61 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Hi! 

 

I've decided that I'm going to make a journal for the ant colonies I currently have.

 

As of Sunday, December 11, 2016

 

 

Yellow Crazy Ants (Anoplolepis Gracilipes) (caught August 9, 2016) (1 colony)
---------------------

As of today, there are about 20 workers, 19 larvae, 3 pupae, and 3 queens in my colony. Only one queen gets full attention, and the other queens get fed less that the others.

 

Shiny Black Garden Ants (Ochetellus Glaber) (caught October 19, 2016) (1 colony)

-----------------------------

One of two queens I have (one unfertilized and one fertilized, probably the unfertilized) is behaviorally acting like a worker. She paces around the tube, sips the honey water, and then feeds it to the (probably) fertilized queen. There is one pupa (a callow soon!) and four larvae. There are too many eggs to count .

 

Asian Fire Ant (Solenopsis Geminata) (caught December 4, 2016) (five colonies)

----------------

At the moment, two queens have eggs. The rest (3 queens) seem to be unfertilized.

 

Pavement Ant (Tetramorium Bicarinatum) (one colony) (caught October 20, 2016)

-----------------

The Tetramorium queen only has one egg. It probably will hatch into a larva soon. This is her first egg that she has ever laid. I've never had a semi-claustral queen like her before.

 

Mexican Twig Ant (Pseudomyrmex Gracilis Mexicanus) (one queen) (caught February 1, 2016)

---------------------

I believe that this queen is infertile. I am currently keeping her in a test tube with an almost constant supply of sugar water.

 

Will add pictures soon!

 

 

[Loops117]

I am following this. Excited to see something from my homeland.

[Connectimyrmex]

UPDATE!!! (already?)
White Footed Ants! (Technomyrmex Difficilis)

You wouldn't believe my surprise when I found a small colony of White Footed Ants under a flowerpot when I walked my dog. I collected 3 queens, 7 workers, and one egg. ONE EGG. Its so hard to collect brood.

Also, thanks for following this Loops and thanks for liking this Miles!

 

Tetramorium Pictures:

https://scratch.mit....ects/133427189/

Edited by Hawaiiant, December 11 2016 - 1:18 PM.

[Loops117]

Hawaiiant, i recommend using an Aspirator to collect your ants. I've had nothing but great success with a homemade setup. They make collecting brood the easiest part.

[Alabama Anter]

Very cool

[Connectimyrmex]

Update as of December 13, 2016

 

Sadly, my Pseudomyrmex has died. I think that she was fertilized, but she seems to have died of old age. RIP my Pseudomyrmex.

*EDIT: She probably died of sickness. Or maybe she was infertile.... Probably just sickness.

 

I caught a new White Footed Ant queen. I thought it was a Tapinoma Sessile and I was so happy. I'm still happy that I caught another mated queen, though.

 

I got three new Brachymyrmex queens. They have a group of eggs and two larvae.

 

My Ochetellus colony will have callows soon! I can see pupae!
 

Anyone in Hawaii (oahu) have Solenopsis Geminata, Predatory ants (leptogenys, pseudomyrmex, minuscule springtail trap jaws, tetramorium), Tapinoma Sessile, or Argentine Ants available? Will trade for Yellow Crazy ants (small colony), White Footed ants (small colony), Brachymyrmex (Many wild-caught queens, maybe 10 or so. They are flying where I live), or maybe pheidole if I can find some. Thanks!

 

Please no off-island queens. Some ants in Hawaii are island-specific.

Edited by Hawaiiant, December 18 2016 - 11:38 AM.

[Connectimyrmex]

I just caught a new small colony of Plagiolepis Alluaudi. Unfortunately, still no respirator, so I only have the brood that the workers picked up. This queen is smaller than Solenopsis Molesta!

[Loops117]

I wanna see pictures! Sorry to hear about your dead queens.

[Mdrogun]

Update as of December 13, 2016

 

Sadly, my Pseudomyrmex has died. I think that she was fertilized, but she seems to have died of old age. RIP my Pseudomyrmex.

 

 

Pseudomyrmex queens can easily live to be 5 or 10 years old. I doubt she died of old age.

Edited by Mdrogun, December 15 2016 - 1:53 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

Probably true. Maybe disease?

 

 

Also I caught a new queen again. I think that it is Cardiocondyla Emeryi. Due to shortage of space, I placed her with my mellow Brachymyrmex queen and she is treating it like a worker. Is this normal? From what I know, there are no brood parasites in Hawaii.

 

Also, my first Ochetellus worker is about to eclose! The pupa is starting to look yellow-gray.

Edited by Hawaiiant, December 18 2016 - 11:37 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

Describe "treating her like a worker".

[Connectimyrmex]

Grooming? That's what my Plagiolepis queen does to her workers.

[Leo]

i went hiking found yellow crazy ants sprained my ankle trying to climb up a tree to get them, now I'm stuck at home for the holidays

[Connectimyrmex]

 That's what happened to me on vacation when I saw Camponotus Pennsylvanicus!

 

Wait for a rainy day and go back to that tree. They will all come off to find an emergency nest and you can nab a queen and a bunch of workers. That's what I did.

[Connectimyrmex]

Update Tuesday 20, December (FIVE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!)

 

First nanitic for Ochetellus Glaber!

[NZAntKeeper]

Update Tuesday 20, December (FIVE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!)
 
First nanitic for Ochetellus Glaber!

Great! Do you have any pics? I also have a Ochetellus Glaber colony consisting of one queen and one worker. They aren't doing very well. They have been in a test tube setup for a few weeks and only have eggs. Do you have any tips on raising them?

[Connectimyrmex]

 

Update Tuesday 20, December (FIVE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!)
 
First nanitic for Ochetellus Glaber!

Great! Do you have any pics? I also have a Ochetellus Glaber colony consisting of one queen and one worker. They aren't doing very well. They have been in a test tube setup for a few weeks and only have eggs. Do you have any tips on raising them?

 

No pics yet! I will add one when the worker settles in.

 

Also, try to keep the nest disturbed very little. That helps quite a bit. Once they get settled in to the nest, you can carry them around, look at them, etc. That's what goes on with my ants.

How old is your colony?

[NZAntKeeper]

I'm not too sure I've had them for about 1 month but I found this queen with a lot of other workers moving I think so I don't know how old she is.

[Connectimyrmex]

I'm not too sure I've had them for about 1 month but I found this queen with a lot of other workers moving I think so I don't know how old she is.

Give her time. My queens took almost 2 months to lay their first eggs.

 

UPDATE December 22, 2016

The polygyne Ochetellus Glaber ate first liquid and solid meal (honey water and cricket)

The monogyne Cardiocondyla has one egg

The monogyne Tetramorium ate her larvae and now has new egg

The polygyne Anoplolepis has enormous brood piles, larvae seen

The monogyne Plagiolepis has some eggs now, workers piling them on pulled cotton

The polygyne Solenopsis have yet to lay an egg

The polygyne Brachymyrmex have 2 eggs

The polygyne Technomyrmex has 7 eggs and one larva

[Connectimyrmex]

About several hundred Solenopsis Geminata queens were wandering on the tennis court yesterday at 6pm. I caught 9 of them. I saw no males, so I think that I was probably too late to witness the flight.

They have about 3 eggs now. They are all in the same tube. They seem happy, and they are dog piling like crazy .

 

I've also found a new animal. It's a native lacewing larva! I'm so happy because endemic insects are so hard to come by these days.

 

My TYA have moved into the tissue that holds the plant with aphids. They seem happier. I can't see any eggs, probably because they are so tiny.

 

 

Any colony name suggestions?