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CCJ's ants - Opisthopsis (strobe ant), Melophorus, Pheidole antipodum, Polyrhachis, Myrmecia

journal opisthopsis rufithorax strobe ant camponotus melophorus furnace ant pheidole iridomyrmex suffusus polyrhachis rufifemur meat ant antipodum rhytidoponera aphaenogaster nigrocincta aspera myrmecia bull ant fulvipes

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#1661 Offline CoolColJ - Posted April 12 2020 - 12:44 AM

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Overview of my Strobe ant colony

https://www.instagra.../p/B-33JtYgHV9/

 

Pheidole antipodum Colony 2 feeding time - I'll repost both on Youtube later

https://www.instagra.../p/B-37UDHgGu0/


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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1662 Offline CoolColJ - Posted April 22 2020 - 1:35 AM

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Funny story - I went to tease my local Camponotus nigriceps colony at a nearby bush trail, and spotted a winged ant 1 feet below.
Then saw more and some Polyrachis with a silver bum.
They look to be getting ready to fly. Was around 4 pm in Sydney, north side. Might be Polyrachis daemeli
Then a few spider ant workers (Leptomyrmex) walked by, and then saw a R.metallica drag a semi dead Poly alate away :)
 
https://www.instagra.../p/B_RysQnAGkp/

Edited by CoolColJ, April 22 2020 - 1:35 AM.

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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1663 Online ANTdrew - Posted April 22 2020 - 9:12 AM

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Awesome colonies! How do you keep the strobe ants’ formicarium so clean?
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#1664 Offline CoolColJ - Posted April 22 2020 - 6:18 PM

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Awesome colonies! How do you keep the strobe ants’ formicarium so clean?

I don't do anything fancy, just clean ants I guess :)


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1665 Offline CoolColJ - Posted April 24 2020 - 7:09 PM

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Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - heat cable
40+ workers, 2 majors, a few medial, lots of brood

 

Sold these girls....

 

They were definitely on my wishlist of ants, but they are big, and I have no room for them as they are starting to explode.

Plus they are just like any other Camponotus species....

click


 


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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1666 Offline VoidElecent - Posted April 25 2020 - 7:31 AM

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Those Ph. antipodum are awesome. Such a satisfying journal.


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#1667 Offline CoolColJ - Posted April 25 2020 - 8:09 AM

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Those Ph. antipodum are awesome. Such a satisfying journal.

Thanks :)

 

They are fun to watch!

Quirky and lots of personality.

 

 

---

 

Might be getting some desert species trap jaws next... one of the  genus around here I haven't experienced yet....

 

I like to play and tease a local Myrmecia nigrocinta colony near my house, they are quite docile and curious when not alarmed.

So I haven't felt the need to have a colony of these.


Edited by CoolColJ, April 25 2020 - 8:13 AM.

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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1668 Offline Vendayn - Posted April 25 2020 - 9:29 AM

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Wow! That Camponotus colony is huge! Must be tens of thousands of them! Never seen such a big colony of that species. Nice colony, hope they keep growing :)



#1669 Offline CoolColJ - Posted April 26 2020 - 2:44 AM

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Wow! That Camponotus colony is huge! Must be tens of thousands of them! Never seen such a big colony of that species. Nice colony, hope they keep growing :)

The Strobe ants? They are not Camponotus :)


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1670 Offline CoolColJ - Posted May 7 2020 - 10:47 PM

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Lots of Iridomyrmex queens at the BBall courts today.

 

I captured one on the way back to my car as I keep my capture tubes there.

And spotted another digging a claustral chamber when I was stretching near my car :)


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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1671 Offline jushi - Posted May 15 2020 - 6:14 AM

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This by far is one of the coolest ant journals I have ever seen. Strobe ants are absolutely my favorite ants out there. Lucky you can legally keep them :)


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KEEPER OF:
 
Tapinoma Sessile (founding) x3
Tapinoma Sessile x1
Camponotus Pennsyvanicus x2
Prenolepis Imparis (founding) x2
Myrmecina Americana (founding) x1
Myrmecina Americana x1

#1672 Offline CoolColJ - Posted May 18 2020 - 11:11 PM

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Lots of Iridomyrmex queens at the BBall courts today.

 

I captured one on the way back to my car as I keep my capture tubes there.

And spotted another digging a claustral chamber when I was stretching near my car :)

 

 

One has a nice clump of eggs, the other nothing

Both are exposed to light in a test tube on top of a heat cable.

It's almost winter so you an never tell if they will wait till spring to start laying

 

---

 

At the same BBall court today more activity.

