12 replies to this topic

[dean_k]

I was looking at websites with a keyword "Ant colony for sale" to see who are selling what out there and came across a website that claims that a certain spp can be trained to take food from your hand ?!

 

Below is what was written.

 

Diacamma scalpratum

     Common name:
      The Giant Ponerine Ant.

     This is the largest ant we offer for sale. It is an aggressive hunter and will attack anything it finds.

     Colonies are only small but because of the size of the ants they will require a large habitat enclosure.

     This species can also be trained to take food from your hand!

 

Is that even possible?

[Gregory2455]

It is not training. Spp. that hunt alone such as Odontomachus will happily take food out of your hands,

[Crystals]

I use tweezers to hand feed fruit flies when bored. 

 

Most of my ants would take food out of my hands (and just as happily take a piece out of my hands - or try to). 

[DesertAntz]

I'm sure any hungry colony would take food from a hand. It's a food source and they'll take advantage of that. 

[dspdrew]

Yeah, other than a few species with extremely good eyesight, I wouldn't doubt any them would take food from your hands. I'm sure unless you breathe on them, they don't know what you are.

[dean_k]

How good is ant's eye sight anyway? I am sure it will vary depending on spp.

 

Myrmica for an example appear to be pretty much blind despite of having eyes.

[Gregory2455]

Larger species which have solitary hunting workers such as Myrmecia, Odontomachus, and Paraponera.

Edited by Gregory2455, November 19 2014 - 4:53 PM.

[dean_k]

None of which is native to my area.

 

Having ant keeping hobby is a torture sometimes.

[dspdrew]

How good is ant's eye sight anyway? I am sure it will vary depending on spp.
 
Myrmica for an example appear to be pretty much blind despite of having eyes.

Here's what Wikipedia says:

 

"Compared to vertebrates, most ants have poor-to-mediocre eyesight and a few subterranean species are completely blind. Some ants such as Australia's bulldog ant, however, have excellent vision and are capable of discriminating the distance and size of objects moving nearly a metre away."

 

We have some ants with decent eyesight, and some that are blind here where I live. Army ants are blind, and Pseudomyrmex have relatively good eyesight. I had a colony of Pseudomyrmex for a while.

[Gregory2455]

Pseudomyrmex are amazing... I go all the time up into the mountains looking for them... No luck... Any specific place they like?

[drtrmiller]

Pseudomyrmex are amazing... I go all the time up into the mountains looking for them... No luck... Any specific place they like?

 

Inside twigs?

[Gregory2455]

Inside twigs?

I know that part. I meant like certain plants, or other environmental factors.

[drtrmiller]

I know that part. I meant like certain plants, or other environmental factors.

 

I found mine on a River Birch tree in the yard.  They were rather high up and I had to use a ladder.  These were tiny Psuedomyrmex, however.  

 

I'm not sure if they prefer a common plant, or just opportunistically look for tiny dead twigs that have been bored by some beetle.