118 replies to this topic

[anttics]

It looks like camp levigatus. Which are bigger than modoc, but not as goodlooking. Modocs are nice lookong ants

[KBant]

What is that other colony on the left side of the picture?

 it is camponotus laevigatus. I started a journal for them too.

 

http://www.formicult...gatus-journal/ 

[KBant]

another Median?? its over half the size of the queen. I'm calling it another median worker but its bigger than the last one. either way i am happy! i count about 55 workers. 

 

 

[rbarreto]

I thought the curved back of the head indicated a soldier caste?

[YsTheAnt]

I thought the curved back of the head indicated a soldier caste?

The previous large worker was a media, this one looks like a small major or possibly a media. It varies from ant to ant, some display large heads, but media size, vice versa.

[KBant]

still not sure what the new one is. its a bit bigger than the median from before. 

 

Do I have my first major???

 

here is some side by side action

 

 

[YsTheAnt]

Still looks like a larger median. Close though!

[LC3]

The largest majors are around 13mm and have a head size same or larger then the queen.

[KBant]

I ordered two THA fortress formicaria. One for my modocs.

 

They're at about 60 workers, so I decided to move them.

 

 

The tube I had connected to my outworld fit perfectly into the hole made in the THA outworld. so i connected it and turned on the light. light doesn't bother these ladies much.

 

 

One ant went in, explored and went back. then another came and went back. this was going to take forever! so with much haste i take one of the tubes, the one without the queen, and chill it in the fridge for 5 minutes and then shake them in. I blocked entry back into the old nest so they were forced to explore. 

 

 

I unplugged the cotton, and some moved into the old nest and others remained in the new THA Fortress. Next i decided to chill the test tube with the queen and the other test tube and repeat the process. 

 

In goes the queen.

 

 

 

 

 

I soon follow with the second test tube. 

 

I wasn't able to get out all the eggs when i dumped them so i returned the test tubes to the old nest while still keeping the nest blocked off. After all the ants moved into the new nest, i reopened access so that workers could retrieve the eggs that didn't get moved with the colony. Once all the eggs were taken i closed off access and scooped up any workers and dropped them into the new nest. I will give the old nest my laevigatus. 

 

sorry for the reflective aluminum foil. anyways here they are occupying the bottom third of the THA Fortress nest.

 

Edited by KBant, June 4 2018 - 12:38 AM.

[KBant]

I really liked the fortress formicaria I got from THA so i ordered 2 more.

 

Anyways, Southern california has a little heatwave going on, and my AC is under repair so i had to turn off my heating cable. It was too hot in the nest so the workers took the brood out. As soon as I turned the cable off, and the nest started to cool, they returned the brood inside. 

 

Decided to feed them while there were a lot of workers in the outworld. yum...

 

 

 

More eggs, more brood, more workers.

 

[KBant]

when my room is too hot, and when the heating cable is on, the modocs want to thermoregulate and they take the brood outside. this is when I get to see the workers under better lighting.

 

its hard to count but easily over 100 workers and a ton of new eggs.

 

 

 

 

nest look emptier when so many are outside

 

 

eggs

 

[OldManTrashcan]

This is lovely can't wait to reach around the 100 mark 

[KBant]

this colony is doing incredibly well. 

 

here are some close ups. i wanted to show the color these ants have. #nofilter

 

 

 

[KBant]

once again these gals took all the brood out.

 

 

[KBant]

inside the fortress.

 

look at all the eggs!

 

 

the queens corner

 

 

i definitely have majors! and more to eclose soon!

 

Edited by KBant, July 6 2018 - 9:20 AM.

[CatsnAnts]

Very cool journal! I love all of the gorgeous pictures and how cool your ants are. Keep up the great work!!!

[KBant]

lots of eggs!

 

and workers eclosing everyday.

 

 

[YsTheAnt]

They're going to need a bigger formicarium soon...

Edited by YsTheAnt, July 14 2018 - 7:29 AM.

[KBant]

how do you guys even get an accurate count on ants when the colony is large? so hard to do haha.

 

kinda annoying that they are piling up trash in the bottom right chamber.

 

here is the nest. they are quietly growing. lots of majors. might get a dubia roach colony started to feed these girls and my other colonies. 

 

[Scrixx]

Is there a humidity hole in the bottom right? I wonder if there is airflow there and they determined its a good place to put waste.