1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole Colony A - Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen
heatcable
40 workers, 1 major, second major larvae
 
Finally their first major is eclosing as I type.
There are 8 workers cleaning her!

That is for sure the highest number of workers I've seen eclosing a major, and she is largest one so far
I hope this one will be a red bulky headed one like I see in my backyard

Edited by CoolColJ, October 12 2018 - 7:06 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - heat cable - red film
2 eggs

She laid another egg within the last hour, drats didn't get to witness it!

 

She has also pulled a bit of the aquarium filter wool and flattened them down like a semi carpet.

I went with this wool over cotton, as I know Camponotus don't tend to place their brood directly on the dam like Pheidole do.

But I hope it doesn't strangle the brood when used as substrate...

[CoolColJ]

Me being the busy body this morning at a nearby park came across a 100 or more strong Rhytidoponera aspera nest wedged between a sideway sitting timber and paver stones at the carpark there, which sits on the edge of bushland.

 

There were at least 200 larvae all sitting there neatly lined up on the stone. They must have been around before winter and haven't cocooned due to the cold weather as I doubt they were laid since spring started

 

Some were quite large. I took about 20% of them. Going to brood boost my R.aspera queen, who may have come from here, as there were no alates, just one drone. I found my queen just 20m away.

And brood boost my R.aspera gamergate test colony

[CoolColJ]

Spring 13th October 2018

 

 

Rhytidoponera cf aspera queen 8-9mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - in small outworld
12 eggs, 28 brood boosted larvae

 

She has about 12 eggs now, but even more larvae now!

Gave 28 larvae to my R.aspera queen, the larger ones, and one looks like cocooning.

 

R.aspera queen immediately set about piling them on top her 12 eggs against the water dam
 All the larvae appear well fed already, dark area inside of them so that should ease work load, but they feed thmselves anyway.

I did see some wriggle and writhe, perhaps they are hungry.

 

Put in half a piece of small wood roach.

 

I had to remove the cotton double chamber to move the brood in, and the wood roach piece.

I will leave it off for now as it makes the humidity too high and thus things mold to easily.

Plus easier for the queen to move and feed without it, as I have not seen her outside since I setup her nest.

Although I may add some polystyrene paper foam sheet as a floor to make it easier for her to walk and drag things

 

 

Rhytidoponera aspera Gamergate colony
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate.
7 workers - 2 maybe more as Gamergate queens, 1 drone

no eggs

 

Gave the rest of the larvae of about the same amount to my Gamergate colony.

The workers were confused, but came out to move them all in - and then sent in a small wood roach

 

 

Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube, cotton double chamber setup - heatcable - red film
16 eggs

 

She got her mandibles caught of the water dam cotton again, last night.

teased her with a kebab skewer to get her free...well she did eat a few eggs from the stress, but still has 16...

 

 

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - heat cable - red film
3 eggs

 

Watching her lay another egg just now, it sure takes a while to come out, at least a couple of minutes - very cool and interesting

She always keeps one egg in her mandibles, almost like a child with a teddy bear, must be her comfort thing...

 

1 egg appears to have hatched already, that's quick for these big girls!

Edited by CoolColJ, October 12 2018 - 6:04 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Nice! All my Pheidole died this year. Just put my others into hibernation.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - heat cable

80+  brood/eggs

 

Yikes I see a rather large puddle of green poop fluid.

Her discharge is way larger than other ants and is all liquid. I think my Meat ant queen also has liquid poop

 

Only 7 eggs lay around scattered, so she has been gathering them all up and placing them on the cotton.

 

She has been exposed to light for a while now with no ill effects, I removed the red film.

Edited by CoolColJ, October 12 2018 - 6:17 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole Colony G - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm queens
16mm test tube - cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
3 nanitics - 3 pupa, small pile of larvae and eggs

I saw one queen feeding the other last night, that's how friendly they are to each other. This bodes well to keeping this colony of this species dual queen.
Only if the workers decided to kill 1 or more queens...will this stop...

 

 

Pheidole Colony C - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 7-8mm queens
heatcable
30 workers - 1 major, 1 major larvae pupating
Tons of brood.
 

I have a buyer lined up for next week, so this may be the last time you ever see me mention them again

 

I gave them a small piece of roast lamb and much to my suprise some workers did eat from it.

And tried a small cotton ball soaked in a few drops of fortified sugar water, and some workers do suck on it.

 

Certainly easier to put in then a dish of raw honey, but doesn't last as long before going off or drying.

But the ants also don't pull cotton and cover it up... maybe a cotton ball of raw honey placed in a dish could work well

Edited by CoolColJ, October 12 2018 - 6:29 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 14th October 2018

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube - heat cable
a few eggs
 
RIP - flash fell off my camera, and smashed her test tube!
Phew she is unhurt, but I had to move her to a new test tube, and then I pondered how to move all her brood...
after moving her to a container, and removing the water dam, all the eggs/brood looked green and I think molded...
so I have to write off all those 80 eggs, but I did save some that she did not place on the water dam.

