5 replies to this topic

[AntsBrazil]

Update 12-18-17

 

Hello, after a long time away from the forum, I'm starting this new journal for my new Acromyrmex coronatus queens, and another Acromyrmex sp. queen. As usual my updates will be mostly videos. 

This first video cover their progress until day 20. 

 

Setups:

 

Colony Code - Sp. - Type of setup 

[A-1] - Acromyrmex sp. queen - Big Acrylic box with plaster. (No fungus) 

[A-2] - 2 Acromyrmex coronatus queens - Medium Acrylic box with plaster

[A-3] - Acromyrmex sp. queen - Small Acrylic box with plaster

[A-4] - Acromyrmex coronatus queen - Small Acrylic box with plaster

[A-5] - Acromyrmex Acromyrmex coronatus queen - Small Acrylic box with plaster

 

I'll be referring to the colonies(now, only queens) by their code.

 

A-1: This setup initially had 4 Acromyrmex sp. queens, but after some weeks the queens got into a fight, 2 died in the fight, one died some days later. The queen that survived lost the fungus. I don't know if I'm going to donate to her a fungus, since she already lost one.

 

A-2: This setups is the one doing the best by far. The 2 queens thing seems to work very well with Acromyrmex. Larvae spotted. 

 

A-3: The queen(Acromyrmex sp.) that initially was in this setup tried to dig the plaster, the setup is a mess, with plaster little balls all around, it's hard to clean without freaking out the queen. Also that initial queen managed to escape ( I forgot the setup open ), I found her dead in a spider web. I decided to place in that setup (I forgot to clean before) a queen that had no fungus, and was in a test tube setup. She accepted the fungus from the other queen and is now doing OK, the fungus has a nice size. 

 

A-4: This is the second best setup. This queen is doing a good job, I think I already see some larvae in this one. 

 

A-5: This queen is not doing very well. She does have fungus but is not taking care of it very well, it still small and divided in 2. The first piece of fungus is on the plaster, and the second on the Acrylic wall.

 

I'm not sure if I will have time to post very detailed updates, but feel free to ask questions. 

 

 

Video:

 

Edited by JPSMedeiros, December 30 2017 - 3:24 PM.

[MegaMyrmex]

MY DREAM ANT!!!! Glad to see you're back! Definitelt following this, can't wait to see this!

[Reevak]

Actually beautiful ants and amazing footage. I can't wait for the next update on them.

[AntsBrazil]

Update 12-30-17

 

This update cover the ants progress to the day 24 (right now 12-30-17 we are at day 33 of the colony, but I only have video updates until day 24, I'll try to record a new one soon).

 

This will be a quicker update.

 

I noticed that only the setups A-2 and A-4 have brood, I think the other queens aren't fertilized. The queens that supposedly aren't fertilized seem to don't have the same progress in the fungus size, as the ones that are fertilized. Maybe the queens that are fertilized feel the need to make the fungus bigger, to supply all the workers and brood that are coming, but the other ones only make the fungus big enough for them to eat.

 

We can already see larvae, I'm expecting pupae in the next weeks, and maybe workers in January.  

 

Video:

 

Edited by JPSMedeiros, December 30 2017 - 3:22 PM.

[MegaMyrmex]

Yes can't wait for the nanitics!

[AntsBrazil]

Me too hahaha but I think It will take a month or more for that to happen. Some of the small setups I'll have to transfer them as son as possible, they are in very small containers, it will be impossible to water the plaster and give them plants.