1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Could you ask for a pic of the queen? I've never seen an orectognathus reproductive.

 

He doesn't have a macro lens though.

And unfortunately both colonies he had have been sold, so no trade.... but he may get some queens

 

click for a new pic

 

 

 

vid of queen from owner of Ant Keeping Depot - queen appears later in the video

 

Edited by CoolColJ, January 7 2019 - 4:37 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Summer 8th January 2018

Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
9 nanitics, 4 pupa, 15+ larvae, 10+ eggs
 
I believe the 9th worker has eclosed, but she seems to have hidden somewhere
I noticed this species goes for long periods of time, inactive and hidden when they eclose.

You can see her in this vid. Workers also demolished that small cricket I gave them last night... still munching on small bits of it in this vid, but there ain't much left of it!
And less than 10 workers as well...they never stop eating... so active for nanitics

testing BlitzWolf 15x macro lens on my Pixel 2XL phone - I rested the lens against the test tube
https://photos.app.g...18LVy37bpcBzEZ9

Edited by CoolColJ, January 7 2019 - 10:21 PM.

[Rstheant]

2 updates in a day? Good job!!

[CoolColJ]

2 updates in a day? Good job!!

I sometimes update 3-4 times in a day


---

On that note

I have a buyer lined up for my Iridomyrmex Purpureus colony and Pheidole colony G
So I won't update on them anymore

I have to cull my core colonies down for the impending arrival of more colonies once workers emerge

[CoolColJ]

had a quick peek inside my incubator
 
Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
4 nanitics, 5 cocoons, 1 large, 2 medium, 1 small larvae, 3 eggs - raw honey dish
 
4th nanitic has eclosed.
One more and I'll remove them from the incubator and they can go outside onto the table on top the heat cable.
And replace my out going colonies there
 
 
Iridomyrmex species - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
30 brood - 10+ pupa
 
Woo I see a dark brown pupa, so it should eclose in a day or two

A bit over 4 weeks total
 
 
Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 10
in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
All setups have a styro foam double chamber entrance
1) Triple queen - red dirt - cleared all the red dirt and heaped up it into a low wall at the middle of the test tube
huge stack of eggs and some large larvae
2) Triple queen - cardboard insert and aquarium filter wool water dam
big stack of eggs
3) queen with coco coir - moved all the coco coir against the cotton dam, wicking the water into it
big stack of brood - 8+ pupa, 30+ larvae, 50+ eggs
4) Queen with red dirt - moved the red dirt to block up the double chamber entrance
small clump of 15+ eggs
5) Queen - bare test tube
huge stack of brood, 50% larvae
6) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of queen 6
big stack of eggs and some small larvae

 

Queen 3 has some pupa starting to turn yellow

Edited by CoolColJ, January 8 2019 - 4:10 AM.

[Rstheant]

Can’t wait to see the Iridomyrmex nanitic!

[Rstheant]

Any pics on Iridomyrmex?

[ponerinecat]

Thx for the video.

[CoolColJ]

Summer 9th January 2019
  
Iridomyrmex species - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2 nanitics - 10+ pupa, 30 + total brood
 
Checked and I see 2 cute little nanitics, and 5 brown pupa yet to eclose
They do have a dark thorax and gaster, with a lighter head, but not yet fully darkened yet.
Nanitics look quite similar to meat ant ones when they first eclose, with the lighter head and grey body.
Just 60% of the length and way thinner
 
Fed them some honey, and the queen has been going back and forwards sucking honey and back to the brood to check up on things
I found it interesting that the one of the nanitics went to the honey and carried a small bubble of it in her mandibles to feed the other one.
I thought only ants with no social stomach did that
 
Took them out of the incubator and planted it on the heat cable, worker has started to move all the brood over to the heat cable.
 
Some quick videos
https://photos.app.g...z8zp66yyoNx9mu8
 
Quick pic with my phone

 
better pics to come

Edited by CoolColJ, January 8 2019 - 8:05 PM.

