5 replies to this topic

[cmz_neu]

The ruler is in centimeters.

Help this queen is not doing well, it has laid eggs but they are scatered and she is not tending them, people have told me is a fungus growing ant and i have read that they carry fungus spores with them when they leave the colony to start a new garden but i have provided her with some tree leaves, lettuce leaves brocolly leaves and flower,some seeds and some rabbit pellets(that is full of grasses and plant material) but she has show no interest in them and hasn't grown any fungus, it's been more than a week now and i'm worried she will die!
What do i feed her???

[dspdrew]

She probably did not successfully start a fungus garden because she either did not have a fungus pellet with her when she flew, or she had it and it just didn't start growing. I had Acromyrmex versicolor queens live without their fungus (their only food) for up to four months before, so you might have some time. Any idea what species this is?

[cmz_neu]

People have told me its a Trachymyrmex sp or Acromyrmex sp, she did eat some honey I gave her but she isn't even taking care of her eggs, any chance they can live without fungus? and if so what can I feed her?

[Mdrogun]

They will die without fungus since it is the only food they can eat. Unless you can find some fungus for her she is doomed.

[cmz_neu]

I just checked on her and there are some yellowish-green clumps that she seams interested in any chance that is the fungus? could if be that she didn't grow it from a piece of leaves because all the leaves i gave her seem to be uncut, then again it could be just some type of mold.

Edited by cmz_neu, January 12 2016 - 7:35 PM.

[swagman]

 i have read that they carry fungus spores with them when they leave the colony to start a new garden

 

Actually there are no spores. That was a wrong assumption by earlier myrmecologists.

Founding queens are carrying a small fungus mycel (pellet) in a special pocket in their mouth to start a new fungus garden with it. They can´t start a fungus garden without it.