39 replies to this topic

[Jonathan5608]

Huge nylanderia flights a few weeks ago in my backyard. I caught 20+ queens and set them in 9 groups ranging from 1 to around ten. Most are sitting on huge egg piles. I’ll probably see nanitics at the end of this month or early July.

Edited by Jonathan5608, July 12 2023 - 12:42 AM.

[AntPerson76]

I caught my 12 Nylanderia Flavipes queens just around the same time as you. When they fly, you can really catch a lot of them. My queens are also about at that same stage where I will see nanitics in late June. 

[Jonathan5608]

Two of the nine queen groups died. I brood boosted a few colonies. The next update will be when I have workers

[Jonathan5608]

Update: sorry for the late update. All the colonies are doing well but I decided to focus in on one colony, it currently has 7 queens and around 50 works plus loads of brood. All call these guys the Firecrackers for their reddish look. I housed them in a little formicarium from anthropod antics and they seem to really thrive in there. It’s quite impressive how large the workers gasters inflate and almost reminds my of prenos.

Attached Images

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[ANTdrew]

Nylanderia and Prenolepis are very closely related.

[Jonathan5608]

Nylanderia and Prenolepis are very closely related.

that explains alot

[Jonathan5608]

Man these girls are Crackin.

[AntPerson76]

Nylanderia flavipes are polygynous?

[Jonathan5608]

Nylanderia flavipes are polygynous?

we’ll see I guess

[Jonathan5608]

The Firecrackers are doing well. Some of the larvae has since pupated. 50-100 pupae I would say. They’re developing nicely. Fed them some tetra brood since I had some left over from brood boosting my queen which made them pretty chunky. Still have a boatload of eggs and I’m pretty sure they’re just getting started.

[Jonathan5608]

Update
Firecrackers doing well
Some of the pupae hatched. Still a bunch of brood. Added a byformica liquid feeder in there outworld and they got quite a few bugs to feast on for protein. Condensation so bad photo

Edited by Jonathan5608, July 31 2023 - 7:49 AM.

[Jonathan5608]

Here’s a photo and short video

https://www.flickr.c...@N04/72aB758j3m

[Jonathan5608]

Gave em some food.
https://www.flickr.c...@N04/2Aj51r59J7
Seem to really be thriving. Unfortunately one of the queens was killed for reasons unknown so down to 6.

https://www.flickr.c...@N04/83WmqKV98p

[Jonathan5608]

Update:
Little late this time because I forgot this even existed and it wasn’t even because something bad happened like the colony died. I just of have absolutely awful memory. Something much has changed just still bursting out new workers and brood. A down side to that is because more workers are active, I have been noticing a few workers wandering outside their setup. I’ll get to that problem eventually. One step at a time for me. Really wonderful little guys these are to be honest. They definitely cheer me up and keep up my passion for nature. They do have a wonderful feeding response and boy do they pump out eggs.

https://www.flickr.c...@N04/F10149u90M
Here is a sneak peek of my other 6 queen colony which is kept in one of Utahants illustrious nests.

[ANTdrew]

Nice work. I’m really enjoying my colony as well.

[Jonathan5608]

Nice work. I’m really enjoying my colony as well.

they don’t disappoint

[100lols]

They are some beautiful tiny ants indeed!

[Virginian_ants]

My brother is looking to get some nylandaria flavipes. How hard do you say they are? How fast do they grow?

[Jonathan5608]

My brother is looking to get some nylandaria flavipes. How hard do you say they are? How fast do they grow?

easiest ants I ever kept and pump out eggs like crazy. I kept them at cooler temperatures in the low 70s so I didn’t get nanitics until around a month and a half but at higher temperatures I could easily see them getting nanitics in only month.

[Virginian_ants]

Okay, thanks. Are they good at escaping?

Edited by Virginian_ants, August 20 2023 - 9:58 AM.