1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Summer 29th January 2019

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
9 workers - 5 cocoons, 1 large, 2 medium, 10+ small larvae/eggs

 

2 cocoons look ready to eclose in a few days.

Colony is growing fast!

 

That large larvae cocooned last night, and it create a bright brown cocoon.

Much like the others, but that white cocoon remains white.

Don't know why the difference in colours
 

click to enlarge

 

 

Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 9
All setups have a styro foam double chamber entrance

in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1) Dual queen - red dirt - cleared all the red dirt and heaped up at the middle of the test tube
5+ nanitics - huge stack of eggs, larvae and some pupa
2) Dual queen - cardboard insert and aquarium filter wool water dam
big stack of eggs
4) Queen with red dirt - moved the red dirt to block up the double chamber entrance
3 nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 12 donated brood from queen 5 - mostly pupa
6) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of queen 5
2 nanitics, big stack of broode
7) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of setup 2
small clump of eggs

Heat cable
3) Queen with coco coir - moved all the coco coir against the cotton dam, wicking the water into it
big stack of brood - 25+ nanitics, 4+ mini majors
5) Queen - bare test tube
15+ nanitics - huge stack of brood

 

Setup 1, Queen 3 and 5 continue to get more workers.

Queen 4 got another nanitic from her donated pupa.

 

Queen 6 has her first 2 nanitics. She has just as good genes as queen 3 and 5 by the looks of it.

She laid a week after queen 5, when I separated them, and now a week later than queen 5, has her own workers with similar starting brood size.

 

Queen 7 seems to have eaten some of her eggs, just a small clump now

I think i will donate some brood to her, as she was separated from setup 2, so probably running low on reserves.

 

----

 

Queen 3's nanitic mini majors have matured and now no longer tend the brood, and I see them sit in a group in the front part of the chamber.

Already seeing the polymorphic spread of the castes at this early stage, with different sizes, builds and head shapes

Podomyrma leg muscle bulges on display in second pic

There are minor workers, larger workers, small mini major, and larger mini major

 

 

Got a pic of queen 5 chain laying eggs out of her gaster

 

Edited by CoolColJ, January 29 2019 - 3:41 AM.

[Rstheant]

[CoolColJ]

Summer 30th January 2019

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
10 workers - 4 cocoons, 1 large, 2 medium, 10+ small larvae/eggs
 
Another worker eclosed
Large larvae may cocoon this week.
All the small larvae have grown a lot, closer to medium sized now.
So the next batch will have 8-10 cocoons all spinning around the same time.


Melophorus sp.- red black 6-7mm queen
refillable gypsum plugged test tube connected to outworld - heatcable
1 Major, 3 minor workers - 1 cocoon, 1 small larvae, 6+ eggs?

 

RIP  Ahh dammit, the queen is dead!!!!

Either the major killed her or she died from natural causes...

I saw a black round thing last night and thought it was a piece of cricket I fed them.

But I saw more pieces this morning, and upon looking at it with my jeweller's loupe it was the queen's head, gaster and thorax in 3 separate pieces, plus her legs are scattered around, inside the nest

 

One cocoon also disappeared...

 

So this is the last time I update on them... the colony is so small I may just euthanize them in the freezer....

 

On that note I am looking to replace them with the large species queen, like the one I had previously that died.

A few people have found some queens.

 

Edited by CoolColJ, January 30 2019 - 3:25 AM.

[CoolColJ]

have another meat ant queen coming tomorrow, well the exact same one I had before, but she has a worker now

 

 

So didn't I just sell one with 20 workers? yeah...

 

Long story, short, I originally bought this queen, and her eggs never hatched in 2 months despite being on the heat cable.

I sent her back and exchanged for another queen, which I eventually sold - I was never in love with this one.

Meanwhile my other one did get larvae and now has a worker.

The seller offered her back to me free, just pay for the postage!

 

And so she will arrive tomorrow. I prefer this queen as she is way more iridescent looking

[CoolColJ]

The girl that found my antipodum queens might be able to get some Melophorus bagoti.
These are a pretty big species of Melophorus as well, and pretty rare.
So would make a nice replacement for my dead small species Melophorus queen

They are like honeypot ants
Lots of castes and different colours
 

 

Australia’s desert ant (Melophorus bagoti) has several claims to fame: Australia’s most heat-loving animal, superb navigational skills using three different systems, and one of the fastest ants in the world. Its navigational skills are proof that small brains can do sophisticated things.

http://bio.mq.edu.au... 09/queens6.jpg

Edited by CoolColJ, January 29 2019 - 7:35 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest - heatcable
6 workers, 2 large larvae, brood?

 

These girls actually have 6 workers! I thought they had 5 all this time....

