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That_one_ant_guy's Rare Aphaenogaster megommata Updated 11/8/2022

Started By That_one_ant_guy , Aug 27 2022 11:07 AM

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#1 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted August 27 2022 - 11:07 AM

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A couple weeks ago I found this girl in the Mojave desert at around 10 pm , at first I thought it was some sort of Pheidole, but boy was I wrong. It was actually a Aphenogastor megommata. This sp. is rare and hard to find since they are 99% nocturnal, so I was pretty amazed that I was able to stumble across one. I tried to do some research but didn't find much, just a post from Nurbs, so I might have a lot of trial and error. :lol: But here she is!
20220827_104827.jpg 20220827_104816~2.jpg 20220825_132739.jpg
She has a couple of eggs, and she is gorgeoooouuuus <3 I'll update about every 3 days ( I won't update if nothing had changed though) since she doesnt seem to dislike the light too much.

Edited by That_one_ant_guy, November 8 2022 - 5:19 PM.

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#2 Offline FinWins - Posted August 27 2022 - 11:25 AM

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Cool, this should be important because there isn’t a ton of people who keep western aphenogaster. :D  :yahoo:


I keep: C. modoc, C. sansabeanus  :D, C. maritimus, Formica argentea, M. mexicanus  :D, Odontomachus brunneus :D, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, 

 

#3 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted August 30 2022 - 6:04 PM

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This queen is doing great, she has all her eggs in a neat little pile and I count 8* eggs now :)20220830_163542.jpg Random queen pic 20220830_163554.jpg I feel like the queen should have a name I was thinking of Onyx from wings of fire, any other suggestions?

Edited by That_one_ant_guy, August 31 2022 - 2:10 PM.

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#4 Offline bmb1bee - Posted August 30 2022 - 6:19 PM

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Onyx is the perfect name for her! (I read WoF too, it's a pretty good series :lol: ) This is probably by far the prettiest Californian ant queen I have ever seen. She almost looks like she's made of ivory, with some tiny embedded pieces of onyx...


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"Float like a butterfly sting like a bee, his eyes can't hit what the eyes can't see."
- Muhammad Ali

Check out my shop and parasitic Lasius journal! Discord user is bmb1bee if you'd like to chat.

Also check out my YouTube channel: @bmb1bee

#5 Offline NicholasP - Posted August 31 2022 - 7:55 AM

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This queen is doing great, she has all her eggs in a neat little pile and I count 7 eggs now :)attachicon.gif20220830_163542.jpg Random queen pic attachicon.gif20220830_163554.jpg I feel like the queen should have a name I was thinking of Onyx from wings of fire, any other suggestions?

She's so beautiful I'm so jealous.


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gallery_5979_2399_15405.png

#6 Offline TacticalHandleGaming - Posted August 31 2022 - 11:15 AM

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I can't wait to see how this colony grows, the queen is so pretty! 


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Currently kept species

L. neoniger, P. occidentalis, C. modoc, C. novaeboracensis, C. vicinus, T. immigrans, A. occidentalis, S. molesta, P. imparis, M. kennedyi, M semirufus, F. pacifica, P. californica, M. ergatogyna.

 

Previously kept species

T. rugatulus, B. depilis.

 

Looking for

Myrmecocystus pyramicus, Myrmecocystus testaceus

Pheidole creightoni, Pheidole inquilina, Crematogaster coarctata, Crematogaster mutans

My youtube channel.  My ant Etsy store - Millennium Ants

#7 Offline ZTYguy - Posted August 31 2022 - 2:51 PM

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Sure does look like a fragilis and Novomessor hybrid. So funky lookin and so cool.


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Currently: Considering moving to Australia
Reason: Myrmecia

#8 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 4 2022 - 8:47 PM

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Couldn't update yesterday, was at a freinds house. But she doing pretty good, she almost has larvae (I'll post pics tomorrow too tired today)

#9 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 5 2022 - 3:16 PM

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I guess yesterday I didn't check on her very good, because I checked up on her today and she has LARVAEEEE!! :yahoo: (sorry for bad pic she hid the larave in the torn up cotton)
20220905_155950~2.jpg Still can't believe I'm the second person to document this sp in formiculture history(I think). Queen pic Screenshot_20220905-161139_Photos~2.jpg

Edited by That_one_ant_guy, September 26 2022 - 1:23 PM.

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#10 Offline lazyant - Posted September 5 2022 - 8:10 PM

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Nice! Never have seen an Aphaenogaster before in the wild!


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"Loneliness and cheeseburgers are a dangerous mix." -Comic book guy 

#11 Offline ZTYguy - Posted September 5 2022 - 10:34 PM

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Question, are you heating it in any way. Incubator, heat cable? She could definitely benefit from that. Double her current first gen.


Edited by ZTYguy, September 5 2022 - 10:34 PM.

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Currently: Considering moving to Australia
Reason: Myrmecia

#12 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 6 2022 - 6:03 AM

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Question, are you heating it in any way. Incubator, heat cable? She could definitely benefit from that. Double her current first gen.

Yes I have her on a heating pad at around 85-86, you can't really tell but she has 5 larvae, she hid two in one space and three in another.

Edited by That_one_ant_guy, September 6 2022 - 6:11 AM.

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#13 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 9 2022 - 5:43 PM

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Updateeee timeee! Not much to update, just that the larvae got a bit bigger. Still wasn't able to get good brood pics, wish I put a sponge on there instead of cotton lol...

#14 Offline Lamarr - Posted September 12 2022 - 11:34 PM

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Great color on this species!


#15 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 18 2022 - 1:56 PM

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So slight mishap. Queen Onyx's water turned pink, no idea why it just did and it made her brood shrivel up and die. So I had to transport her into a new test tube. This time with a sponge. I also gave her some by formica nector. Hopefully she can recover... 20220918_141716.jpg 20220918_141729.jpg

Edited by That_one_ant_guy, September 20 2022 - 6:09 AM.

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#16 Offline Jonathan5608 - Posted September 19 2022 - 12:27 PM

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I would take a record of where you found her. Perhaps you can them again next year

#17 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 19 2022 - 12:51 PM

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I would take a record of where you found her. Perhaps you can them again next year

yep already did
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#18 Offline antsriondel - Posted September 19 2022 - 6:23 PM

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Wow! Hopefully she can recover. ( I am a Wof fan as well  (y))


#19 Offline That_one_ant_guy - Posted September 22 2022 - 3:47 PM

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Hey, so I moved her to a new setup, kudos to zeisis, 20220922_162658.jpg

basically Onyx is in a installated box with super soft foam at the bottom, and I made a hole in the lid so that I can put the heating cable in there, but it's only gonna hang out at the top to act like a space heater. The box stays at around 84-86. And I guess Zeisis's idea works, because now Onyx has 3 eggies :yahoo: 20220922_163028~2.jpg  

Also I think I just photographed the best pic of Onyx so far :) 20220922_163150~2.jpg  

What do yall think?


Edited by That_one_ant_guy, September 22 2022 - 4:11 PM.

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#20 Offline AntsCali098 - Posted September 22 2022 - 6:08 PM

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Hope she gets workers soon!
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Interested buying in ants? Feel free to check out my shop! 

Feel free to read my journals, like this one.

 

Wishlist:

Atta sp (wish they were in CA), Crematogaster cerasi, Most Pheidole species

 

 

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