17 replies to this topic

[AsdinAnts]

Hey, so I was hiking with my dad, and I stumbled upon a very shallow pogonomyrmex californicus nest. I decided to collect some pupae/pupating larvae to feed my other ants that I had at home.
I gave a pupae to my A. occidentalis, M. Invidia, F. neogagates, and lastly my C. vicinus.

When I gave the C. vicinus a pupating larva, they dragged it into the nest, and are now seemingly caring for it. I decided to give them another P. californicus pupating larva, and they are also caring for that one as well. The californicus larvae are mixed in with the camponotus larvae.

Has anyone had anything similar like this happen to them? Once the pupae enclose, (if they do) i’ll post an update.

Edited by AsdinAnts, June 5 2024 - 2:35 PM.

[1tsm3jack]

That's super interesting, would love to hear about how it turns out.

[Izzy]

If she survives do you think they'll tell her she's adopted?

[1tsm3jack]

If she survives do you think they'll tell her she's adopted?

Haha

[IdioticMouse26]

That's really interesting. I have a C.vicinus and i'll try the same thing when I find other broods and post the results here.

that way, we can see if it's a consistant thing the species do or if was a coincident.

 

Edit: I'm probably going to use Formica or Lasius since they're the most common here

Edited by IdioticMouse26, June 5 2024 - 7:52 PM.

[AsdinAnts]

If she survives do you think they'll tell her she's adopted?

that made me laugh lol, I think they’re going to kill at least one pupae.
My reasoning for this is because one is an alate pupa, and the other is a worker

That's really interesting. I have a C.vicinus and i'll try the same thing when I find other broods and post the results here.
that way, we can see if it's a consistant thing the species do or if was a coincident.

Edit: I'm probably going to use Formica or Lasius since they're the most common here

okay, thanks!

[kiedeerk]

They will kill or eat the larva/pupae of other species. Sometimes they take in brood thinking it’s their own but will realize soon that it’s from different species

Very close species will accept brood. In my area, Camponotus pennsylvanicus will accept chromaoides and vice versa but it doesn’t work across vastly different species

[AsdinAnts]

yea, I was thinking that was going to happen as well. They will probably figure it out once the pupating larvae turns into an actual pupa, since pogonomyrmex pupae don’t have cocoons.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

My sansa's got a naked puepa and they noticed the differince and killed it.

[AsdinAnts]

umm.. The larva pupated, and it’s gaster has been gaining some color now..
You can see it right next to the worker that's beside the queen’s gaster.
edit: the gaster is tinted a pretty nice orange, it’s not visible in the picture though. Also, i’m pretty sure that it’s a female alate pupa.

Attached Images

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Edited by AsdinAnts, June 6 2024 - 9:48 PM.

[1tsm3jack]

Well that’ll be fun to watch go down lol, they just recruit a Pogonomyrmex alate as a worker

[AsdinAnts]

it was murdered

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

R.I.P Pogonomyrmex alate   2024-2024

Edited by GOCAMPONOTUS, June 7 2024 - 6:05 PM.

[AsdinAnts]

R.I.P Pogonomyrmex alate 2024-2024

haha, poor alate 😔

[Stubyvast]

Shoot I was hoping they'd raise it to become a full member of the colony! And imagine if it had managed to mate during the next nuptial flight...and live symbiotically with c. vicinus! Basically a new species haha. That would deserve a whole scientific study. So sad.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

AnthonyP13 has a 2 different camponotus types living with eachother.

[bmb1bee]

AnthonyP13 has a 2 different camponotus types living with eachother.

Queens of different species or workers? Workers can be introduced to another colony if in the same group/complex.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

Queens, he has it on his YouTube channel

 

It appears he uses 75% acetone and 25% water mixes it and dipped them in

Edited by GOCAMPONOTUS, June 11 2024 - 6:45 AM.