I added water to their nest and they ran around alarmed so I was able to see the workers

 

And I see two large larvae at least. Not sure on eggs

Edited by CoolColJ, January 29 2019 - 8:17 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Summer 30th January 2019

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
10 workers - 5 cocoons, 1 large, 2 medium, 10+ small larvae/eggs
 
Another worker eclosed
Large larvae may cocoon this week.
All the small larvae have grown a lot, closer to medium sized now.
So the next batch will have 8-10 cocoons all spinning around the same time.

 

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
11 workers - 3 cocoons, 1 large, 2 medium, 10+ small larvae/eggs

 

Spoke too soon, another worker eclosed just then

11 total now

[Wa.Va]

Woah, I can't wait till the development of the Colobopsis macrocephala. She looks so beautiful. I'm not going to search her on Google, just to let my excitement and my phantasy play xd. And ow. I hope u will find a new Anonychomyrma gyne! Keep up the amazing updates. We really love this journal!
Woah, I can't wait till the development of the Colobopsis macrocephala. She looks so beautiful. I'm not going to search her on Google, just to let my excitement and my phantasy play xd. And ow. I hope u will find a new Anonychomyrma gyne! Keep up the amazing updates. We really love this journal!

[CoolColJ]

Summer 31st January 2019
 
Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube - styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 nanitic, 8 pupa, 20+ larvae and eggs

My first meat ant queen arrived today and finally has her first nanitic.
If you look at the other pics of the other queen/colony I had before, I'm sure you can see the differences in appearance.
Much lighter and more iridescent, and those puppy dog eyes.
Even the nanitic looks different, much deeper purple-red head

Both have been slamming the honey for the last few hours
I don't blame her, this one was caught last season, so this is the first time she has eaten in over a year!

They also follow the heat cable where ever you place it, so it won't be hard to move them into a new test tube, which I need to do, as this one is almost out of water.
I'll just inch the heat cable all the way to the end and then into the new test tube
I might wait till that brown pupa ecloses, which should be in a day or two

click enlarge
queen's gaster looks a tad small

Edited by CoolColJ, January 31 2019 - 2:02 AM.

[CoolColJ]

They moved test tubes within 5 mins, gotta love Iridomyrmex

They placed the brood on top the heat cable, probabaly didn't even need a bright light
Will move them into my incubator for now.

next nanitic should eclose in a 1-2 days time.

[CoolColJ]

Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 1 large, 1 medium, 5 small larvae, 2 eggs
 
ugh, the opened the cocoon early again, and the pupa looks all mangled
Second time now


Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 9
All setups have a styro foam double chamber entrance

in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2) Dual queen - cardboard insert and aquarium filter wool water dam
big stack of eggs, some donated brood from queen 5, a few pupa
4) Queen with red dirt - moved the red dirt to block up the double chamber entrance
3 nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 12 donated brood from queen 5 - mostly pupa
6) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of queen 5
2 nanitics, big stack of brood
7) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of setup 2
small clump of eggs, some donated brood from queen 5, a few pupa

Heat cable
1) Dual queen - red dirt - cleared all the red dirt and heaped up at the middle of the test tube
8+ nanitics - huge stack of brood
3) Queen with coco coir - moved all the coco coir against the cotton dam, wicking the water into it
big stack of brood - 30+ nanitics, 5+ mini majors
5) Queen - bare test tube
20+ nanitics - huge stack of brood

Dual queen setup 1 has around 8+ nanitics now, I moved them out of the incubator and put them outside on the heatcable.
Need to keep an eye on them, in case the workers decide to take out a queen or banish one.

I donated some brood from queen 5 to dual queen setup 1, and queen 7.
A few eggs, larvae and pupa. 1-2 yellow pupa and a mini major pupa for setup 1.
And the same for queen7, but more eggs and a few larvae, but no mini major pupa.
That will help them out a bit, and queen 5 still has tons of brood.
I used my smallest and straightest bristle paint brush to stick the brood on and then hovered over the queens and tapped the brush to unload the brood.
Dual queens gathered the brood up.
Queen 7 eventually did the same, and is cleaning each one up now....she's probably shocked

I noticed some small garbage mite crabby things in the setup 1...
I have a feeling it's from the cardboard I used in their test tube.
Saw the same thing in my past Rhytidoponera aspera gamergate colony that used the same cardboard!
Shouldn't be an issue for the ants with the small workers being able to take out these critters.

Edited by CoolColJ, February 2 2019 - 8:58 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Summer 1st February 2019

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
12 workers - 2 cocoons, 4 large, 10+ small larvae/eggs
 
Aye crumba, another cocoon eclosed!
12 workers now, and 4 large larvae. One should be cocooning soon.

Edited by CoolColJ, February 1 2019 - 1:37 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Meat ant queen - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube - styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2 nanitic, 7 pupa, 20+ larvae and eggs

second nanitic has eclosed.

funny seeing the first worker pile all the pupa right against the exit cotton wedged under the feeding dish inside the test tube.
Since the heat cable runs near that end to heat the incubator

[CoolColJ]

Summer 2nd February 2019

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - tip of heat cable pressed against side of nest
60 workers, 17 cocoons, tons of brood

These girls are up to around 60 workers now.
And it looks like 2 more cocoons about to eclose soon.
Growth speed has just increased a lot!

