39 replies to this topic

[silver tail]

Hallo...I am from Indonesia... would love to learn how to take care my ants...

[Mathiacus]

Hello there! Welcome. There are many threads to read with so much information. You will be a pro in no time at all! Any questions you have will be answered by many of the friendly people here.

[dspdrew]

Welcome.

[antsinmypants]

Greetings from California. Please send us some pictures of your ant collection from your part of the world.

[Bigb]

Welcome!

[silver tail]

Hi guys...Thanks for the warm welcome...
I would post the picture soon.
Actually I only have a queen who flew to my face when i was sleeping.

She then have 3 workers and she killed and eat one of them.
Now She has 6 pupa in cocoons, 8 large larvae and some20 eggs...

[Mathiacus]

It sounds like she found you to take care of her! If only we could all be that lucky.

[silver tail]

Here is the picture a few days ago.

now it look very different already. 

 

i would like to ask,..

why some turn in to pupa and some turn in to a ant like shape, but white in color?

what is the different?

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[silver tail]

The brood really look different already. there are many cocoons now and they are starting to turn "yellowish"

I am not too sure what ants they are. but they have the yellowish abdoment, they always move their brood the the dampest chamber like drinking chamber. and they are carnivorous, rather good appetite. one queen and 2 worker can consume 2 meal worm a day. i am not too sure if i feed them too much,

 

the closest i can ID them by the appearance is Polyrhachis illaudata. but i can't find much info on this species too. 

i would really appriciate if there are friend here could share some knowledge to me on this species or on ants in general

i am really new on this.

[dspdrew]

Most of us are pretty good with the ants in our areas only. Maybe someone might have some info for you though. Certainly general info most all of us can help you with.

 

When ants pupate they do look like ants, just all white, and with their legs pulled in tightly against their bodies. Some are naked, and some spin cocoons around themselves.

[silver tail]

thanks Dspdrew, but in the same colony, is it possible that some spin cocoon and some doesnt?

[dspdrew]

Yup. Sometimes the workers will pull them out of the cocoons too.

[silver tail]

i really can't wait for those puppa to hatch in to adult ants!
i think i have waited for 5 weeks since eggs till puppa now

 

another question, after i move the queen and 3 worker from testube to small formicarium, the queen kill and eat one of the worker and the eggs.

is it normally happen during transfer process?

[dspdrew]

Sometimes they eat their brood when they get stressed, or if there is something wrong with the brood. Workers I'm not sure, but I think I might have had one eat its workers before too before if I remember right.

[silver tail]

thank you for your reply

 

a few more question..

What can i use to form a formicarium. i was thinking to use material like plaster, or white cement, but i am worry that the smell could be harmful to the ants.

[dspdrew]

I would carve it from AAC like Ytong, fire brick, or pour it with hydrostone. Those are the best materials to use in my opinion.

[silver tail]

Thanks Andrew

[silver tail]

Here's the latest picture

[silver tail]

Latest picture

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[silver tail]

hi guys, 

my ants counts is 6 now.

they are hunting and eating meal worm really greedily last night.

but this morning i saw them dying and i don t know why.