5 replies to this topic

[AntsLA-1]

8/5/2021

 

I should have started this journal when I first caught all of these queens, but I guess I should start it. I caught 5 Pogonomyrmex Californicus queens on June 28th out foraging. I put 4 of the queens in a pencil case formicarium and one single queen in an Amac box I filled with dirt. Today, August 5th, I discovered that they have pupae!!! This may be the first or second time that I've actually had any type of pogonomyrmex get pupae. Also, not to my surprise there's only one queen left. 

 

Photos:

 

 

 

For right now I don't have a picture of the one in the Amac box.

 

On july 14th I caught 50 more of these queens and put 3 of them into each dirt filled test tube test-tube, and then placed them in pencil case formicariums. that's pretty much it. I'll have more pictures soon.

Edited by AntsLA-1, September 30 2021 - 2:20 PM.

[AntsLA-1]

Heres a photo of the queen hiding. The camera couldn't focus but you can see the little blurred out red dot.

 

Edited by AntsLA-1, August 6 2021 - 7:01 AM.

[AntsLA-1]

8/27/21

 

All queens seem to be doing fine, the newer ones have big larvae!! The old one still has pupae.

[AntsLA-1]

9/15/21

 

3 queens have pupae!!!!!!!    All of the queens that have pupae are plemeotrophic (If that's how you say it) and have 3 queens in each tube. This is the first or second time I ever got this species to pupae!!      All of the other queens either have big larvae or lots of eggs (or both!). But one thing I noticed was that the queens that have killed off the other queens don't have as many eggs or aren't doing well. 

 

Here are some images:

 

 

 

 

 

[AntsLA-1]

Just to let you all know, i'm not heating this girls so it stays about 75-80 degrees in there setups.

[AntsLA-1]

9/30/21

 

WORKERS!!!!!!    This is the first time I have ever got this species to workers!!! Its so crazy that it was 4 years ago when I found my first queen of this species... and I finally did it. The other queens are doing super good and all have 2 or more pupae! Sadly, 1 of these plemotrophic colonies died, so now I am down to 5 left. 

 

Cheers!  

 

 

 

 

 

(Only one colony has workers)

Edited by AntsLA-1, September 30 2021 - 2:17 PM.