5 replies to this topic

[Chickalo]

So!

 

Welcome people of Formiculture!  For I, Chickalo, am brewing up something.  Not really just wanted to soud cool-  ANYWAYS!  I decided to split my journals into subfamily to make it easier (with exeptions like Pheidole pilifera and such).  I'll be making them one by one as update need be, until then, welcome to my journal for my Formicinae!

 

At the moment, the Lasius brevicornis queen decided it's a good, no, great idea to eat her two cocoons.  Amazing.  Well, on the contrary, looking for neoniger/americanus/latipes queens soon, so that could be fun.

 

Recently caught a Camponotus nearticus (wack time of year to fly but okay), she has one injured leg and because of my general luck with founding Camponotus, she'll likely die.  For some wack reason, Campontous queens just like to die for me.  Not a single one have laid an egg.  Hopefully she'll be able to get past eggs lol, probably not however.  Also because I found her a month after normal flights.

 

 

Until next time,

Chickalo

[AntBoi3030]

That sucks about Lasius brevicornis D: hopefully you’ll catch more this year

[Antcatcherpro3]

I ordered two AC test tube portals, and they came yesterday. I wanted to put my Camponotus nearticus in it, but when I went to get their tube, all 3 workers were dead. Such luck.

[Chickalo]

Lasius brevicornis with eggs/larvae:

That's all.  Now scram!  Hippity hoppity get off of my property-

[Chickalo]

Time to strike fear into the members of Formiculture.

 

So the Lasius queens hippity hoppitied into the other life, unfortunately.  I don't think Lasius likes me back because I caught a bunch of queens last year and none of them...  woke up from hibernation.  But it's fine, I already have tons of experience with rejection.

 

That's not why I'm reviving this (kind of, hopefully), not Lasius nor women.

 

I caught a founding colony of Camponotus pennsylvanicus.  Three workers, one queen.  I mean, it would've been not-so-good if it was only three workers, but whatever.  So far they seem to be doing extremely well.  They've completely emptied the two mealworm head I've given them from the past two days, and it's not uncommon for me to see one worker buried in a mealworm, another getting water, and the third tending to the queen.  

 

What I'm finally going to say is I'm probably going to end up hammering into wild colonies to steal their pupae, since this queen seemed to have a small start this winter with the less than average amount of first generation workers.

 

I swear I'm making an effort to be more active here,

チカロ

[Chickalo]

I am going to revive this thread now.
Be prepared.

So!
I recently acquired a queen of Lasius aphidicola from StatesideAnts (which I can say was a good experience 12/8 stars do recommend).

So currently she's vibing with americanus workers and such. That's all.

Will this be the colony to revive this thread to full potential? Probably not.

It'll probably be my Camponotus pennsylvancius colony. That's right, I lied. There's two things. I caught them a month or two ago (I think I'm not good with time). They started with three workers and no brood, and now have two workers and a lot of larvae.

I actually brood boosted them with three castaneus larvae, which they surprisingly accepted. One was eaten, one pupated, the other is still a larva.


(Yes I sat beneath them at a dangerous angle with them half off the table to take this photo.)

Anyways, since it looks like they'll get quite a few second gen workers, what do you think I should put them in for their first formicarium? I honestly don't know.

じゃねー、
Chickalo

(Edit: I'm now realizing I already mentioned the Camponotus colony)

Edited by Chickalo, June 24 2022 - 7:26 AM.