I think she could not reach them so they molded... guess I will feed her some honey and cricket and hope she lays a new batch....

Edited by CoolColJ, October 13 2018 - 9:33 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Spring 14th October 2018

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
heat cable - Atom C nest inside circular outworld
11 workers, 9 cocoons, some large larvae and a stack of small larvae and eggs

"All right ladies form an orderly line for roll call"
LOL I think what is actually happening is the workers are holding the cocoons against the wall
since I fed the end of the heat cable into their outworld and pressed it against the outside nest wall

click to enlarge



Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 minor worker, 13 brood

Brood is developing so slow! I can barely see any changes since 1+ months ago
They are not taking any of the food either


Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest
2 medium sized larvae. 1 worker
 
Getting there, but I wish the queen would lay more eggs...

 
Pheidole Colony A - Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen
heatcable

40 workers, first major pupa

Their first major eclosed a day ago. I think this one is the largest major so far out of all my Pheidole colonies. Her head may darken to a dark red colour like the queen.
Second one is already pupating. Lots of workers eclosing soon.





Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
 heatcable
30+ workers. 2 majors, second one is larger, super major?

A bit of lull


Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube connected to outworld via grommet
5 eggs, 1 nanitic, 1 small Camponotus larvae
 
Dang the queen laid 2 more eggs
And the Camponotus larvae has grown a bit, and looks to be fed



 
Pheidole Colony D - Pheidole sp. red, dark gaster 7mm queen
cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
11 nanitics - lots of brood

3 more nanitics eclosed since last week, and 10+ more in the works 
But I have SOLD this one today to a beginner father and son combo who messaged me on FaceBook

final pics

 

Pheidole Colony E - Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm

Queen 1 - heat cable - 7 nanitics, clump of brood
16mm test tube, double chamber setup, exposed to light
12 nanitics, decent amount if brood, lots of pupa


Pheidole Colony F - Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen - originally a partner of Pheidole Colony A
heatcable
8 Nanitics, small clump of brood

I had released them and then had a change of heart and took the test tube back...


Pheidole Colony G - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm queens
16mm test tube - cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
3 nanitics - 3 pupa, small pile of larvae and eggs

Two friendly queens that like to feed each other.
They also move their gaster up and down, like a pump, while doing so  
This is the colony I will keep.

 
Rhytidoponera aspera Gamergate colony
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate.
7 workers - 2 maybe more as Gamergate queens, 1 drone, 30+ larvae.
 
Brood boost larvae, around 30 odd

[CoolColJ]

Spring 14th October 2018 - Queen update

Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm - black thorax colour scheme
in Minihearth - heat cable
No eggs
 
ehh when will she lay?!


Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance
in red test tube rack
clump of brood, 3-4 pupa.
 
Might get her first nanitic this week

 
Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
a few eggs
 
After todays accident she is quite stressed, but has settled now.
I put her into my ghetto incubator, which is dark and very warm.
Hope she relays around 10 eggs... a far cry from the 80 she once had
There is a honey smeared cotton bud head and a piece of cricket in the test tube, just in case she needs it.
But she hasn't touched it so far.

 
Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube, cotton double chamber setup - heatcable - red film
8 brood
 
Sigh, back down to 8 brood after her 4th mandible cotton tangle incident, which caused her much stress and her eating some of her eggs!
I think in should just move her into my spare Atom C, which has no cotton to get tangled on..
Her teethed mandibles maybe good for cutting flesh, but it sure is a pain!
That's 8+ small larvae down the tubes


Rhytidoponera cf aspera queen 8-9mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, and cotton double chamber setup - in small outworld
12 eggs, 28 brood boost larvae

Proud mama of 12 eggs and 28 larvae

click to enlarge



 
dual black Iridomyrmex queens 8mm
20mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
100 brood

Less one queen after they dismembered her!
Small larvae now. 
 
Papyrius sp. 8mm queen
16mm test tube - aquarium filter wool - red film
 
still nothing, but she is eating in any case.
All the Iridomyrmex eggs that were left behind have gone moldy....

 
Rhytidoponera, green/gold 8mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
10 eggs

Removed from incubator, placed into small outworld containers I got from Crystal
 
Rhytidoponera sp2, green 7-8mm queen - gold gaster iridesence
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
12 eggs

Might have more eggs now as I see her laying as I type

Sending this one to DaveJay this week


Rhytidoponera sp2, green 7-8mm queen2 - purple/blue gaster iridesence
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in outworld
10 eggs

removed from incubator, placed into small outworld containers I got from Crystal
Might have more eggs now as I see her laying as I type

 
Nylanderia sp. 6mm - 5 queens
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
50+ eggs
 
Damn the egg count has soared since last week.

