4 replies to this topic

[Ants_Dakota]

Ants_Dakota's Myrmica Species Journal

 

Introduction

 

Hello! I am Ants_Dakota, one of just a few antkeepers from South Dakota. This journal will be covering my single colony of Myrmica sp. with 7 queens that i will be attempting to raise. I have never had good luck with myrmica, so i do hope this works out.

Colony status

Myrmica sp. - 7 Queens - (Latest Update)

 

Journal Updates

 

Update #1 - Monday, July 18th, 2022 - Intro to the 7 Myrmica Sp. queens.

Edited by Ants_Dakota, July 18 2022 - 10:34 AM.

[Ants_Dakota]

Update #1

 

Monday, July 18th, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Myrmica Sp.

 

      I collected these seven queens over a two day period, July 15-July 16th, in Iowa, on an anting trip. They were walking around a trail, near either a huge colony of the same species of Myrmica, or many small ones. This species dominated the landscape along with Lasius neoniger and americanus. I collected the queens and got them into a test tube, and fed them honey and a mealworm piece, because they are semi claustral(meaning they need food before they can raise their first workers). For some reason, one of the Myrmica queens appears to be either a different species, or a darker color variation. And, also for some reason, the ants were attacking it while i transported it back home. However, now that they are in a test tube, test tube wide peace seems to have been achieved. I will be interested in seeing how the queens cooperate in the future, and I hope i can get them to raise brood. All of my past attempts at raising Myrmica queens from founding have failed, as the queens have not even laid eggs(which is funny considering my profile picture is of my one successful Myrmica sp. colony i dug up[before ANTdrew came along] and it was also one of my most successful colonies before the queens died in hibernation).

 

 

 

 

I would love to hear any tips you have on Myrmica! Also if you wish to take a stab at species, i would love to hear it as well.

 

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Edited by Ants_Dakota, July 18 2022 - 10:17 AM.

[Ants_Dakota]

I would like to fully update this journal in the future, but this 7 queen colony has died. I seriously don't know why or what to do. Perhaps myrmica require a constant supply of food? less space? Does literally anyone else on this forum keep myrmica? I would love to hear how you kept your queens.

Edited by Ants_Dakota, October 13 2022 - 5:43 AM.

[Puddingtempest]

I know this is old but myrmica are semi-claustral, meaning the queens will forage for food during the founding stage.  You need to feed them.

[BleepingBleepers]

Since this post was bumped up already

 

I would like to fully update this journal in the future, but this 7 queen colony has died. I seriously don't know why or what to do. Perhaps myrmica require a constant supply of food? less space? Does literally anyone else on this forum keep myrmica? I would love to hear how you kept your queens.

I'm still new and learning but one thing you said made me remember something I read:

 

They were walking around a trail, near either a huge colony of the same species of Myrmica, or many small ones

 

 

I read to never collect queens that were near or on ant trails as they either just become like the other workers or just freeload off the colony. Someone said he advised against it because he also collected many queens that were like that and none ever produced any eggs.

I don't know if this applies to just the species he was dealing with (which I can't remember) or others as well.

 

 

 

I know this is old but myrmica are semi-claustral, meaning the queens will forage for food during the founding stage.  You need to feed them.

 

Quoted from Ants_Dakota 7/18/22 "I collected the queens and got them into a test tube, and fed them honey and a mealworm piece, because they are semi claustral(meaning they need food before they can raise their first workers)"

 

Edited by BleepingBleepers, July 18 2023 - 8:54 AM.