2 replies to this topic

[azrewrt]

Hello

 

I will be making a research paper on Oecyphylla Smaragdina. I find these ants very fascinating and I was wondering if there is anybody here knowledgeable enough about them to be able to answer some questions I have about them. I'm aware that Formiculture is mainly about keeping ants as pets and I am also asking about a species of ant that is very hard to keep as a pet which will probably not lead to many answers, but I'll hold with the hope that there's someone out there who knows.

1. How does the ontogeny of this species work? How long does it take O. Smaragdina to develop from a queen  and some larvae to a strong colony and what are some things that could risk destroying the colony in its earlier stages?

2. I'm aware that O. Smaragdina feed on honeydew, but is that their main source of food? What exactly comprises of a wild O. Smaragdina's diet?
3. How tall must the tree be for O. Smaragdina to consider it a good place to build a nest? How far up will the ants be safe from other threats?
4. Lastly, does O. Smaragdina have any rivals? Will it have natural enemies/predators? Any competition for food with other species of insect?

 

Thanks for taking your time to read this, even if you don't have the answers to these questions

[Ernteameise]

I would very much recommend to you to read the amazing book "Adventures among Ants" by Mark Moffett.

There is a whole long chapter just about this species.

It is amazing! Did you know that these ants employ paratroopers?

Get the book, it is also available for Kindle.

It will help you a lot.

[ANTdrew]

EO Wilson’s Journey to the Ants is also another great resource you should look into. Remember when writing scientific names, the genus is capitalized but not the species name.