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Dspdrew's Camponotus ocreatus Journal [132] (Updated 11-16-2023)

dspdrew camponotus ocreatus carpenter ants

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#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 30 2017 - 6:53 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

8-30-2017

 

On 8-4-2017 I found a bunch of these queens running around at night in Lucerne Valley, California. They probably just flew that morning. This is the first time I've ever caught queens of this species.
 
It's been three weeks now, and not a single one of them have laid one egg. I've never seen anything like this. :thinking:



#2 Offline dspdrew - Posted October 29 2017 - 5:31 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
Update 10-29-2017
 
Well, about nine of these finally laid eggs, and four of them got their first workers about a week ago. The largest colony has three workers, and I moved it into a small starter formicarium.
 
gallery_2_152_90083.jpg
 
 
I decided to see if I could get some of the others to lay some eggs by boosting them with a worker each, so I gave three of them each one Camponotus fragilis pupa. I know these are both from two different subgenera, so the chance of this working out is probably pretty small. The next day I checked on them, and there were no pupae to be found anywhere. I've always been a little confused about ants not being able to eat anything but liquids, because I've seen stuff like this happen before. All three pupae are completely gone without a trace of anything left behind. Did the queens really consume the entire pupae, cocoon and all? I'm thinking of putting another one in there and getting some time-lapse video of it.
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#3 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted October 29 2017 - 5:33 PM

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Nice colony, and I like the contrats in color of the queen
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Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 


#4 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 10 2018 - 4:29 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-10-2018
 
I eventually ended up feeding all the queens with no workers or brood to my other pets, but now I kind of wish I didn't. Amazingly all of these queens laid more eggs in May. Some laid more than they did originally. I still have all four colonies, and not one of them has lost a single worker yet. Of the workerless queens, I only kept two, and they both have a few eggs now.


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#5 Offline nurbs - Posted June 10 2018 - 5:27 PM

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Update 6-10-2018
 
I eventually ended up feeding all the queens with no workers or brood to my other pets, but now I kind of wish I didn't. Amazingly all of these queens laid more eggs in May. Some laid more than they did originally. I still have all four colonies, and not one of them has lost a single worker yet. Of the workerless queens, I only kept two, and they both have a few eggs now.

 

Glad I kept mine, they all have pupae now with lots of brood as well. It's crazy. Better late than never.


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Unidentified Myrmecocystus

https://www.formicul...ls-near-desert/

 

Undescribed "Modoc"

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Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

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Unidentified Formica

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Pencil Case and Test Tube Formicariums
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Bloodworm Soup
https://www.formicul...bloodworm-soup/


#6 Offline B_rad0806 - Posted June 7 2019 - 11:59 AM

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finally, an update :lol:


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#7 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 4 2019 - 11:14 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-6-2019
 
I sold all of the previous colonies months ago.
 
On 7-24-2019 I found more of these queens in Landers, CA. Most were still running around, while some of them were in the process of digging their nests. It was funny how some of their founding chambers looked exactly like the big huge ones that Myrmecocystus mexicanus make. These queens are like the ones we got from Lucerne Valley last year--gasters mustard-colored with very little, if any black. I only collected five of them, and put them in test tubes. So far with the exception of one, like the ones last year, they still haven't laid any eggs. It's interesting that one of them this time actually did lay eggs. I'm assuming these will wait until next spring to lay their eggs again. It makes me think one of these might be incorrectly ID'd.
 
gallery_2_152_147665.jpg


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#8 Offline Leo - Posted August 4 2019 - 7:25 PM

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these look awfully similar to my camponotus turkestanus



#9 Offline Luke_in_AZ - Posted August 12 2020 - 2:27 PM

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Looking great! What do you find as the most successful food for them?

#10 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 11 2023 - 8:52 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Looking great! What do you find as the most successful food for them?

Same as any other Camponotus - sugary liquids and insects/meat.



#11 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 11 2023 - 8:59 AM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 6-11-2023
 

It's been a long time since I updated this journal. All the colonies I had either died or were sold years ago.

 

I traded some queens with nurbs for a bunch more of these queens last season, and ended up selling all but three of them. All three are doing great with around 30 or so workers each. These, C. fragilis, and C. sansabeanus seem to be the only three species that do well for me - interestingly all from the desert.


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#12 Offline AntsCali098 - Posted June 11 2023 - 9:10 AM

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Glad to see your back on your journal!

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

 

 


#13 Offline dspdrew - Posted November 16 2023 - 8:15 PM

dspdrew
  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 11-16-2023
 

I sold one of the colonies and only have two now. I moved them both into my large starter formicariums and they both have a little over 40 workers each now.

 

gallery_2_152_382548.jpg

 

gallery_2_152_1373652.jpg

 

gallery_2_152_121082.jpg


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#14 Offline bmb1bee - Posted November 16 2023 - 11:23 PM

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These are definitely my favorite species of Camponotus here in CA.


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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.

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#15 Offline 100lols - Posted November 18 2023 - 4:54 PM

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Uhg making me want another colony… (not that I’ve kept these in the past, but adding another colony atm isn’t ideal for me.)

Edited by 100lols, November 18 2023 - 4:54 PM.

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#16 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 18 2023 - 7:14 PM

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Uhg making me want another colony… (not that I’ve kept these in the past, but adding another colony atm isn’t ideal for me.)

They’re easy to add, but hard to keep well!
  • 100lols likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.





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