82 replies to this topic

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Those definitely look like alate larvae.

I second this the larvae is way larger than the rest.

[Ernteameise]

Those definitely look like alate larvae.

Well, they had boys last year, so they are mature and I am not surprised, even if they are only a small colony (but acorn ants only form small colonies, so there is that).

[futurebird]

I think this is the first time anyone has gotten acorn ants to move into little nut-shaped spaces like this. I know a lot of people have tried and they are very uncooperative, living in the outworld, under the water feeder, in a gap near the lid. Anywhere but the "acorn" or "walnut"

 

Do these ants make satellite colonies?

[Ernteameise]

I think this is the first time anyone has gotten acorn ants to move into little nut-shaped spaces like this. I know a lot of people have tried and they are very uncooperative, living in the outworld, under the water feeder, in a gap near the lid. Anywhere but the "acorn" or "walnut"

 

Do these ants make satellite colonies?

Well, I think the heat cable was the deciding factor for them moving in.

Yes, this species is polydomus by nature, so in the wild, they will inhabit several empty acorns.

Last year I even did a little walk and did seek them out, and I found several acorns which were close to each other and contained what I assumed each a part of the colony.

They are VERY common where I am from. There is a nest in basically every empty acorn you pick up.

I think that they still inhabit several different corners of the outworld, it appears that they have moved mainly their alate larvae next to the heat cable.

Edited by Ernteameise, April 10 2024 - 10:17 AM.

[Ernteameise]

Yummy chicken!

 

[Ernteameise]

Just managed to take a better picture of the future princesses and princes:

 

[Mushu]

Awesome colony. I've always wanted acorn ants, one of the few smaller ant species I wouldn't mind keeping. I may go acorn hunting this summer. You've given me some ideas.

 

I'm thinking a hydrostone cast floor with a few acorns or walnuts halfway wedged into the floor and against the side of a glass/plastic container may work out. Maybe even a natural setup.

[Ernteameise]

Awesome colony. I've always wanted acorn ants, one of the few smaller ant species I wouldn't mind keeping. I may go acorn hunting this summer. You've given me some ideas.

 

I'm thinking a hydrostone cast floor with a few acorns or walnuts halfway wedged into the floor and against the side of a glass/plastic container may work out. Maybe even a natural setup.

Good luck!

I actually think they are very cute and very easy to keep. Plus, they need only a small amount of space.

[Ernteameise]

We continue to have quite a bit of brood and this walnut has proven to be a success.

 

[Ernteameise]

The boiled chicken I gave them today proved to be extremely popular.

They loved it!

 

[Ernteameise]

OMG!

The alates have emerged!

You have seen all these large alate larvae I shared above.

Well, today, I have many winged queens in the enclosure.

Beautiful girls.

I also only see girls, no boys. This is different from last year, where I only saw boys.

Maybe they change around which sex they produce, to avoid inbreeding? I have read that some species do that.

No, I won't release them, but maybe they will adapt to a live as workers?

 

 

 

 

[Ernteameise]

Just to show that the girls are still alive.

Here they enjoy some dinner.

 

 

(by the way, all the young queens shown above have disappeared and were probably "recycled").

[Ernteameise]

The Walnut girls are still around and well.

Here they are enjoying some chicken:

 

[UtahAnts]

Good to see them doing so well. That Walnut setup is amazing! Any female alates left? I kept a Temnothorax colony to alates as well and some of the alates ended up losing their wings, staying in the nest. I'm also curious if you've seen any gamergate-like workers with larger abdomens?

 

 

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

I want Temnothorax    or at least the Leptothorax that live here (Canadian version of Temnothorax)

Edited by OwlThatLikesAnts, September 8 2024 - 9:43 AM.

[Ernteameise]

Good to see them doing so well. That Walnut setup is amazing! Any female alates left? I kept a Temnothorax colony to alates as well and some of the alates ended up losing their wings, staying in the nest. I'm also curious if you've seen any gamergate-like workers with larger abdomens?

Well, the problem is, the main colony is divided into different nest sites (polydomous species), and for NONE of the nest sites, I have a good overview who is where and doing what.

I think all the female alates are gone, I have only seen the smaller workers out and about, and there are none in the walnut left. The other nest is in that piece of bark, and I have zero chance to have an insight.

I also have never again seen the queen.

I actually have not noticed any gamer-gate like queens. I have read the papers who describe them in the Temnothorax genus, so I know that they exist, but all ants that I can observe out and about are the normal small workers. They are active little ants, and if you look closely, you will always seem some of them out and about, and they are also very quick if there is new food to be had.

I think the colony is doing well.

[UtahAnts]

Interesting, their small size and generally unobtrusive nature does make these ants hard to observe in the wild and captivity. Looking back at your pictures of their walnut nest, I thought some of the workers had a slightly larger abdomen, though that might just be differences in worker size. Here was my colony, with a true queen in the top, and a larger gamergate looking worker circled below. The castes really are hard to distinguish in a crowd.

Edited by UtahAnts, September 8 2024 - 2:45 PM.

[Ernteameise]

I think the problem is that these ants are so small, and it is very hard to observe and even take pictures of them in the nest- the walnut is now pretty much empty (maybe they just used it for the alate larvae).

 

But a great picture from you colony!

Edited by Ernteameise, September 8 2024 - 12:07 PM.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Are you still heating the walnut?

[Ernteameise]

I have a flat under the roof.

I jokingly call it my "living sauna".

In the past few weeks, we finally had summer in Germany and my flat heated up.

It got over 35°C (yes, I know, this might also be bad for ants, and the queens might stop laying).

So no, for the past couple of months, I have not been heating any of my ants.

 

Today, temperatures dropped and autumn is here.

I will have to think of a way of heating my only tropical species (the Acanthomyrmex) while the Temnothorax and Lasius will do their hibernation on the balcony in a box (if it becomes freezing, then they will be placed in my unheated attic store-room) and the Camponotus and Messor will be kept in my living room. I try to conserve energy, so the living room is only heated when I am there (not during work hours) and I also won't produce a sauna in my living room, so the temperatures will vary between 15°C and 20°C (or lower, if heating is off and it becomes cold outside).

This arrangement worked well last year.