1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Myrmecia nigrocincta, bull ants, 19-20mm queens x3
 
Queen 1 - tub and tubes - 10 eggs
Queen 2 - sealed test tube - 9 eggs
Queen 3 - sealed test tube - 9 eggs
 
Since yesterday, Queen 2 and 3 laid an egg each.
All queens nice and content

 

edit -  queen 2 laid another egg andow has 9 eggs now

 

edit2 - queen 1 finally ate a bit of wood roach, one that had freshly molted

gave the other 2 queens half a small wood roach each as well

None have larvae ready to feed yet.

Edited by CoolColJ, October 30 2018 - 9:40 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Nylanderia sp. 6mm x 4 queens
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
100? eggs/brood
 
released into a hole in the ground
 
 
Pheidole Colony F - Banished Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm queen - originally a partner of Pheidole Colony A
16mm test tube, double chamber setup
10 Nanitics, small clump of brood, first major pupa
 
released...
 
Opened their test tube, in the sun, made a hole in the ground in front of the test tube, and left them.
Hopefully they move out on their own

Edited by CoolColJ, October 30 2018 - 3:05 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Pheidole antipodum 14mm queen 2
20 pupa, over 40 brood

Hmm, the queen got quite active today and started moving all the brood from the pile near the heat cable (an inch from the water)
and spreading them out into 3 separate groups spaced evenly between the heat cable and the entrance cotton plug..

 

The groupings don't make any sense to me, there are different types of pupa in each.

Maybe it's just a temperature thing, as it's quite warm today, and with the heat cable on

 

And then I also noticed how many different sized pupa there are, not just major and minor worker sized like in normal Pheidole.

The largest major looking pupa is twice the size of the minor pupa, but there are some major looking pupa that are inbetween in size.

I'll try and get a pic

Edited by CoolColJ, October 30 2018 - 4:59 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Different size pupa of the P.antipodum

Minor and different sized majors

And this is just the first nanitic batch

 

click to enlarge

[CoolColJ]

Found a nice big styrofoam box with lid at work - now I can make an incubator setup for at least 10 test tubes with space inbetween, unlike the current 4 test tube, squashy box I have now

 

Can even probably drop in my two R.metallica setups inside. Their test tubes are in 8 x 1.5 inch acrylic containers.

Well at least to get those cocoons to eclose!

[CoolColJ]

Spring 1st November 2018
 
Since I was setting up a new incubator and moving the queens over, I checked up on them

queens in my ghetto incubator
Temperature hits 28-29C degrees inside the box, 30 inside the test tube and 34 directly under the heat cable at the end of the test tube.
These were the old specs with 24 ambient - will have to test the new larger one
 
 
Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm - black thorax colour scheme
20mm Test tube  - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
No eggs
 
Still no eggs
She pushed the cotton she had pulled, back against the entrance
 
Pheidole cf antipodum 15mm queen
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
20+ eggs

Eggs all scattered everywhere - she may be infertile
Maybe I put her back in the gypsum nest, at least there she kept her eggs in a neat ball.
 
 
Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 hatched egg, 8 eggs
 
She laid another 3 eggs!
 
2x Pheidole sp., red, darker gaster 7mm
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
10+ eggs
 
Saw the third queen dying at the front of the test tube.
Removed her and will feed to one of my colonies later....
 
I may release these, as the majors of this species are no that interesting

Edited by CoolColJ, October 31 2018 - 4:36 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Was able to following setups into the new larger incubator styrofoam box

 

--

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, plus second cotton chamber entrance -- in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 nanitic, small clump of brood

Rhytidoponera, green/gold 8mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in small acrylic outworld - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
10+ eggs, 9 brood boost cocoons

Rhytidoponera sp2, green 7-8mm queen2 - purple/blue gaster iridesence
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in small acrylic outworld - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
10+ eggs, 11 brood boost cocoons

 

Rhytidoponera cf aspera queen 8-9mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, and cotton double chamber setup - in small outworld - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
12+ eggs, 23? brood boost larvae

 

--

 

Since the last 3 setups are sitting inside an outworld, I placed the heat cable an inch away from the brood, instead of near the open end of the test tube

And opened the lids of the outworld. Since Rhytidoponera can't climb smooth surfaces, it's no big deal

That will allow more warm air to enter the nest and better ventilation.

Hope to get those cocoons to eclose quickly!

