7 replies to this topic

[Mettcollsuss]

So a month or two back I caught a C. nearcticus queen. For the first week or so she didn't lay any eggs. in fact, I noticed the first sign of offspring as a small larvae that appeared about a month after capture. I just checked on her and has a small pile of 3-4 eggs and larvae and 1 pupa, which she keeps separate from the rest. Now this isn't the weird part. Everyone knows that Camponotus pupae spin cocoons. Except this pupae is naked. It has no cocoon. I may be wrong about specific species, but it's definitely some species of Camponotus. She has the signature thorax shape of a carpenter ant queen. If someone could try to explain this, I would be grateful. Thank you.

[Nathant2131]

One of my Camponotus cf. nearcticus queens once had a naked pupa; Actually it was her first ever pupa she had (she had no workers yet). It eclosed as a healthy ant. My theory is that she made her first pupa naked so she didn't have to eclose it and other pupae herself, as her two front tibiae were missing (so only part of her front legs were there), and the first worker will be able to eclose itself without help and the other pupae from there. If my theory stands correct, man ants are smart.

 

All of her other pupae so far have had/have cocoons.

Edited by Nathant2131, August 18 2017 - 6:23 PM.

[klawfran3]

I've got a few formica colonies and some of the pupae produce silk cocoons while others seem to be naked. It just seems to be a thing that happens with pupae forming ants.

[Mettcollsuss]

One of my Camponotus cf. nearcticus queens once had a naked pupa; Actually it was her first ever pupa she had (she had no workers yet). It eclosed as a healthy ant. My theory is that she made her first pupa naked so she didn't have to eclose it and other pupae herself, as her two front tibiae were missing (so only part of her front legs were there), and the first worker will be able to eclose the other pupae from there. If my theory stands correct, man ants are smart.

All of her other pupae so far have had/have cocoons.

[Mettcollsuss]

Nathant2131:
My queen actually is missing a front leg.

[Nathant2131]

Nathant2131:
My queen actually is missing a front leg.

Wow, we just made a cool little discovery then!

[Mettcollsuss]

The other day I actually managed to catch her laying an egg. Her brood pile is still small though. 1 egg, 1 small larva,1 large larva, and the mystery pupa. I am currently on vacation, but hopefully the pile will have grown by the time I get home.

[MegaMyrmex]

If there are any loose cotton strands if you're using a test tune setup, it can sttangle the larvae. The queen usually untangles them but the larvae usually give up forming a cocoon and pupate roght away. I fpund many wild formica colonies witb naked pupae as well