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Cephalotes texanus Queen?

Started By TexTech , Jul 19 2021 5:05 PM
cephalotes cephalotes texanus texanus varians cephalotes varians turtle turtle ant

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8 replies to this topic

#1 Offline TexTech - Posted July 19 2021 - 5:05 PM

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Hello everyone!
So, I found a Cephalotes texanus queen as I was collecting and it was a lot smaller than my other queens that I had caught. (I'll upload pictures soon to show) The reason I know it's a queen despite being the size of a worker is that she has wing scars and all the other traits of a queen EXCEPT she is half the size of a queen!! Does anyone know why this happened? Is it a new subspecies, parasitic species, or a genetic mutation? I also know that Cephalotes is not commonly kept due to being very limited here in the USA to only small parts of Miami (for Cephalotes varians), Southern Arizona, and South Texas. I am currently in Brownsville, TX. Does anyone know much about their care too? I've been watching colonies of these gals for a while and studying their nest structures and habits. I've learned that Cephalotes is polygynus and love dry sticks to live in. Very similar to Pseudomyrmex in living style. They also never attack other ants! But if anyone could help me answer this question that would be awesome! I've never seen anything like this! And if it's a common thing, what's it called so I can research it? (And if it's not normal, I'll document it's behavior in a Journal for you all! Well, actually, I plan on doing this anyway with this species since it's not well kept and there is no knowledge on here about them!) Thank you!! Pictures of what they look like (not mine, I'll add mine once I get good photos).
rohweri30-S.jpg3RXQTRMQNRN0DQG0CQ803Q50DQX0ARYKORIQTRW0LR6HRR4HOHGH1HSLOHXH4ZRL4Z8HLR6HBH8HPZHL

*I added my photos of her. There's one with a normal sized queen and 2 of the queen that I found.*

Attached Images

  • received_1754060958115449.jpeg
  • received_352883446395894.jpeg
  • received_505457897334418.jpeg

Edited by TexTech, July 19 2021 - 6:07 PM.

  • TestSubjectOne, Antkeeper01, eea and 1 other like this
Keeping:
Cephalotes texanus-1
Neoponera villosa-1
Myrmecocystus mexicanus-1
Atta texana-4
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis-1
Pogonomyrmex barbatus-1

#2 Offline ANTS_KL - Posted July 19 2021 - 5:08 PM

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I think it's like myrmica where there are macrogynes and microgynes. It also possibly could be because they are different species. If the last pic is the queen ur talking about and the first pic is a regular queen, then there is a likely chance they are separate species.

Sent from my CPH2201 using Tapatalk
  • Antkeeper01 likes this
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.

#3 Offline TexTech - Posted July 19 2021 - 5:14 PM

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I think it's like myrmica where there are macrogynes and microgynes. It also possibly could be because they are different species. If the last pic is the queen ur talking about and the first pic is a regular queen, then there is a likely chance they are separate species.

Sent from my CPH2201 using Tapatalk

No, I believe the first picture is actually a different species, my bad. But the queen that I found was the same size as the worker, but looked exactly like a queen. I'm literally stumped. Could it be possible for Cephalotes to have microgynes as well? (Also, the queens look exactly alike, just a size difference and a more worker like disk for her head. It's almost like a worker and queen mix. But she acts and functions like a queen. The workers treat her like one too.


  • Antkeeper01, WSantkeeper and antsinvirgina like this
Keeping:
Cephalotes texanus-1
Neoponera villosa-1
Myrmecocystus mexicanus-1
Atta texana-4
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis-1
Pogonomyrmex barbatus-1

#4 Offline ANTS_KL - Posted July 19 2021 - 5:16 PM

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Uhhh I think it is possible. I'm not sure tho. I haven't done my research on Cephalotes yet. You already raised workers?

Sent from my CPH2201 using Tapatalk
  • Antkeeper01 likes this
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 TexTech - Posted July 19 2021 - 5:22 PM

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Uhhh I think it is possible. I'm not sure tho. I haven't done my research on Cephalotes yet. You already raised workers?

Sent from my CPH2201 using Tapatalk

Well, here in Brownsville, Cephalotes don't fly. They spread by budding. They normally have about 200-300 queens in one tree if it is suitable! So, I just collected a couple colonies off of some branches. There were so many Cephalotes in that tree that in some parts of it, you could see lines of workers and soldiers walking from hole to hole. It is super cool! I've only just found this spot about a couple weeks ago and have been studying them whenever I have free time! Also, they are diurnal apparently! I tried one night and there was nothing on that tree! I've learned so much about these gals in these short weeks! I'm really excited to share what I've learned too! There doesn't seem to be much info on them at all!


  • Manitobant, Antkeeper01, ANTS_KL and 1 other like this
Keeping:
Cephalotes texanus-1
Neoponera villosa-1
Myrmecocystus mexicanus-1
Atta texana-4
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis-1
Pogonomyrmex barbatus-1

#6 Offline TexTech - Posted July 19 2021 - 6:07 PM

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Added the pictures
  • Antkeeper01 and antsinvirgina like this
Keeping:
Cephalotes texanus-1
Neoponera villosa-1
Myrmecocystus mexicanus-1
Atta texana-4
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis-1
Pogonomyrmex barbatus-1

#7 Offline Manitobant - Posted July 19 2021 - 6:20 PM

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Could be a microgyne. A lot of budding species have a smaller variant of queens that are more polygynous. Not sure if this is a thing in cephalotes though.
  • Antkeeper01 and TexTech like this
My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#8 Offline eea - Posted July 19 2021 - 6:24 PM

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i rarely see people caring for cephalotes, they are amazing


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#9 Offline TexTech - Posted July 19 2021 - 6:30 PM

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Could be a microgyne. A lot of budding species have a smaller variant of queens that are more polygynous. Not sure if this is a thing in cephalotes though.


Thanks!! I'm really quite interested on what microgynes do?

i rarely see people caring for cephalotes, they are amazing


I agree!! Its a shame they are so rare to find and also that so few people live in places where they can keep them...
  • Antkeeper01, ANTS_KL, eea and 1 other like this
Keeping:
Cephalotes texanus-1
Neoponera villosa-1
Myrmecocystus mexicanus-1
Atta texana-4
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis-1
Pogonomyrmex barbatus-1
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Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: cephalotes, cephalotes texanus, texanus, varians, cephalotes varians, turtle, turtle ant

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