8 replies to this topic

[futurebird]

I have two Camponotus pennslyvanicus colony, each with about 35-50 workers. One colony has no majors and closer to 50 workers. The other has 3 majors and one more on the way. These girls are huge! bigger heads than the queen, but shorter less fat bodies. 

 

They also NEVER leave the nest. Only the little workers come out to gather food and water. 

 

Really, you'd think my colonies only had like 4 workers if you only watched the outside... but inside there is a ball of ants and brood like a golfball of just solid ants. 

 

I mean, I guess since I give such easy food they never come out because what is the point? But is this typical?

 

Will I ever get to see the big majors walking around?

[Antkeeper01]

I have two Camponotus pennslyvanicus colony, each with about 35-50 workers. One colony has no majors and closer to 50 workers. The other has 3 majors and one more on the way. These girls are huge! bigger heads than the queen, but shorter less fat bodies. 

 

They also NEVER leave the nest. Only the little workers come out to gather food and water. 

 

Really, you'd think my colonies only had like 4 workers if you only watched the outside... but inside there is a ball of ants and brood like a golfball of just solid ants. 

 

I mean, I guess since I give such easy food they never come out because what is the point? But is this typical?

 

Will I ever get to see the big majors walking around?

You probably will later on when there is more majors, but the reason they stay in the nest is because they need the strong ones to look after the queen or something like that.

[NicholasP]

 

I have two Camponotus pennslyvanicus colony, each with about 35-50 workers. One colony has no majors and closer to 50 workers. The other has 3 majors and one more on the way. These girls are huge! bigger heads than the queen, but shorter less fat bodies. 

 

They also NEVER leave the nest. Only the little workers come out to gather food and water. 

 

Really, you'd think my colonies only had like 4 workers if you only watched the outside... but inside there is a ball of ants and brood like a golfball of just solid ants. 

 

I mean, I guess since I give such easy food they never come out because what is the point? But is this typical?

 

Will I ever get to see the big majors walking around?

You probably will later on when there is more majors, but the reason they stay in the nest is because they need the strong ones to look after the queen or something like that.

 

Exactly correct! I've seen this with my Pheidole hyatti.

[azzaaazzzz00]

Yea, last time I had a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus colony, the majors weren't alowwed outside the nest untill there were at least like 15-20 of them.

[TacticalHandleGaming]

My understanding also is that older ants do most of the foraging in a lot of species. They are more "expendable".

[Mettcollsuss]

This is fairly common in a lot of ant species. The majority of the work, both in and out of the nest, is done by minor workers. Majors tend to sit around until they're needed. If the colony feels threatened in some way, you'll probably see majors outside the nest. When prey is dragged into the nest, you'll probably see some majors chewing at it. I see a decent number of majors walking around outside the nest in mature wild colonies, but 35-50 is still too small to see them hanging around outside regularly. My 80+ worker colony still only has majors outside the nest when I feed or upset them.

[antsriondel]

 

I have two Camponotus pennslyvanicus colony, each with about 35-50 workers. One colony has no majors and closer to 50 workers. The other has 3 majors and one more on the way. These girls are huge! bigger heads than the queen, but shorter less fat bodies. 

 

They also NEVER leave the nest. Only the little workers come out to gather food and water. 

 

Really, you'd think my colonies only had like 4 workers if you only watched the outside... but inside there is a ball of ants and brood like a golfball of just solid ants. 

 

I mean, I guess since I give such easy food they never come out because what is the point? But is this typical?

 

Will I ever get to see the big majors walking around?

You probably will later on when there is more majors, but the reason they stay in the nest is because they need the strong ones to look after the queen or something like that.

 

I agree.

[Leptomyrmx]

Definitely seen this in my Pheidole, who've started producing lots of majors now. Could also be that they're used as repletes, mine definitely are, they're too chunky to walk around. 

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Like lepto said I'd also guess it's partially because they need the repletes for storage.
My messor do the same thing and those majors gasters are all filled to the max.