Lasius neoniger Update
In this post I'll update the progress of the three Lasius neoniger colonies I'm keeping. The largest colony that I acquired this spring continues to grow at a steady pace, although they have been slowing down lately. Their formicarium has a sponge at the rear that I keep moist. This is where they seem to like to keep their larvae, right on top of the sponge. I'm sure the queen has a nice hole carved out of the moss where she can lay her eggs, undisturbed. They mature their cocoons in one of the bottles or test tubes I have imbedded in the moss.
I very seldom open up the back of these formicaria, less disturbance is best, I believe. I watch my ants as they collect their food and assess the colony's condition by the number of workers and how vigorously they collect the amount of food I've given them. This is one of the reasons I like to feed meat products, I know how much I've given them, and I can monitor their intake from day to day. The protein in meat and insects is used primarily for brood production and growth, so their intake of protein gives a general idea of how the colony is growing from day to day. I usually have an "observation colony' that I look at every day to monitor brood development. Some colonies can get quite used to being viewed if it's done every day. From their progress I get a pretty good idea of how the other colonies are progressing.
Both of the founding colonies were originally found living in acorns. They were transferred to two founding formicaria, the one above is made mainly of sphagnum moss with a bottle imbedded in it and covered in green moss. Each has a water tower and sponge to humidify the nest.
The ants in this setup are raising their larvae on top of a layer of sphagnum moss, cocoons are kept in the bottle in behind.
The second setup is made of grout and vermiculite compound with moss in front for an oasis. A small bottle is imbedded in the moss.
The queen, eggs and larvae are living in the bottle in the moss in the front, they mature their cocoons in one of the chambers above the heat. I'll probably turn the heat mat off this week as it's time for the ants to prepare for winter. Good Luck with your ants.
RPT