 

I also put a jar of water soaked toilet paper, just to keep the humidity levels up inside, in case the test tubes start to dry out faster from the heat.

 

 

The bigger box is taking longer to warm up.

Ambient of 25.8c degrees, and 27.8 inside the box right now after a few minutes.

I expect it top out around 29 if the ambient stays the same

Edited by CoolColJ, October 31 2018 - 4:42 PM.

[CoolColJ]

A little bit of footage of Pheidole colony B

Quality is not great... might put a better Youtube verison later

 

https://www.instagra.../p/BpnQp6PF-kr/

[CoolColJ]

Quiet today n the bush trail - but Melophorus were out in force on the trail!

 

Found a lot of nests along and on the trail.

WOW where did they come from?! Like every 1-2 feet was a nest opening.

At least I now know there are Melophorus in Sydney

 

Small species though, smaller than the ones I keep. red/orange head/thorax and black gaster, others were all black.

Couldn't ID them until I pinched up a larger one and used my jeweller's loupe.

I recognised the head shape. They were moving fast in circular patterns, but nothing that an Iridomyrmex couldn't match.

 

Well tomorrow's 34C degrees will suit them to a tee

 

I'm looking forward to some queens flying prematurely, like Camponotus aeneopilosus as a result of the heat.

They fly around midday. And there is a nest of them around here. If there is one, there should be more nearby...

[CoolColJ]

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen1
20mm Test tube - heat cable - red film
1 egg?

She looks back to normal as far as I can tell. Lively antennas
I keep a dish of raw honey in her test tube

I had to right off her previous 4 eggs.
But I think she may have laid an egg!
Hard to tell, but I do see an oval object at the bottom of the test tube under some cotton

Edited by CoolColJ, November 1 2018 - 6:07 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 2nd November 2018
 
Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
16mm test tube - polystyrene double chamber setup - heatcable
40+ workers. 1 majors, 1 super major?, big stack of brood, third major pupa
 
Water is getting low, but enough for another month.

I removed the cotton double chamber entrance, and the 3D printed dish with a cotton bud of honey, that they stuffed full of rubbish and cotton strands...
Had to place their test tube in a fluon lined container, blu tacked down, to do so and the ants were freaking out everywhere for a while

Then attached a fresh test tube via a 3D printed test tube adapter, with a polystyrene foam double chamber entrance and 3D printed feeding dish with small amount of raw honey.
Red film around the new test tube, and heat cable applied to the inner chamber.

At first they did nothing. Then the next day, some workers started to treat the new water dam cotton as an entrance cotton plug.
Pulling on it, and dumping rubbish into the new claustral chamber...
This morning I noticed 5 workers in there and 1 larvae on the cotton.

Then a few hours later, they had cleaned up the rubbish and put it into the honey dish.
Moved all the pupa and large larvae that was sitting on the glass into the new claustral chamber!
I watched 2 workers move the third major pupa cross. Even the 2 majors hang out there.

Only the queen, larvae and workers on the old water dam cotton remain in the old test tube.
Now I wait...

Edited by CoolColJ, November 1 2018 - 6:21 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 3rd November 2018

Spring 2nd November 2018
 
Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
16mm test tube - polystyrene double chamber setup - heatcable
40+ workers. 1 majors, 1 super major?, big stack of brood, third major pupa
 
Water is getting low, but enough for another month.

I removed the cotton double chamber entrance, and the 3D printed dish with a cotton bud of honey, that they stuffed full of rubbish and cotton strands...
Had to place their test tube in a fluon lined container, blu tacked down, to do so and the ants were freaking out everywhere for a while

Then attached a fresh test tube via a 3D printed test tube adapter, with a polystyrene foam double chamber entrance and 3D printed feeding dish with small amount of raw honey.
Red film around the new test tube, and heat cable applied to the inner chamber.

At first they did nothing. Then the next day, some workers started to treat the new water dam cotton as an entrance cotton plug.
Pulling on it, and dumping rubbish into the new claustral chamber...
This morning I noticed 5 workers in there and 1 larvae on the cotton.

Then a few hours later, they had cleaned up the rubbish and put it into the honey dish.
Moved all the pupa and large larvae that was sitting on the glass into the new claustral chamber!
I watched 2 workers move the third major pupa cross. Even the 2 majors hang out there.

Only the queen, larvae and workers on the old water dam cotton remain in the old test tube.
Now I wait...

WTF they moved all the brood back as of this morning!