Strobe ants whorshipping their little corner of sand and rubbish - nice formation they have there

 

click to enlarge

 

Edited by CoolColJ, February 2 2019 - 4:15 AM.

[Canadian anter]

The Opisthopsis look like Grey Aliens crowding around a test subject

[Rstheant]

You have very well keeping your strobe ants. They look healthy. Good job!

[Rstheant]

Do you feed your ants anything else beside raw honey? SUNBURST ant nectar is out. Not sure how much shipping costs, but you could try that.

[CoolColJ]

Do you feed your ants anything else beside raw honey? SUNBURST ant nectar is out. Not sure how much shipping costs, but you could try that.

 

I do have Sunburst and some other coloured sugar water + mineral solution from a local ant E-shop here

But a jar of mountain bee raw honey has a really strong taste and smell that the ants love, that doesn't cost too much and the jar is barely down to 90% after a year.

Plus I can leave the honey in the dish for a few weeks and months and it won't go off.

And there is honey comb in the jar which is solid so better suited to small ants, to prevent drowning.

 

With sugar water based solution, you have to change it out every few days. I ain't got the patience for that

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - Summer 3rd February 2019

Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant) 10mm queen
Atom C nest inside circular outworld - tip of heat cable pressed against side of nest
55+ workers, 17 cocoons, tons of brood


Melophorus sp.- black orange 7-8mm queen
Acrylic founding nest - heatcable
6 workers, 2 large larvae, brood?

Polyrhachis rufifemur 9mm queen
16mm test tube - heat cable
1 nanitic - 1 large, 1 medium, 5 small larvae, 2 eggs


Pheidole Colony H - Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
16mm test tube, styro foam chamber entrance - heatcable
11 workers, small clump of brood

I may release them soon...


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17-18mm queen 1
20mm Test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
4 nanitics, 5 cocoons, 1 large, 5 medium larvae, 6 eggs/small larvae - raw honey dish

2 nanitics eclosed this week.
The 4th one today, which is from her own brood. The first 3 are from donated brood.
Should be inetresting to see if there are any differences in appearance as this queen is much more red in the thorax


Camponotus suffusus bendigensis 17mm queen 2
20mm Test tube - heat cable
12 workers - 3 cocoons, 5 large, 10+ small larvae/eggs

Large cocoon spun a cocoon last night.
5 large cocoons now.. larvae grows so fast!


Meat ant - Iridomyrmex purpureus 14mm queen
20mm test tube - styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2 nanitics, 6 pupa, 15+ larvae and eggs

third nanitic pupa about to eclose

Pheidole antipodum 14-15mm queens x 9
All setups have a styro foam double chamber entrance

in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2) Dual queen - cardboard insert and aquarium filter wool water dam
big stack of eggs, some donated brood from queen 5, a few pupa
4) Queen with red dirt - moved the red dirt to block up the double chamber entrance
10+ nanitics, small clump of 15+ eggs, 5+ donated brood from queen 5 - mostly pupa
6) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of queen 5
5 nanitics, big stack of brood
7) Queen - bare test tube, former partner of setup 2
small clump of eggs, some donated brood from queen 5, a few pupa

Heat cable
1) Dual queen - red dirt - cleared all the red dirt and heaped up at the middle of the test tube
10+ nanitics - huge stack of brood
3) Queen with coco coir - moved all the coco coir against the cotton dam, wicking the water into it
30+ nanitics, 5+ mini majors - big stack of brood
5) Queen - bare test tube
20+ nanitics - huge stack of brood

Setup 1 still haven't started foraging yet

queen 6 - at 5 nanitics now, fed them.
queen 7 may have eaten some of her donated brood....

Will start to sell some of these setups this week.


Queen 4 has a lot of nanitics now from the donated brood, only a question of if her own eggs will hatch...


queen 5's little horde

[CoolColJ]

Queen update - Summer 3rd February 2019

 

Myrmecia fulvipes, bull ant, 17-18mm queen
20mm test tube - in small outworld
1 cocoon

 

Camponotus cf nigriceps 19mm queen
20mm test tube, in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 cocoon, 6 small larvae

 

She ate 3 of her eggs, most likely to feed her small larvae

Camponotus aeneopilosus aka golden tail sugar ant - 12mm queen
16mm test tube - styrofoam double chamber setup - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
1 cocoon, 11 larvae

 

Cocoon looks close to eclosing, quite dark underneath
A bunch of large larvae, so a long gap between first nanitic and the rest...

 

Colobopsis macrocephala 9mm queen
16mm test tube - in styrofoam and heat cable incubator
2 small larvae, 4 eggs

Edited by CoolColJ, February 3 2019 - 11:36 PM.