3 replies to this topic

[KBant]

Out of curiosity, do majors take longer to eclose?
Also, do majors start off as the same size egg? Are they larger as larvae? Or do they do all their development when they are in their cocoon? Or does it happen after they eclose?

If someone could explain this I would appreciate it! I can't wait to see majors in my c. Modoc

[FeedTheAnts]

I'm pretty sure they do in fact take longer to develop from an egg to a full grown ant. Yes, they are larger as larvae as well as pupae. I could be wrong but I think that majors get formed into majors as a larvae, if this were the case then yes, they would be the same size as normal workers when they are just eggs.

Edited by TennesseeAnts, August 18 2017 - 8:24 AM.

[cpman]

When, exactly, an egg develops into a major depends on the species. It has to do with various hormones in addition to the nutrition of the larva.

They usually start off as the same size, but it has been noted that more majors tend to develop from bigger eggs, but this isn't all that significant.

They do take a little longer to raise, but this also varies by species.

[anttics]

I read that majors are produced by over feeding larva. once a colony grows in size. they need to bring more food. or take down larger insects. to be more efficient they grow major workers.