4 replies to this topic

[kudofo]

Hello Formiculture.com

I wanted to add to the community. This is my first captured colony of recent. Finally getting back into anting after doing it as a child.

This nest was caught on 09/30/2016. Simply flooded a known colony area and scooped ants into test tube with some brood.

 

They are Linepithema Humile or Argentine Ant.

I was able to capture 4 queens, 2 workers, and a few brood.

They are just now 10/05/2015 finally starting to pile their eggs and have had 1 worker hatch from caught brood.

Fed with honey water and a cricket leg.

I know the test tube is a bit dirty this wasn't very planned.

I started taking picture with the carpet as background so stuff is kind of hard to see. Grabed the white paper after that. Lesson learned.

 






These photos were taken with my crappy USB Microscope.







 

[Alabama Anter]

Wow!!! I've always wanted these species

[Canadian anter]

Move to SoCal then

[drtrmiller]

In my experience, you'll need a few hundred or thousand ants to start a thriving colony. Colonies with few or no brood will only eat sweets, while colonies with many larvae will be receptive to a wider range of foods. In captivity, I had the best results while feeding tiny, soft-bodied insects such as springtails and termites.

They should also be kept very warm and have constant access to moisture.

Edited by drtrmiller, October 5 2016 - 5:17 PM.

[kudofo]

Thank you for your advice drtrmiller. I will get them next to my reptile heating pad. If I had a formicarium for them I would go out and catch more from the same nest. I would like to use a plastic one for them like an omni just not spending $70 on it! Probably will try to make my own

Edited by kudofo, October 5 2016 - 6:23 PM.