21 replies to this topic

[B_rad0806]

7-18-21

After about a whole year of trying to find where to catch this species I finally did it. During a trip I was able to stop at the CA/Nevada state line and look for ants. When I got to the spot I knew that it would be one of the very few chances I can catch this species. After a while I was getting worried then I spotted it. A freshly dug founding chamber. Immediately I started digging and hoping. Then TWO PLACADOPS queens ended up being in the same chamber. I put them in containers then started jumping around and yelling and just going crazy. Now here is where something very bad happens. I started running back to my car so I can get back on the road but once I got there I realized I dropped a container with one in it! So immediately I started running back and trying to find it. After no joke a whole mile of literally looking and retracing my steps I could not find it. I'm pretty sure I was like tripping out and hallucinating seeing 2 queens but I dunno man. On the way back from my trip I stopped by again to dig for more. Ended up being wayyyy too hard to dig but not because of the soil. The rocks were just way too hard to dig through. So now here I am back at home with my single placodops queen that I am very happy with. If this queen dies then uh, I will perform a Brad rage. But for now this queen is amazing and is very healthy. I have never been more happy about catching a species than now.

Edited by B_rad0806, September 10 2022 - 9:26 AM.

[YsTheAnt]

Gorgeous queen, good luck Brad!

[Nahaap]

 Let's go Brad

[sirjordanncurtis]

Good job on the find brad. It's already been 2 days since you caught her, but she doesn't have workers yet. Are you only using 0.02% of your powers?

[B_rad0806]

Good job on the find brad. It's already been 2 days since you caught her, but she doesn't have workers yet. Are you only using 0.02% of your powers?

Nah, I been slacking

[B_rad0806]

Update 7-19-21

Queen laid a few eggs. More to come  

[B_rad0806]

Update 8-5-21

Queen is doing great. Has a few larvae and a heck ton of eggs. Can't wait for pupae in the next week or 2  

[ZTYguy]

Awesome! Can’t wait for those gorgeous workers to show their faces.

[B_rad0806]

Update 8-10-21

Queen just got pupae this morning. The larvae grew bigger on the 8th and 9th but I forgot how quickly Myrmecocystus. Next thing I knew they were pupating. I expect workers in about 2-3 weeks. Also I apologize for lowish quality photos, the tube got a little bit foggy and there isn't anything I can do.

[ZTYguy]

Noice.

[B_rad0806]

Update 8-23-21

Alright so, this may be the most unlucky thing to ever happen. The queen was moving the sand around so much onto the sponge that it got almost all the sand wet. This caused a whole bunch of larvae to fail pupating causing them to die. They went from having a 10+ first gen to a 3-5 worker first gen. Luckily I should be getting workers in 1-3 days. I should be able to larger 2nd gen since I will be feeding them proteins. Stupid ant

Edited by B_rad0806, August 23 2021 - 3:56 PM.

[ZTYguy]

Hah. She just wants to keep you on your toes.

[B_rad0806]

Update 8-26-21

First worker has been born.  Time to get to work with these young fellas 

[B_rad0806]

Update 10-2-21

Forgot to update this journal but these guys are starting to pick it up. Their first gen was 3 workers which I expected after the mini disaster. Since then they are now at 11 workers (10 if we don't count the deformed worker) and still have 7 pupae that still need to grow. They also have a nice larvae pile. Once the rest of their pupae hatch I will move them to a nest.

[B_rad0806]

Update 10-23-21

Moved the colony into a mini hearth and they are doing great. They are currently at 15 workers, 4 pupae, a lot of larvae and a few eggs. Colony is very healthy.

Edited by B_rad0806, October 23 2021 - 9:13 PM.

[B_rad0806]

Update 7-29-22

I was lucky enough to find 1 of these the other night. I tried going back the next morning to a different area to see them fly but for some reason they just did not want to. I also got a colony from AntsEmporium which is doing decent. As for the colony last year. They are the most picky ants I've ever owned. They refuse to eat anything but fruit flies, but today they finally decided they like baby crickets. They'd be much larger if they ate mealworms since I usually always have a supply of them on me. I hardly ever get the chance to have fruit flies for them so they only have around 30 workers. Their brood pile has 10 pupae, around 15 larvae and a small pile of eggs. Hopefully with them taking other foods I will be able to grow them.

[B_rad0806]

Update 8-29-22

Queen is doing great with 12 pupae, larvae and a pile of eggs. Luckily last years events did not repeat and the pupae did not fail. I should be expecting workers within the next day or 2 now. My colony from last year recently had like 10+ workers just hatch so they are at around 40+ workers. My 01 colony hatched another worker so they are up to like 8 I think. 

[aznphenom]

do placodops tend to scatter the eggs at the beginning?

[B_rad0806]

do placodops tend to scatter the eggs at the beginning?

No, usually when queens scatter their eggs in the beginning they can be infertile 

[aznphenom]

 

do placodops tend to scatter the eggs at the beginning?

No, usually when queens scatter their eggs in the beginning they can be infertile 

 

Luckily, she seemed to have piled them up. I think it was from the shipping and switching tubes. Is your placodop as big as your mexicanus? How big is that testtube? Starting to think I didn't get a placodop.