6 replies to this topic

[drawpositive]

I understand that nanitic workers do not last as long as "regular" workers.  However, I was wondering if anyone knows about how long you can expect one of these nanitic workers to last?  Specifically, for Lasius neoniger, I believe I observed the first worker about 2 weeks ago.  Tonight I found a dead nanite in the test tube.  Do they really only last 2 weeks?  

 

The queen has many other nanitic workers now, so I am not immediately concerned.  However, I would still like to know if this first dead ant was a fluke or just an average aged nanite.

 

[Antkeeper01]

i would assume they live this long because they are malnourished

[ANTdrew]

I would guess three months would be their upper limit. Some come out weaker, so they won’t last as long. I wouldn’t be concerned if you only lost one.

[Kaelwizard]

Lasius workers have seem to live longer than a lot of other genera from what I have seen. I doubt they normally die after two weeks.

[drawpositive]

Ok, I will try to diversify their diet some (so far I've been giving them boiled fungus gnats and droplets of honey water) and keep an eye on their overall health.

 

I did notice a burst in eggs and larvae once I introduced the first two fungus gnats, but that was about a week ago.

[Manitobant]

Lasius have some of the longest living workers (and queens for that matter) at around 2-3 years of age. I assume nanitics can live for at least a year.

[Ants_Dakota]

most nanitics i feel can live for as long as they are needed. i have a formica nanitic(spindly little thing) that lived for a year and died just after the new worker hatched(coinincidence? i don't know...) i feel ants die whenever they are not needed because of size/strength, or whenever they don't have enough food.