[CoolColJ]

better pics of the 2 nanitics. A third has just eclosed
 

Pretty small compred to the queen about 4-5mm

 

click for bigger

 

sipping that honey

 

carrying a bubble of honey!

 

 

[CoolColJ]

Iridomyrmex species - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
4 nanitics - 10+ pupa, 20+ total brood
 
2 more nanitics eclosed, and 2 more should tonight.

Just noticed the queen chilling near the water dam with a big bubble of honey in her mandibles!
It must a trait of this species


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
4 nanitics, 8 cocoons, 1 large, 5 eggs - raw honey dish

3 new cocoons spun and 2 more eggs layed.
Only 1 more larvae left from the initial batch of eggs.

All honey supplied on Sunday is finished, but worker still nibbling on wood roach bits

Put them outside on the heat cable for a bit, and the light exposure did not bother them at all.
Queen sat on the heat cable and a worker moved all the cocoons over to the warm spot

Pretty active for Camponotus, almost as active as the meat ants, but these are day foragers

Edited by CoolColJ, January 9 2019 - 4:43 AM.

[Rstheant]

Your queen [Iridomyrmex] has ‘good genes’ like YsTheAnt said for your myrmecia.

Edited by Rstheant, February 16 2019 - 6:22 PM.

[Rstheant]

Has the myrmecia worker eclosed yet?

[Leo]

Has the myrmecia worker eclosed yet?

Haha lol. definitely not. Takes at least a month. Mine still has pupae and she got them before CCJ's.

[CoolColJ]

Your queen [Iridomyrmex] has ‘good genes’ like YsTheAnt said for your myrmecia.

Typical brood size for Iridomyrmex, they grow the fastest of all the ants here.

My meat ant colony has 11 workers already and a brood pile for 30 within the next month
The Pheidole colony below that I have sold is looking to hit 150 within a month as well

Edited by CoolColJ, January 9 2019 - 5:09 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Summer 10th January 2018

Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
11 nanitics, 4 pupa, 15+ larvae, 10+ eggs
 
See pic above, but these girls are up to 11 workers already!
And two more look ready to eclose soon
The queen looks to have laid some 30 eggs this week
And her first batch after I started feeding them have already turned into larvae

They ate 3 small crickets this week

very clean ants, look how clean the cotton is, and they dump all their rubbish on the 3D printed feeding trays

Edited by CoolColJ, January 9 2019 - 5:41 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Iridomyrmex species - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
6 nanitics - 10+ pupa, 30 + total brood
 
Up to 6 nanitics now! And 2-3 more should eclose today

They are starting to darken, but will wait till they are fully dark to take a pic.
Looks to have red heads, but nanitics might not have the full colours of a regular worker, much like my Meat ants

Queen still chilling around with a bubble of liquid in her mandibles

Edited by CoolColJ, January 9 2019 - 5:26 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 Major, 1 medial, 3 minor workers - 1 naked pupa,1 small cocoon, 1 large larvae, 1 medium, 5 small, 12 eggs.

 

Didn't realize another 2 small workers have eclosed

Quite a lot of brood now for these girls.

The naked pupa is still around and has dark eyes so getting closer to eclosing.

 

The major is fully dark now and has the same colours as they queen, with the black gaster and red upper body and head, and now that her gaster is filled, is close to the size of the queen!

She does all the eating/processing and food dragging in the nest now.

So much easier to feed them, as the major will drag in the food I leave at the nest entrance

Edited by CoolColJ, January 9 2019 - 10:28 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Iridomyrmex species - dark red head/throax, iridescent bronze gaster, 10-11mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
9 nanitics - 10+ pupa, 30 + total brood
 
Another 3 nanitics eclosed, up to 9 and more on the way soon!
They nanitics are starting to darken, to a red head, not sure on thorax, and if these nanitics will have the same colours as regular workers

Double bubble trouble - I think this liquid is from their social stomach, they like to play with their food
click to enlarge

[Rstheant]

Do those Iridomyrmex spray Formicarium acid? Sorry, it’s a dumb question, but I have never raised Iridomyrmex...
Sorry, formic acid...