, right?

Tbh, most species of inquilines have very few or no workers of their own species and are completely dependent of their hosts for food, water and other resources. But it can be hard to introduce them to a colony of their hosts successfully.

[NPLT]

What about permanent inquilines?  Bet those hard extremely hard to found since you need an entire colony, rAft

After introduction, wouldn't it be only as hard as raising the host colony?

[NickAnter]

Of non--army ants, Hypoponera and Strumigenys, along with Proceratium and Discothyrea.

[SYUTEO]

 

What about permanent inquilines?  Bet those hard extremely hard to found since you need an entire colony, rAft

After introduction, wouldn't it be only as hard as raising the host colony?

 

Well, I guess it depends on the species.

[Manitobant]

I'm gonna go by each category of queen and say the hardest to found in that category.

For fully claustral, i would say dolopomyrmex or solenopsis pergandei. Both are extremely sensitive and need a special kind of sand to found. They also need very high humidity and will constantly eat eggs.

For semi claustral, it would be the subfamily proceratiinae. Their diet of spider eggs makes them almost impossible to keep in captivity, nonetheless found a single queen.

For parasites, i think its lasius murphyi. These guys just love to die, no matter how many queens antkeepers collect. They die very quickly without hosts and even with hosts they have problems with trophalaxis due to their truncated heads, meaning they can just starve to death. Only one person has got these guys to even lay eggs, and his queen dropped dead the next day.

[SYUTEO]

I just thought of Amblyoponinae ants, are they hard to raise too?

[NPLT]

 

 

What about permanent inquilines?  Bet those hard extremely hard to found since you need an entire colony, rAft

After introduction, wouldn't it be only as hard as raising the host colony?

 

Well, I guess it depends on the species.

 

I guess, but I doubt there are many inquilines ( usually pretty rare as a species ) of rare species ( which are usually hard to raise ).

[Broncos]

I'm sure there could be a harder species but from what I've read, acromyrmex versicolor seem extremely complicated because it needs perfect conditions for the mold to grow.