32 replies to this topic

[benjiwuf]

These girls mostly were released as they were not laying eggs, but one was. These pictures were taken today, she has 4 pupa! I can't wait! The dirt was captured with her (I was a little excited if you couldn't tell on antfarm), sorry for the mess in her chamber

Edited by benjiwuf, January 28 2015 - 2:05 AM.

[AntsAreUs]

Congrats! Is this their journal? To me it looks like Formica subsericea also I'm catching Aphaenogaster tennesseensis today, already caught 2.

[Gregory2455]

That looks like the species of queens I caught in Idaho. 

[Crystals]

Many of the black Formica queens look a lot alike.  Workers are usually required to get a solid ID.

[benjiwuf]

This would be my attempt at a journal of my first colony at least haha. I have to say she has been really wonderful other than being grumpy when I look at her. I did feed her a drop of honey when I first put her in her tube, and she loved it. Since then, she refuses any food.

[benjiwuf]

She now has 2 nanitics, she must have ate 2 while i was on vacation for a week. They really accept and gorge on everything i give them (honey water, and crickets after freezing them for a few minutes). However, they seem to not like foraging, when i put food in their area they go crazy eating, but if i don't practically drop it on them they don't go looming. I know it's bad to bother them like this, but is it normal for them to not explore? [/img]

Edited by benjiwuf, October 16 2014 - 5:00 AM.

[Mercutia]

My Formica subsericea are the same way. They are really easy to disturb too.

 

Whenever I take a look in on them even if I haven't fed them for a while they have really fat and bloated gasters. Guess they are just conserving energy waiting for hibernation.

[benjiwuf]

Mine don't mind light or movement outside, but do go crazy when i open a chamber (trying out the omni nest from antscanada, i like the cleanable nature of acrylic as i work in a sterile yogurt factory lol) for food. When they do find food though the three swarm the food and eat for hours. They definitely have swollen gasters though.

[benjiwuf]

one nanitic got squished in a move, and they are back in a test tube because I felt it was better for now (only 2 ants hardly need a formicarium right now). they are in hibernation for the winter.

Edited by benjiwuf, October 16 2014 - 5:00 AM.

[James C. Trager]

FYI, nanitic rhymes with parasitic, not with romantic.

 

Nice little colony of Formica subsericea you've got started there. As others have said, they'll be more active, and hungry, when days get longer again in March. Keep them cool, meanwhile. 

Edited by James C. Trager, October 16 2014 - 3:53 AM.

[benjiwuf]

Ah, thanks for the correction!

 

edit: also thank you for the species ID, I've been curious what species it was.

Edited by benjiwuf, November 22 2014 - 11:59 AM.

[benjiwuf]

i have visual confirmation of new brood today!! a nice healthy pile the nanitic has trouble moving when it tries. however they have taken up residence once again in the foraging area after a little over a week in their small formicarium. i may have to move them back into a test tube as well i will take some webcam photo's and video after i get some sleep.

[Crystals]

I would leave them in a test tube setup until they have at least 15-20+ workers.

The bigger the colony, the more active they get.  I find colonies with less than 10 workers rarely forage, and only when they are very hungry.  I often have to dump food very close to young colonies as well. 

[benjiwuf]

pictures of the brood! her second batch since her capture i say is quite respectable, almost a pile as big as her nanitic  sorry for the poor lighting, but it took me a few tries to get my pictures that good even haha. for reference (apparently), that's a dead fruit fly in the foreground

 

 

[dean_k]

It looks like she is staying in outworld though. That's a Grotube, yeah ?

[benjiwuf]

yea, they're a touch strange. just when i firgure they're settled in the nest portion of the grotube, they decide they'd rather camp out on the liquid feeder in the foraging area. i don't understand it. if they don't cooperate and settle in, i'll probably chill them and put them into something else.

[dean_k]

I wouldn't forcefully move them unless you need to. From the way it is looking, I think they may be liking moisture level by the feeder.

[drtrmiller]

Formica tends to be quite sensitive to light conditions.  They're really sensitive to everything environmental, from what I could tell when I kept them.  

 

I speculated it was the opaque lid on the foraging area, making it slightly darker, but with these ants, there is little way of knowing.  

 

The important thing is to keep them fed and ensure a potable water source is available until a suitable formicarium (in transit) for these fickle ants can be had.

[benjiwuf]

They moved!! I had to let their water feeder run out naturally and make a swimming pool in their new nest. Rich ant tastes however when I removed the feeder completely they threw a temper tantrum then gave me the middle antena. They would not move, but rather find a new place to sit. I'm still not overly happy with this colony's personality much though.

[dean_k]

Yeah, I am coming to a conclusion that the liquid feeder is preventing the move. They like being around it.