10 replies to this topic

[Demoant]

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I have posted anything and I apologise for the lack of activity. As I said before school has resumed and I had to take some time to adjust. 

Now that I have some time back on my hands I figured I should start a journal or two. 

With that out of the way, lets start the journal!

Acanthomyrmex glabfemoralis (1Q, 30W)

 

As you may have noticed they have majors with huge, disproportionally large heads. I honestly have no idea why they need such majors. 

My hypothesis is that the majors are for breaking up fig seeds for food (yes they do eat that, I gave them some and they took them back to the nest)

 

 

I am currently housing them in this plaster nest with a top down view and glass cover, a big step up from my old plaster nests. 

Other than fig seeds they also consume sugar water, honey water and insects (dubia roaches).

I noticed the majors seem to chew on the roach parts so that is another use for them.

 

 

I will probably update this journal when something interesting happens so no weekly updates for them. 
I am planning to make a journal for the Myrmoteras colonies as well, will try to post the link https://www.formicul...ghamii-journal/

Hope that you have enjoyed this post and I will see you next time.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Demoant, February 20 2023 - 4:38 AM.

[ANTdrew]

They’re like a caricature of Pheidole! Very nice setups as well.

[Demoant]

25/2/2023

 

These are some rather picky seed eaters. 

I gave them fresh seeds from the fruit and seeds that I have washed and they have only taken in fresh seeds. 

Not only that, they only collect seeds that are right next to their entrance.

 

You can see the workers licking the seeds.

 

[Demoant]

5th March 2023

 

Yes, eggs. A good number of them too.

 

Still waiting for any of those larvae to pupate. :I

[Demoant]

27/3/2023

 

Pupae have arrived.

 

Wonder when will those big major pupae appear...

[Ernteameise]

These are really unique ants. They actually look the cute comic book versions of ants.

Curious how they will develop.

[Flu1d]

This is on the top of my list of ants that I can't keep but want a specimen of a queen, minor and a major!

[Demoant]

7th April 2023

 

A couple of workers have eclosed. Some pupae are also close to eclosing.

Here is a pupa that is about to become a worker.

 

Now the next goal is to get a major... I wonder how long will that take.

Also I have actually stopped feeding them fig seeds. Most of the time they don't even collect them and if they do collect them, I am pretty sure they throw it out a few days later.

It seems that a liquid sugar+insect protein is a sufficient diet for them.

[Demoant]

6th May 2023

It seems that one of the larvae became a male pupa.

 

Natural vegetation was also incorporated.

 

This was one of the fig seeds I threw in for them, Can't believe it germinated.   

I need to rescue it later lol

 

[ANTdrew]

Myrmecochory at work.

[PurdueEntomology]

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I have posted anything and I apologise for the lack of activity. As I said before school has resumed and I had to take some time to adjust. 

Now that I have some time back on my hands I figured I should start a journal or two. 

With that out of the way, lets start the journal!

Acanthomyrmex glabfemoralis (1Q, 30W)

IMG_20230219_214503.jpg

 

As you may have noticed they have majors with huge, disproportionally large heads. I honestly have no idea why they need such majors. 

My hypothesis is that the majors are for breaking up fig seeds for food (yes they do eat that, I gave them some and they took them back to the nest)

 

IMG_20230220_174228.jpg

 

I am currently housing them in this plaster nest with a top down view and glass cover, a big step up from my old plaster nests. 

Other than fig seeds they also consume sugar water, honey water and insects (dubia roaches).

I noticed the majors seem to chew on the roach parts so that is another use for them.

 

IMG_20230219_214106.jpg

 

I will probably update this journal when something interesting happens so no weekly updates for them. 
I am planning to make a journal for the Myrmoteras colonies as well, will try to post the link https://www.formicul...ghamii-journal/

Hope that you have enjoyed this post and I will see you next time.

You may find this reading on cephalic musculature of interest: 

 

https://antwiki.org/...011-0828-6).pdf