7 replies to this topic

[Mettcollsuss]

So I managed to stumble across a Ponera pennsylvanica nuptial flight today. I only had one container, but I caught a queen. I'm a beginner at this hobby, so I'm not ready to keep them. I'm going to sell them, but in the meantime I'm going to have to care for them. I know nothing about this species except that the queens are semi-claustral, the colonies are small, and they are subterranean. How do I care for them? What do I feed the queen? how long does it take the workers to develop? How much would be a reasonable price to sell them at? PLEASE HELP!!

[gcsnelling]

Very difficult to keep, I would just release it.

[Ameise]

The longest I've kept a queen alive is about a week. That's my current record, and that's actually my current Ponera queen. I've had a number of them die before.

 

The tricks seem to be:

1. Darkness and seclusion. They are cryptic ants, and aren't adjusted to light.

2. High humidity and moisture.

3. Access to food (very small soft-bodied invertebrates).

 

I have mine in a very small acrylic tube that has hydrocal 'painted' on the sides, with a hydrocal plug in front of the water basin. I give her springtails as food, not sure if she's eating them.

[Mettcollsuss]

The longest I've kept a queen alive is about a week. That's my current record, and that's actually my current Ponera queen. I've had a number of them die before.

 

The tricks seem to be:

1. Darkness and seclusion. They are cryptic ants, and aren't adjusted to light.

2. High humidity and moisture.

3. Access to food (very small soft-bodied invertebrates).

 

I have mine in a very small acrylic tube that has hydrocal 'painted' on the sides, with a hydrocal plug in front of the water basin. I give her springtails as food, not sure if she's eating them.

 

Thanks!

[Mettcollsuss]

I gave her some protein jelly and she seems to be eating it.

Edited by Mettcollsuss, September 17 2017 - 2:13 AM.

[Connectimyrmex]

I'd go to an arts and crafts store (like Michael's) and buy a tiny favor vial. Dampen a tiny pieces of cotton and stuff it in the back of the vial. Then, fill the tube with dirt or coconut fiber. Use a toothpick to make a queen-sized hole into the substrate. Then introduce your queen. If the vial is small enough, the queen will not need the substrate to fill the entire tube.

[MegaMyrmex]

Connectimyrmex couldn't have said it any better. Give her fruit flies, since that's the main food that all my colonies seem to like.

[Connectimyrmex]

Thank you Megamyrmex

The foods I would recommend include:
soft bodied ant males (prekilled)

springtails (prekilled)
termite hatchlings (alive)
fruit flies (alive)

Don't feed your ponera queen too many sugary substances, I know from experience they tend to dislike them.