84 replies to this topic

[dean_k]

I caught this queen back in September. I caught 2 but one died in fridge and I took this one out about 2 weeks ago.

 

She had been in my beer fridge for 2 months in a test tube and was recently moved to Grotube but was again relocated to Tar Heel Ants' growth chamber about 2 days ago.

 

And today, I saw she finally laid eggs !

 

So, this journal begins.

 

 

The first thing she did when she was placed in a growth chamber was blocking off the entrance within minutes.

Edited by dean_k, January 30 2015 - 10:14 AM.

[drtrmiller]

I've got some Lasius colonies in GroTubes. What specific concern did you have for moving her to another setup?

[dean_k]

Bad mojo because the other queen died in the Grotube while hibernating the fridge. Nothing wrong with the Grotube in particular.

[drtrmiller]

Indeed, I do not recommend the GroTube for hibernating a lone queen, on account of the fact that it would be too dry. The GroTube really shines after you have your first nanitics, which can customize the inside with bits of substrate which work with the way the hydration system is designed.

 

Personally, I think you would have gotten much more enjoyment from leaving the remaining queen in a test tube, and then moving her to a GroTube in a few weeks when she had her first nanitics.  Maybe another time :~)

Edited by drtrmiller, December 17 2014 - 8:29 AM.

[dean_k]

It will be easy since the queen's chamber can be dismantled (opened).

[drtrmiller]

Oh yeah.  I must be thinking about their other petri dish setups with the chambers molded on the side walls.  Growth Chamber should not be too difficult, in that case.

[James C. Trager]

The first thing she did when she was placed in a growth chamber was blocking off the entrance within minutes.

 

 

A healthy sign, as are the eggs, of course. 

[Crystals]

The first year with Lasius is extradinarly slow.  The first year my queens only got between 4-15 nanitics.  It wasn't until the 3rd year that they really took off.  I also hear from some bought them that the 4th year also did very well.

 

I found the queen rarely accepted food, and when they did it was sweets like sugar water or hummingbird nectar.  The nanitics were very small, and even had some difficulty with flight fruit flies.  I ended up using fine tweezers to poke a hole in the flies gaster before feeding.

 

Once the colony topped 80 workers, things got better.  Once they topped 400 workers, feedings were pretty easy.

[dean_k]

I haven't even tried to feed her anything and I don't plan to until nanitics are born. I will feed the nanitics. I suppose the nanitcs will open the entrance when they need to.

 

That's okay, right ?

[Crystals]

Yes, they will open the entrance when they are ready. 

When you see them starting to open it, put a tiny drop of sugar water or hummingbird nectar on a piece of tin foil and put it right by the entrance so they can find it easily.

[AntsAreUs]

Lasius neoniger?

[dean_k]

Can't be 100% confirmed until workers alive.

 

I took a longer video this time. You can see how the queen blocked off the entrance at 1:21.

 

[dean_k]

So, it's been about a week now. I read that Lasius eggs take about 2 weeks to become lavare.

 

Meanwhile, it looks she laid more eggs (Not sure on this) and some eggs themselves have become larger. I compared the egg size from my last video. It's about 50% larger.

I was unable to spot the eggs back on Dec 17. I saw a tiny white dot and needed a microscope to confirm that it was a file of eggs. Now, the egg file is clearly visible with bare eyes.

 

A close up on eggs on 1:50

 

Edited by dean_k, December 23 2014 - 3:28 AM.

[dean_k]

I was observing her with a microscope until I saw what I think was a larva. I started to take a video and confirmed 3 larvae. The larvae are really really really tiny. They are probably 1mm right now.

 

Because I've placed the growth chamber outside, the queen is now used to light and shadow and don't seem to mind slight bumps either.

 

 

The above video was when I was casually observing the queen until I saw she moving something that wasn't shape of an egg at which point I rushed to take a view from above and decided to take a new video.

 

 

I first saw 2 larvae on ground at 0:35. I thought it was an egg first and had to focus really hard to see larva segments. And I saw 3rd one later that was attached to the egg file. The queen seems to constantly move the eggs.

You can also see the queen feeding a larva at 3:15ish.

[dean_k]

Jan 3, 2015 :

 

I see 5ish larvae now. There could be more buried in the egg file. The queen seems to be really caring. She has now taken the brood & egg down to the ground and feeding each larvae periodically. Lasius larvae seem to be more active than Myrmica larvae. Myrmica larvae hardly ever moves. Lasius larvae is showing some activities although it's only limited to wiggling.

 

[dean_k]

Jan 6, 2015:

 

Rest of eggs are starting to turn in larvae. Few larvae have gotten pretty big also compared to the last video I took on Jan 3. I am able to see few big larvae with bare eyes.

There are a lot of brood for a lone mom. I hope a nanitic is born soon and opens the nest door so that I can feed them.

 

Edited by dean_k, January 6 2015 - 6:05 PM.

[InsideAntz]

She is starting her Empire! Strong and healthy lookin mamma Dean, nice care!

[dean_k]

Jan 9, 2015

 

I believe I see a cocoon. I was skeptical at first but you can see a cocoon-shape thingy from the video in top middle half. It was too big to be substrate and it eventually twitched.

 

Most of eggs have turned into larvae and a tiny file of eggs is left.

 

[dean_k]

Jan 10, 2015

 

I am amused by the speed of larvae growth. I am seeing 4! cocoon.

 

I spotted a larva on Jan 2nd and 4 cocoons already on 10th, so it has taken only 8 or 9 days for larva to cocoon growth. If this colony grows at this speed, this colony might be the one to occupy my Tar heel ants pinnacle.

 

Edited by dean_k, January 10 2015 - 8:36 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Don't count on sustained growth. The queen is using a potent reserve of highly nutritive regurgitations she stored as fat when in her home nest, the effectiveness of which cannot be duplicated with any known captive diet. Future generations will develop more slowly.