14 replies to this topic

[Invix]

Almost 2 Months ago, I caught a Late-flying Tetramorium Immigrans queen in Charlottesville, Virginia. I have recorded the first weeks after and I plan to update at the end of every month or week.

Week 1- 15-25 Eggs!
Week 2- 30+ very small larvae and about 10 Large
Week 3- First callow nanitic! 12 pupae will awake soon
Week 4- All 12 pupae awake except one, I think she is dead. Queen is laying more eggs and seems to not feed the larvae as they have been the same size for a week.
Week 5- The “dead” worker awoke sometime after my last checkup and there is 13 workers, and some larvae are now turning into white pupae.
Week 6- 60+ eggs, and about 30 larvae, 5 pupae, and still 13 workers
Week 7- Most of the eggs disappeared and some larvae started pupating. About 15 eggs, 30 big larvae, about 10 small larvae, and 7 young pupae. The queen is going into a slightly-slow egg-laying diapause because of winter. I got a picture! (Sorry for bad quality, please tell me if I posted it right because it’s a file and I’m on mobile)

Attached Images

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Edited by Invix, November 28 2023 - 8:26 AM.

[Invix]

I WILL update this every month and it WILL be the longest and most on-going Tetramorium Immigrans journal on this forum. I have many other colonies of immigrans with the largest at around 1000, but I had one with MULTIPLE queens(about 8) and 20,000-50,000 workers that died after 3 years.

[Invix]

Please tell me how to post another photo:) I can't figure it out, I have two new callow workers and they are very cute.

[antsinvirgina]

search for the topic 

How to post photos properly by James C. Trager 

[Invix]

https://flic.kr/p/2pit66g

[100lols]

Tapatalk app also makes uploading images easy.

Looking good so far!!

[ANTdrew]

This site is easy: https://postimages.o...google_vignette
Copy and paste the hotlink for forums and the image will show in your thread without any links to click.

[Invix]

I figured out the photos

Edited by Invix, December 13 2023 - 12:42 PM.

[Invix]

Week 8:
There is 5 new workers, making 18 the new amount of workers. There is about 30 big larvae still, 2 pupae about to wake up, 6 young pupae, and some egg piles hidden in the cotton ball out of frame. I also connected them to a an AC nest extension (I forgot what it’s called but I’m using it as a mini-outworld). I dropped a gutted mealworm and some nectar in the outworld. It took about 3 days for the ants to get brave enough to venture out into the outworld, but since then I have seen almost always a worker drinking out of the anoma nectar. However, I have not seen the ants touch the mealworm guts yet even though they have mostly larvae which need mainly protein to grow. I also caught the queen lay an egg but was unable to record because of how fast the egglaying process is.

Edited by Invix, December 13 2023 - 12:42 PM.

[Invix]

Week 9:


There is 2 new workers making 20 workers total now. The new 2 workers are slightly bigger than the original 2 generations of nanitics. They are eating a centimeter of a superworm every week. Many of the big larvae turned into young, white pupae. I estimate 20 young pupae, 2 mature pupae, about 20-50 small larvae, and at least 50 eggs. I'm moving from virginia to colorado soon, with my 7 small and 3 large ant colonies.

Edited by Invix, December 13 2023 - 12:45 PM.

[ANTdrew]

It is illegal to transport ants across state lines without permits.

[Invix]

Week 10:


24 workers, about 10 more pupae to hatch soon. About 50 young pupae, not many larvae, and hundreds of eggs.

[Invix]

It is illegal to transport ants across state lines without permits.

I have PPQ-526

[Invix]

Month 3: Lets call it that since I'm doing monthly updates.


About 40 workers, many are eating a roach out of the frame. 30 Small larvae, and 30 eggs. So a lot less brood then before! But they are doing well anyways. Once they get 100 workers I will give them a proper nest. Many of the brood is stuck to the cotton ball so it appears grey.

Edited by Invix, January 19 2024 - 6:59 AM.

[BleepingBleepers]

30,000 workers huh?

 

Is that a lot for these kinda ants?

 

That sounds like a lot for me.

 

I remember starting my CA02 journal thinking "I can't wait till I have thousands of these guys!!"

 

but then it slowly went to "Um....think I'll be happy enough the day they get their first Queen size Major ant". They're starting to eat a whole lot not to mention taking up a lot of room AND....they kinda smell unlike what a lot of ppl told me (that ants don't smell, yes they do!)

 

I just got my first major ant a few days ago too. Anyhow, good luck with your goals, your monthly update is up in another week or two