Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Ender Ants Tetramorium immigrans Journal

tetramorium tetramorium immigrans pavement ants

  • Please log in to reply
2 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Ender Ants - Posted November 12 2024 - 12:08 PM

Ender Ants

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 224 posts
  • LocationTrES-2b

August 18, 2023: A Return To Ant Keeping [9 workers, 2 pupae, 2 larvae]

After a year of inactivity and mostly caring for my one Camponotus fragilis colony and two Brachymyrmex patagonicus colonies, I had decided to start being more active with my ant keeping ventures. This was the first colony I ever received from an ant store, so I was very excited with keeping new species. This Tetramorium immigrans colony was from Buckeye Myrmecology, and I recorded their unboxing here. They're a species I've never found, solely due to their flights being in the morning, and I usually find queens at night. 

 

Tetramorium-immmigrans-nanitics-9w-2-pup

 

First-meal.png
 
 

August 19, 2024: One Year Later [20-30 workers]

Alright so one year passes and I barely fed them or tracked their progress at all. I forgot exactly what happened during this time, but I'm pretty sure I just went into another rut of ant keeping and didn't bother to check on them as much as they were left on my shelf. I knew this time enough was enough, and I wanted to actually grow this colony. All of my ants in fact. I couldn't let the fear of them escaping, me being unable to contain them, or my laziness stop me any longer.
 

Transferred-into-Outworld-setup.png
With their test tube running out of water, I moved them into a custom made outworld from this new ant keeping store I randomly found.

 

Nasty-molded-water.png
Look at that delicious water.
 
Worker-dragging-sesame-seed.png
I began feeding them all types of seeds. Completely forgot they were one of only ants in my room that could eat this at the time. This is a sesame seed a worker found.
 
Worker-trying-almond.png
Enjoying an almond.
 
 

October 14, 2024: Explosion [100-200 workers]

Every type of seed I fed them. Sesame, chia, quinoa, almonds, peanuts, and dandelion seeds they enjoyed. I also gave them crickets, and recently, roaches. Fish food were also a favorite. As such, the colony grew exponentially.
 

T-immigrans.png
 

Blocked-cotton.png
I had to replace their cork stopper with a cotton ball because workers kept chewing through and escaping.
 
Brood-runs.png
 
Removed-cotton.png
They have completely removed the cotton from the inside of their test tube to make use of the extra space.
 
Trail.png
Now there's this small trail between new test tubes I place for their water.
 
 

October 31, 2024: Brood Showcase [150-200 workers]

The way they take up all the space in the test tube makes it impossible to count them now. But I'm guessing they're starting to pass 150 workers now.
 

Count-how-many.png
 
Filling-up-the-tube.png
 
Jam-packed.png
 
Lover-s-of-heat.png
They've begun moving their pupae closest to the heat cable.
 
Piling-the-brood.png
 
Piling-the-brood-2.png
 
 

November 11, 2024: Warm and Cozy [300-370 workers]

And here they are now, still trying to completely fill of their test tube. It is jam packed in this test tube, but whenever I open the lid to feed them, they start swarming out; a hundred would be out in a matter of moments. Super cool to see. Thinking once their test tube is 3/4 full, I'll move them into a formicarium. 
 

Aerial-view.jpg
 
Messy-outworld.jpg
 
Rehydrate.jpg
 
Warm-and-cozy.jpg
 
 
Thoughts:
The fact that these ants eat grains have been a huge help. Now I can leave out as much as I want and they can break it down over time. Out of all the seeds, they enjoy almonds and sesame seeds the most. Also didn't know they would grow so much so quickly. The queen is an egg laying machine. The swarm tactic they do as well is really cool to see. I remember when I first saw that and I was thinking "what is going on, I just gave them some dandelion seeds." Now that I have the food available, the additional heat, and of course the drive to finally grow this colony, I can easily see them reach 1k-5k next year.  

Edited by Ender Ants, November 12 2024 - 12:11 PM.

  • RushmoreAnts, eea, rptraut and 2 others like this

#2 Offline AntsGodzilla - Posted November 12 2024 - 12:49 PM

AntsGodzilla

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 444 posts
  • LocationNorthern California

Love all your colonies!


Edited by AntsGodzilla, November 12 2024 - 1:31 PM.

  • Ender Ants likes this

 

And many Carnivorous plants such as: Dionea muscipula (fly trap), Sarracenia x 'Fiona' ( American Pitcher plant), Nepenthese ventrata (Tropical Pitcher plant), and Pinguicula agnata x emarginata (Butterwort) (show off your plants here)

Godzilla thread

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it's provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6: 6-8

 

Myrmecocystus depilis

 


#3 Offline Ender Ants - Posted November 13 2024 - 12:01 AM

Ender Ants

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 224 posts
  • LocationTrES-2b

Love all your colonies!

 

Thank you! Wait until you see the rest of them  :D


  • AntsGodzilla likes this





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: tetramorium, tetramorium immigrans, pavement ants

1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users