139 replies to this topic

[AntsBrazil]

 

I talked with some friends from a Brazilian group and they gave me some tips...

Can you kindly link to that local group? I'm interested in reading their discussions.

 

https://www.facebook...03274293267781/

[T.C.]

I'm so jealous, be sure to keep this updated in the future.

[AntsBrazil]

Update 12/01/16

 

The ants still the same, it's quite cold here for the spring, 16º I'm thinking about heating them. The fungus also seems to be ok, can't tell if it is growing or not but I assume it grows slowly.

[Vendayn]

Update 12/01/16

 

The ants still the same, it's quite cold here for the spring, 16º I'm thinking about heating them. The fungus also seems to be ok, can't tell if it is growing or not but I assume it grows slowly.

Well, optimal temperature in Fahrenheit for Leafcutters is 75 degrees, 80 at most. Acromyrmex versicolor can go a bit warmer, but it isn't very healthy for them. 16 Celsius, is far too cold for them. It needs to be 23 Celsius optimal temperature (which according to Google is 75 degrees). It can go up to 26 Celsius and be okay, which is 80 degrees.

 

The fungus does grow pretty slow until the first workers, but given optimal temperature (and humidity), it grows a lot faster. You're colony is going to end up how my Acromyrmex versicolor were before I fixed it, stagnant (won't grow) and the fungus will start "melting" at that low temperature.

 

Also, I should add. Atta in general are far more reliant on a stable, constant temperature than Acromyrmex versicolor are. Now, I do not have any experience with Atta myself. But, I've done a TON of research into raising Leafcutters in general. And definitely keeping them that cold, isn't going to end well if they are kept at that temperature for long periods. Even my Acromyrmex don't like it when it drops below 70 degrees (21 Celsius).

Edited by Vendayn, December 1 2016 - 5:38 PM.

[AntsBrazil]

 

Update 12/01/16

 

The ants still the same, it's quite cold here for the spring, 16º I'm thinking about heating them. The fungus also seems to be ok, can't tell if it is growing or not but I assume it grows slowly.

Well, optimal temperature in Fahrenheit for Leafcutters is 75 degrees, 80 at most. Acromyrmex versicolor can go a bit warmer, but it isn't very healthy for them. 16 Celsius, is far too cold for them. It needs to be 23 Celsius optimal temperature (which according to Google is 75 degrees). It can go up to 26 Celsius and be okay, which is 80 degrees.

 

The fungus does grow pretty slow until the first workers, but given optimal temperature (and humidity), it grows a lot faster. You're colony is going to end up how my Acromyrmex versicolor were before I fixed it, stagnant (won't grow) and the fungus will start "melting" at that low temperature.

 

Also, I should add. Atta in general are far more reliant on a stable, constant temperature than Acromyrmex versicolor are. Now, I do not have any experience with Atta myself. But, I've done a TON of research into raising Leafcutters in general. And definitely keeping them that cold, isn't going to end well if they are kept at that temperature for long periods. Even my Acromyrmex don't like it when it drops below 70 degrees (21 Celsius).

 

Thanks for the reply. I found out that inside my home is like 20°, and it's night here so when the sun comes out the temperature should go a little bit higher, also their are being kept inside a wooden chest so their conditions are more stable(I hope) than outside the chest and even more than outside my home. I don't plan to control their conditions until the first workers. I guess I'll need to buy something to control their humidity level, according to google the humidity in my city right now is 91%, pretty high. 

[AntsBrazil]

Update 12-27-16

 

Happy holidays for everyone.

One of the queens without fungus died.

Now we have 4 queens, one without fungus. As can be seen in the photos the queens have some white stuff on their back, I think that It's probably something bad, maybe another fungus attacking their body. Some other ant keepers from Brazil also had this problem, all my queens have this white thing.

After trying to decide what to do I decided to clean the queens, a friend did that with some queens that he captured in the first nuptial flight and now he has workers and a healthy fungus. 

I cleaned the queens using a cotton swab with water, probably stressed a lot the queens but now they are clean(12/26/16). 

Before writing this post(12/27/16) I checked the queens again and they seem to have again some white stuff, less than before, don't know if this time it's plaster dust,  the one without fungus don't seem to have this white thing(and her setup don't have plaster dust around). 

Now we have only larvae, I hope until 12/10/17 to have workers. 

 

(This big white think on her back is plaster, the other and smaller thing near her head that is the problem)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Martialis]

My Crematogaster queen had a similar problem.. I just reached into her setup and knocked it off her back. It seemed pretty benign, though.

[Connectimyrmex]

How are your queens now? Also, I love Atta and Acromyrmex, so I'm definitely following this.

[AntsBrazil]

I'm checking once a week to don't disturb them too much.

Edited by JPSMedeiros, December 29 2016 - 10:57 AM.

[T.C.]

I would really like to see pictures, pictures, and more pictures of this species. They are one of my favorite species and i would not only like to read about them, but see pictures of there progress as well.

[AntsBrazil]

Update 12-31-16

 

Finally! Pupae. Happy new year to everyone. 

 

 

 

[T.C.]

Congratulations. That is a lot of pupae and eggs there. I wasn't aware this species laid so many eggs all at once, especially when they are trying to found their colony.

[Canadian anter]

omg Nice! I find it interesting that even the nanitics are polymorphic

[AntsBrazil]

I think she can lay a lot of brood because she is huge and have a supply of food, I don't know if she eats it while in this stage but she has it available. Yes I noticed the different sizes of the pupae, probably some "nurses" and some "harvesters". Now that she have pupae probably around 10 days to workers, as I said hopefully 01/10/17 we will have some workers to watch. 

[Alabama Anter]

Omg so cool!!! I hope you get a great Colony going

[FSTP]

I find it especially endearing that she piles her brood in such a neat concise circle.

[Vendayn]

Well, Atta do make massive colonies. I imagine your colony is going to grow to an insane size, really fast. I imagine something like Solenopsis invicta speed, maybe even faster just because how big each individual colony gets.

[AntsBrazil]

I'm already planning how I'll move her to the definitive nest. Right now she is in a quite big kitchen container, I'm planning to make for the start 3 glass boxes 15cmx15cmx15cm.

They will have a plaster ground and 2 holes in the sides(or more) so I can connect them and add new "chambers" in the future. In the start they will have the foraging area, the fungus garden area and the trash area. But I don't know how I will move the colony, I could use some help to make some preparations while the fungus is small and there's no workers. 

[AntsBrazil]

Update 01-09-17

 

First workers!!! One of the 4 queens have workers now, I could only see 2 of them but probably more coming soon. One of the queens with pupae have some brown pupae that will probably turn into workers this week.

I donated a little bit of fungus to the queen without it, she seems to be doing good, the fungus that I donated is about 3x the size from the start. 

I'll post some photos and 2 videos. The first video a bit longer just showing the workers and the second one so you guys can see the size difference between the queen and the workers. This caste I believe is called the nurses, the smaller ones. 

Also check the noise that the queen makes when threatened, and the noise of her powerful bite in the plastic cup. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by JPSMedeiros, January 9 2017 - 1:52 PM.

[NZAntKeeper]

Woah congrats! It's always exciting to see the first workers have eclosed.