16 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

7-9-2016
 
I was given this colony by kellakk in a trade, since he was moving out of State.
 
Right now it's actually in a little formicarium I built years ago.
 
Here's a video of them trailing in circles around the lid of their container.
 

 
Close up pictures of a worker.
 

 

 

[kellakk]

Hahaha nice, they love to form trails.  Good luck with them (and good luck opening that lid for feeding...)!

[floam90s13]

I see you're a fan of Samuel Adams. I am always so surprised when I see a picture of a formicarium with something to help put it to scale.

[dspdrew]

I see you're a fan of Samuel Adams. I am always so surprised when I see a picture of a formicarium with something to help put it to scale.

 

Oh haha, I guess kellakk must be. He gave that nest back to me along with the ants in a trade after I sold it to him a while back.

[dspdrew]

Update 7-28-2016

 

This colony went too long with no food or water, and lost quite a few workers. I now have them in one of my little founding formicariums.

[dspdrew]

Update 8-30-2016

 

Unfortunately this colony got smaller and smaller, and then the queen died.

[YsTheAnt]

Are they nocturnal fliers like limeoptum occidentale?

[dspdrew]

Not sure. The only time I found queens was at night though.

[dspdrew]

Update 6-10-2018

I just found another one of these queens on my black light next to Silverwood Lake on 5-28-2018, during a slight heatwave. I didn't update the journal at the time, because the queen did not look or behave like it was fertile, but it looks like her eggs are starting to turn to larvae.

[dspdrew]

Update 6-27-2018

Well this queen is clearly fertile now. Funny how pointy their larvae is.
 

 

 

[Jaraii]

I believe I caught one of these in Colorado, or at least another Liometopum sp. (she looks almost identical), do you have any tips on raising these ants?

[EthanNgo678]

I believe I caught one of these in Colorado, or at least another Liometopum sp. (she looks almost identical), do you have any tips on raising these ants?

 

 

I don't think they are the same genus.

Edited by EthanNgo678, July 12 2018 - 3:39 PM.

[dspdrew]

Update 7-21-2018

Well this queen ended up with lots of workers, but then a couple weeks later everything was dead.

[dermy]

Update 7-21-2018

Well this queen ended up with lots of workers, but then a couple weeks later everything was dead.

How often does this happen to you? do you think it was because you were too busy to feed them?

[YsTheAnt]

Update 7-21-2018

Well this queen ended up with lots of workers, but then a couple weeks later everything was dead.

How often does this happen to you? do you think it was because you were too busy to feed them?

Doubt it. Perhaps they were parasitized by you, dermy...

[dspdrew]

I did wait longer than usual to feed my ants, and it seems Liometopum need to eat often.

[Antking123]

Crap the same thing happend to me, I had caught a queen of the same species a few months ago she laid tons of eggs which I got about 50 or so workers from and then they all died for no reason. My tapinoma sessile colony also has a similar problem, but in her case she makes workers, which die, then she survives and makes another batch.