61 replies to this topic

[Gregory2455]

Update: 10/30/14

Noticing more deaths by the hour, I forcefully dumped the colony out into an outworld with a brand new test tube, which was covered by one of my test tube jackets. Thanks to an addition of light, they quickly found the nice, dark test tube and moved in. It seems these guys will do just fine. 

Edited by Gregory2455, October 30 2014 - 7:22 PM.

[DesertAntz]

Are tetramorium docile or aggressive?

[Gregory2455]

Aggressive hunters and towards other colonies of the same species, but even though they bite, they do not really hurt. Yeah, they are pretty aggressive I would say. Moving them was hell, there were workers running around everywhere, but miraculously there was only one fatality!

 

Here are some images (that don't belong to me) showing colonies having their annual pavement wars!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uozuSGDg-g/T7qIBMN-YKI/AAAAAAAAAag/BRkbH7enUoo/s1600/pavement+ant+war.jpg

[DesertAntz]

 

That's pretty cool actually. I'd love to watch that in person. 

[Gregory2455]

Yup, I got these pretty far north from where I live, and I will not be going up there again soon, so my only hope is this colony. Maybe if this colony gets big enough it will produce alates, and I can screw around with trying to breed them in captivity.

[AntsAreUs]

Ha, I found a ton of those this summer. Also that reminds me of what Mr. FancyAnts (Liber Ants) does.

[Gregory2455]

What reminds you of what Liber Ants does?

[AntsAreUs]

What reminds you of what Liber Ants does?

Forcefully dumping ants.

[Gregory2455]

Oh, yeah, normally I do not do that, but the situation they were in was not one to wait around for them to move for.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/3/2014

These guys have settled into their foraging container nicely.

[Gregory2455]

Weird, I always think of these guys as day time foragers, but this colony is always the most actively foraging at night...

[Tpro4]

Good luck Greg.

[Gregory2455]

Thanks. 

[AntsAreUs]

You don't need luck with Tetramorium sp. E! If anything you don't even have to do much at all! Just hope you have back ups just in case.

[Gregory2455]

I do not have backups. I will not be going back to the place I caught the queen for a few years, and they cannot be locally found.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 11/19/2014

The colony now has about 75 workers, with a pretty large generation of pupae that should be workers in about a week.

[Gregory2455]

Video Update: 

[AntsAreUs]

How are they doing?

[Gregory2455]

I noticed these guys broke chunks off of the Blue 100 I have been feeding them and took it back and put a couple larvae onto each chunk.

[Gregory2455]

Update: 12/10/2014

Well, they brought some debris of Blue 100 into the nest, and the larvae seemed to be eating it, but after the food was taken out, the larvae still were not blue...

 

Also, these guys have been leading tunneling expeditions towards their water, and they are getting closer and closer. I am kind of scared that there would be some kind of pressure difference back there and flood the whole thing, but it is an easy exit from the test tube, so I am not that concerned.