5 Nylanderia queens going great after a week or so in my ghetto incubator
One still has wings, but the other has ripped her wings off
I reckon over 50 eggs right now
No aggression between them at all, instant acceptance when introduced, true polygynous ants it seems





Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - heat cable - red film
3 eggs

 

She is still quite skittish and reacts to any minor disturbance

 

 

2x Myrmecia nigrocincta 20mm queens

 

One in a tub and tubes setup that will go to DaveJay this week, this is the larger one of the two, bigger head, and gaster, plus slightly longer

 

I have one in a 20mm test tube that will go to someone else for a big Camponotus queen.

Which might be a suffusus like my current one, or a Intrepidus colour morph

 

Edited by CoolColJ, October 14 2018 - 4:55 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Woo I have to pack a lot of ants to send off tomorrow morning today!

But it'll feel nice to reduce the catalog of ants here

 

Spring 15th October 2018

 

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - heat cable - red film
4 eggs

 

She laid another egg last night.

And she has also placed them under the wool fibers she pulled out, to act as substrate I figure.

Hope the brood don't strangle on it though....

 

 

Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube, cotton double chamber setup - heatcable - red film
12 brood

 

Laid 4 eggs. As quickly as she eats her eggs she lays em...

Edited by CoolColJ, October 15 2018 - 12:34 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
10+ eggs

 

I checked up on her, and to remove the honey cotton bud head and cricket bits.

She has settled down, and laid a few eggs, at least 10 

I see she  has pulled and twisted a bit of the water dam cotton into a protruding "rope"

Edited by CoolColJ, October 15 2018 - 12:33 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance - heatcable
clump of brood, 3-4 pupa.

With the space freed up from the sale of 2 Pheidole colonies, and another sent away, I could move this one onto the heat cable

There is one dark brown pupa that should eclose tonight or tomorrow with the extra warmth from the heat cable

 

This double plastic test tube is not the greatest for visibility and photos, but at least I never have to worry about dirty cotton, mold and water running low.

And not having cotton streaks and mold across the test tube surface improves visibility later on

 

---

 

These double chamber setups have been a god send when trying to feed my Pheidole colonies in the the test tube.

After moving the dual queen setup to a new test tube, with such a setup, the difference is night and day whenever I open it up to feed them.

Not only do they not get alarmed and charge out, but the sentries retreat back into the chamber entrance.

They also dump their rubbish outside against the double chamber entrance.

 

The double test tube setup the queen above is in, actually has space for 2 chamber entrances so 3 chambers...

Edited by CoolColJ, October 14 2018 - 9:44 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole Colony G - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm queens
16mm test tube - cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
4 nanitics - 2 pupa, small pile of larvae and eggs

 

Another nanitic has eclosed, which I somehow missed. Need another 6 more before the test tube runs out of water to make a move easier.

 

The lighter red headed queen appears to be the dominant one of the two, she has the bloated striped gaster so she gets to be filled up as a priority

Edited by CoolColJ, October 15 2018 - 12:32 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 16th October 2018
 

Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube, cotton double chamber setup - heatcable - red film
16 brood
 
Laid another 4 eggs

[CoolColJ]

Just came back from a productive hour and a bit, anting at a local bush trail, where I caught 5 queens!

When I arrived and headed to the track I saw an alate fly past me, so I followed and see where she landed and captured her, bag one winged R.aspera.
Will drop the drone I have with her to make sure she is mated.
Then took a circuit around the tennis court, and found a Myrmecia nigrocincta queen!
Further down the trail I found another.

Then saw bunches of ants having nupital flights hovering around in the air like mozzies.
There was a small 6-7mm brown red species that when landed, seem to be holding what looks like eggs in their mandibles

Kept going and found another Myrmecia nigrocincta queen.

On the way back to my car through a short cut retreading the earlier path I found another queen where I had just been!

 

So that's 4 Myrmecia nigrocincta queens today, and 6 total in the last week

Edited by CoolColJ, October 15 2018 - 8:01 PM.

[CoolColJ]

I need to do a proper photoshoot of these queens

 

[DaveJay]

Well done! That's a productive day!

[CoolColJ]

Set them all up in 20mm test tubes, and a dab of raw honey on a 3D printed dish inside the test tubes.

All but one has sipped on the honey. Not sure what the issue is with this one...

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
I have her in my double test tube modded setup, with a polystyrene foam chamber entrance - heatcable
1 nanitic, clump of brood, 3-4 pupa.

Promoted to colony status - first nanitic has eclosed
I see her plastered on the small amount of cotton in the vinyl tube that connects the two test tubes in my mod.
I was wondering what that brown smear on the cotton was until I looked at it with a magnifying glass
She's not moving much yet

Edited by CoolColJ, October 21 2018 - 4:49 PM.