A few Iridomyrmex alates, and lots of Notoncus alates/drones buzzing around
 

I captured one couple, Notoncus alate with drone attached to her, and cupped them in my hands till I got back to my car where i keep my capture tubes :)

 

So a few hours later they are still attached together, drone alive, both with wings....


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1673 Offline Antkid12 - Posted May 19 2020 - 3:13 AM

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Awesome!  (y)


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 


#1674 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 19 2020 - 6:15 AM

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I don't think that is a good sign. I caught some Lasius like that and they died.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#1675 Offline RushmoreAnts - Posted May 19 2020 - 8:17 AM

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Perhaps he's stuck.........  :lol:  :facepalm:  %)


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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds (including ants). And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version

 

Keeping:

Tetramorium immigrans

Formica cf. pallidefulva, cf. incerta, cf. argentea

Formica cf. aserva, cf. subintegra

Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Pheidole bicarinata

Myrmica sp.

Lasius neoniger, brevicornis


#1676 Offline CoolColJ - Posted May 19 2020 - 5:06 PM

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Yeah it appears so.... 1 day on and both are still stuck together!

No way of getting him off without damaging the alate I think

 

I was too lazy so I released the Iridomyrmex queen that has not laid any eggs and put them in her test tube... :)


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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1677 Offline CoolColJ - Posted May 28 2020 - 6:51 PM

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Welp the Notoncus couple passed away...


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1678 Offline CoolColJ - Posted June 9 2020 - 8:03 AM

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So my black and orange Melophorus queen died ages ago, but I kept the 1 major, 2 medial and 3 workers around in the same nest.
Only water and honey, but today I see a clump of eggs and some larvae! I haven't given them any protein so maybe I should... someone is laying the eggs :o



so 11 larvae, 1 cocoon, and probably a few eggs there.....coocon is quite big.... %)

So I gave them a roach head and they dragged it onto the larvae and pile all the larvae onto it. The larvae seem to feed themselves much like Myrmecia and Rhytidoponera

 

click

 

could the major be the one laying the eggs...? I mean she is almost the same size as the queen, and has ocelli

 

 

 

So the cocoons have eclsoed and I see a few winged drones in the nest

 

The ya re still pumping out the eggs and larvae though ;)

 

 

new batch of brood is up, lots of cocoons. All of different sizes.... so 1 looks like major sized, a few medium and a few small...possibly some minor workers here :o
The drones are still alive and well, about 5 of them

 

 

 

I need to take a photo of them now that it is winter and they are all clustered together motionless

 

population is at 13. There appears to be different sized drones :)


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1679 Offline CoolColJ - Posted June 9 2020 - 8:18 AM

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Winter 10th June 2020

Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 3

Heat cable
Queen 4 - 20mm test tube

So this infertile queen finally passed away sometime last week.
She had moved to the entrance cotton last week and remained motionless since.
I thought she was alive as she wasn't lying on her back in a death pose.
Turns out she slung onto the cotton, but dead...

RIP

She had access to honey and the occasional roach bit, so either they eventually die or she refused to eat.
Once all her donated workers died, it was only a mattetr of time, and so she died after a few months after the last worker passed away.
I guess she needs workers to feed her.
She had been laying and eating her eggs by the looks of it.

So I now just have the 2 colonies of these, both doing well.
And still quite active in winter, even though they come from the desert!

Queen 10, former member of dual queen - simple tub and tubes
400+? workers and some majors of all sizes - massive brood pile

These girls seem to have way more brood than the other colony in a "proper" nest"
They don't seem to mind the bare tube and tube setup, and being exposed to light all the time.

the main test tube has long dried out, but the queen and all the brood remains here.
They have created one hell of a test tube entrance of cotton, bits of styrofoam and other bits, with tunnels inside by the looks of it! :)
They have also tunneled and shaped the dried out cotton on the other end into a brood chamber of sorts

Queen remains in the main part of the test tube tube with lots of workers sitting on her Carebara style

I put in a second and third test tube of water, and 25% of the workers are in one, and a few in the third.
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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#1680 Offline CoolColJ - Posted June 22 2020 - 6:41 AM

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Winter 23rd June 2020

Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable

She had 3 or so eggs/small larvae a few weeks back, but she must have eaten them as of last week I couldn't find them :/
Sigh they take so long to grow as well!

On the bright side her test tube was getting dry, so it was an easy task to scoop her out and put her in a new one....
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Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: journal, opisthopsis rufithorax, strobe ant, camponotus, melophorus, furnace ant, pheidole, iridomyrmex, suffusus, polyrhachis, rufifemur, meat ant, antipodum, rhytidoponera, aphaenogaster, nigrocincta, aspera, myrmecia, bull ant, fulvipes

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