 

 

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen1
20mm Test tube - heat cable - red film
1 egg?

 

I gave her a termite alate that I had crushed it's head, had no other termite to pair this one up with.

She still grabbed it and sprayed fomic acid on it a few times.. and then started to chomp on it.

This morning all I see is are some grinded up remains on the styrofoam plate of honey

 

Hope she lays some eggs now...

 

 

Myrmecia nigrocincta, bull ants, 19-20mm queens x3

Queen 1 - tub and tubes - 10 eggs
Queen 2 - semi tub and tubes - 9 eggs
Queen 3 - semi tub and tubes - 9 eggs

 

I moved queen 2 and 3 into those small rectangle wedding invite cases that I got from Crystal.

So that they can feed on a dish of honey whenever they want and dump the rubbish outside, which they did, moving the piece of wood roach I gave them.

And stop them from pulling the cotton plug

 

Plus they are getting rather aggressive since they had this many eggs..  the last time I tried to put in a dish of raw honey, the queens would attack the forceps, and try and come outside.

One did get out, started getting aggro at me, and jumped off the desk onto the floor - that was a bit nerve wracking

 

 

[CoolColJ]

2x Pheidole sp., red, darker gaster 7mm
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
no eggs?
 
So I found another one of these under the same brick this morning.
I just watched her and she ran into a hole/nest under the brick of a Pheidole colony.
So I can only conclude that she belongs to that Pheidole nest as a queen, since I can't see an alate take off, mate, land, tear her wings off and be back in the same nest...
And so all these 4 other queens I had must belong to this nest as queens... but why would they be under a brick... hmmm?
Must be why 2 of them died, from starvation.
And I think the two remaining queens ate all the laid eggs, to avoid starvation!

I released the two remaining queens back here

[CoolColJ]

 

Spring 2nd November 2018
 
Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
16mm test tube - polystyrene double chamber setup - heatcable
40+ workers. 1 majors, 1 super major?, big stack of brood, third major pupa
 
Water is getting low, but enough for another month.

I removed the cotton double chamber entrance, and the 3D printed dish with a cotton bud of honey, that they stuffed full of rubbish and cotton strands...
Had to place their test tube in a fluon lined container, blu tacked down, to do so and the ants were freaking out everywhere for a while

Then attached a fresh test tube via a 3D printed test tube adapter, with a polystyrene foam double chamber entrance and 3D printed feeding dish with small amount of raw honey.
Red film around the new test tube, and heat cable applied to the inner chamber.

At first they did nothing. Then the next day, some workers started to treat the new water dam cotton as an entrance cotton plug.
Pulling on it, and dumping rubbish into the new claustral chamber...
This morning I noticed 5 workers in there and 1 larvae on the cotton.

Then a few hours later, they had cleaned up the rubbish and put it into the honey dish.
Moved all the pupa and large larvae that was sitting on the glass into the new claustral chamber!
I watched 2 workers move the third major pupa cross. Even the 2 majors hang out there.

Only the queen, larvae and workers on the old water dam cotton remain in the old test tube.
Now I wait...

WTF they moved all the brood back as of this morning!

 

 

I turned the aircon back on and the room temps at 25c degrees, and voila they moved all the brood back... but now to make them move the queen as well...

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Spring 4th November 2018

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - tip ofheat cable pressed against side of nest
20 workers, 8 cocoons, 20+ larvae and eggs

Had a bit of a growth spurt - 20 workers now and some 8 cocoons, and lots of larvae and eggs!


Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 minor worker, 1 large, 2 medium larvae and 10+ eggs/small larvae

There is one large larvae now, looks slightly bigger than the minor worker. Could be a major or a medial


Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest - heatcable
2 large sized larvae. 1 worker
 
Still no cocoons yet. And no new eggs...


Pheidole Colony B - Pheidole sp, all black 8mm queen
16mm test tube - 16mm test tube - polystyrene double chamber setup - heatcable
40+ workers. 1 majors, 1 super major?, big stack of brood, third major pupa

Their old test tube, normal setup, is connected to a new test tube as described above, via a 3D printed adapter.
Queen and some larvae/workers still remain in the old testtube.
All the pupa and some larvae have been moved to the claustral chamber of the new test tube.
They seem to be treated both setups as one nest...
I think I connected the new test tube too early, should have waited till the water was near empty.


Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic, 1 medium larve, 6 small larvae/ hatched eggs, 1 medium Camponotus larvae
 
Brood had a bit of a growth spurt this week thanks to the recent hot days.
There is one medium sized larvae now, and the Camponotus larvae continues to grow, and is as big as the single nanitic worker.
I have moved them to a sealed test tube setup on the heat cable today, to get there quicker

been thinking of selling em and replacing with Polyrhachis hookeri

click to enlarge



Pheidole Colony E - Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
16mm test tube, double chamber setup - heatcable
15+ workers, decent amount of brood

Humming along steadily. All their brood is on the cotton dam.


Pheidole Colony G - 2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm queens
16mm test tube - cotton double chamber setup - heat cable
7 nanitics - small pile of brood

Lots of pupa now. So i expect a population jump this week.
2 look ready to eclose soon.


Rhytidoponera aspera Gamergate colony
20mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate.
7 workers - 2 maybe more as Gamergate queens, 30+ brood boost larvae.
 
Larvae getting bigger, no cocoons yet
been force feeding them insect bits, just dumping it inside on top of the larvae

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
2 nanitics, clump of brood

Removed the third cotton chamber, as it was causing condensation.
Might add again but with a different material.

Edited by CoolColJ, November 3 2018 - 4:53 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 4th November 2018 - Queen update

Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm - black thorax colour scheme
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
No eggs

Still no eggs


Pheidole antipodum 15mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
20+ eggs
 
Pheidole antipodum 14mm queen 2
16mm Test tube - heatcable
20 pupa, over 40 brood
 
Some of the pupa are pretty dark yellow now, and still haven't eclosed yet.
I hope the queen is not just ignoring them...


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

Into week 4 for 8 of the brood. Still no obvious larvae yet


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, 22 brood boost larvae

She discarded another 3 brood boost larvae this week. Should be 22 left, but it looks much less than that,


Rhytidoponera, green/gold 8mm queen
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in small wedding invite container outworld - placed in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
10+ eggs, 9 brood boost cocoons

Will likely sell this one soon


Rhytidoponera sp2, green 7-8mm queen2 - purple/blue gaster iridesence
16mm Test tube with aquarium filter wool dam, cardboard floor substrate - in small wedding invite container outworld - placed in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
10+ eggs, 11 brood boost cocoons


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen1
20mm Test tube - heat cable
no eggs  - raw honey dish
 
Still hasn't relaid her eggs

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
8-9 eggs
 
At least 1 egg has hatched.

2x Aphaenogaster longiceps 12-13mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
18 eggs, about 5 brood boost larvae

They have 18 eggs now, what I can see anyway, and only 5 of the brood boost larve left. They have eaten some.
Queens are friendly and docile. Don't react much.

Moved them into my styrofoam incubator


3x Myrmecia nigrocincta, Bull ant, 19-20mm queens

Queen 1 - tub and tubes - 10 eggs
Queen 2 - semi tub and tubes (test tube inside wedding invite container, lid shut, inside cardboard box) - 9 eggs
Queen 3 - semi tub and tubes - 9 eggs
 
Eggs look hatched, but no obvious larvae yet

Edited by CoolColJ, November 3 2018 - 6:08 PM.

[CoolColJ]

This is cheap and compact, while on special
It does not zap, the UV light attracts insects and traps them in the compartment below.
If I can figure out how to power it remotely it would be great to bring along to a tennis court that is near me, on the edge of bushland at night
Should be able to attract and capture some critters and queens.

https://www.crazysal...5hoCBw0QAvD_BwE

[CoolColJ]

Spring 5th November 2018

 

 

Pheidole antipodum 14mm queen 2
16mm Test tube - heatcable
5 minor pupa, 4 major pupa, 10+ eggs

 

She seems to have eaten some of the near eclosing pupa

So back we go waiting, but some of the remaining pupa are quite dark yellow.

 

I counted 5 minor pupa, and 4 major looking ones, plus a clump of eggs

 

 

[YsTheAnt]

Don't check on her for a week, if all goes well she'll have workers by then.

[CoolColJ]

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

 

1 Month for some of the eggs, placed on or near the heat cable, and still nothing that looks like a larave...

Starting to look like this queen maybe infertile as well

 

They are known for explosive growth, and this queen does not make it seem so.

Leo's queen only took a month to go from eggs to nanitics.

Another person I know already has pupa at under a month

 

Man I sure do get the short end of the stick when it comes to infertile queens...

Edited by CoolColJ, November 4 2018 - 11:36 PM.