1787 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Iridomyrmex reburrus?
 
Yikes, one more nanitic died last night I think, found her dead body in the outworld.
And so the pattern continues, when nanitics start hanging outside away from the queen, it usually means they are about to die.
I suspect the third and last one will die soon.
Thankfully the queen has a lot of brood, and one of the pupa is starting to go brown, so maybe in a 1-2 weeks it will eclose
The queen seems oblivious to all the deaths, she's super busy with the brood.
 

ahh damn, the last nanitic is dead. Must have died 1-2 hours ago.
It seemed fine a few hours ago.
Must be old age.

Well the queen is by her lonesome now

Edited by CoolColJ, April 29 2018 - 6:52 AM.

[YsTheAnt]

That's unfortunate . Keep feeding her and you will be fine. On a side note, that melephorus queen looks beautiful, yet terrifying.

[CoolColJ]

That's unfortunate . Keep feeding her and you will be fine. On a side note, that melephorus queen looks beautiful, yet terrifying.

 

In macro view she does have rather large mandibles...

But in human view, she's chunky and thicc, large and easy to look at like Camponotus queens, and has a rather docile nature.

When she gets alarmed, she freezes and stays still, obeserving rather than running around madly like my smaller Melophorus queen or doing head butt/body jerks like Camponotus do

A bit like a point man in an army patrol when danger is sensed

[CoolColJ]

I think my large Melophorus queen will have majors like these. Colours are exactly the same

 

https://www.aussiebu.../Ants/i-k3x9ZpM

 

click to enlarge

Edited by CoolColJ, April 29 2018 - 4:21 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Sweet, my Camponotus humilior laid another egg between yesterday and now. Two eggs total now.

That's a relief as I haven't feed them much in the last 2 weeks, just one bit of spider body, which they thoughtful moved to the open end of the test tube when done, for me to clean.

And a foil of raw honey.

But judging by the worker's gasters from yesterday's photo, they have plenty of food in them --> https://i.imgur.com/WraCw1T.jpg

I guess it shows small young colonies don't need to be fed much.

And they are happy enough with conditions.

 

Rather long yellow eggs at that, and easily visible through the red test tube rack, with LED light magnifying glass

That's the beauty of larger ants like Camponotus, big eggs.

All my other queens lay white eggs

 

They can see the light I'm shining on them through the red test tube rack walls though.

The workers do the Camponotus body jerk

 

The last colony of humilior I had I think I put them into an outworld too soon, at 4 workers.

Back then they hardly ever ventured outside.

This time I'm keeping them in the test tube only setup for a bit longer.

Once the workers start to pull on the entrance side cotton, I think that's when they want to forage

Edited by CoolColJ, April 30 2018 - 3:41 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Went to a local pet shop and discovered they actually sell live baby crickets (ant sized) and small meal worms.

That sure makes feeding a lot easier for small young colonies.

Bought one of each and shoved the mealworms into the freezer. 800 small mealworms in a container is gonna last me well over a year....

Will keep the crickets for a week until they die and freeze the rest.

 

The baby sized crickets are a tad small to see and catch... next time I'll get the extra small instead.

And they have some wood roaches, which are even more tasty and easier to grab, well they don't jump!

 

Fed a few baby crickets to my ants

Iridomyrmex bicknelli, dragged it back to the brood and workers started feeding on it immediately. That one ant sized baby cricket is plenty for them.

Small Melophorus colony freaked out, so I left it just outside their nest

Same for Strobe ants.

Humilior dragged it back to the cotton wool for later feeding I guess.

Iridomyrmex reburrus queen, seems to be munching on it now.

 

 

2nd May 2018

 

Iridomyrmex bicknelli

 

Wow, two workers eclosed, bringing numbers to 9.

All second gen workers.

They grow so fast. At least one worker every few days at the moment!

 

 

Iridomyrmex reburrus

 

The "brown" pupa is developing faster than I expected, it looks like it will eclose by the end of the week.

The head is quite dark and the body is now medium brown.

And the queen will soon have a worker again.

Edited by CoolColJ, May 1 2018 - 9:19 PM.

[MegaMyrmex]

Bummer about the iridomyrmex. I would suggest next time to checl the humidity and give always give them a source of sugar or by leaving a crushed cricket in the outworld.

[CoolColJ]

Bummer about the iridomyrmex. I would suggest next time to checl the humidity and give always give them a source of sugar or by leaving a crushed cricket in the outworld.

 

I think the nanitics just died of old age. It's something I've noticed with my ants, when they start to hang out in the outworld, you will soon die within a few days.

 

I have honey in the outworld, but these ants keep covering it up with dirt, same for any other food they don't immediately finish

Edited by CoolColJ, May 2 2018 - 3:39 AM.

[CoolColJ]

I saw my smaller Melophorus queen curl her gaster under her yesterday and this morning - hopefully it means she is finally laying eggs again!

Perhaps the baby crickets I gave them spurred this decision.

Will take a photo to confirm since they are so small.

 

Also saw my strobe ant queen do the same a moment ago, but I'm not too worried about her, she has been laying regularly and has a decent amount of brood.

[CoolColJ]

4th May 2018

 

I have given all the queens with brood/nanitics a foil of honey now.

 

The all black 7mm Pheidole queen with 1 nanitic - both came to inspect the foil, the nanitic did suck it a bit, but the queen won't approach it, and waits for the worker to feed her, but it's so small I can't imagine she is getting much

After a bit she did approach it for a short period, but then backed off. Maybe she will suck it herself later. The single nanitic is still going back frequently to top up and refeed her.

 

The dual red head/black body 8mm Pheidole queens in the small test tube - one has been on the foil for the last 30 mins.... I bet the other one is itching to have a go herself!

 

 

2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm

 

Another nanitic eclosed, so 3 now. They are starting to feel more bold, confident and lively now

 

I dropped a baby cricket into their test tube. The whole gang and both queens came charging up to inspect, and one of the workers eventually dragged it back to the brood.

I think I will give them another, so both queens get to feed.

 

 

Camponotus humilior Sweet, queen laid another egg, so 3 total now. Getting back on track. Egg laying seems to be fairly regular now and I hope it stays this way.

They finished the baby cricket I gave them a day ago.

 

Camponotus consobrinus queen 16-17mm  -  Put a foil of honey and 2 baby crickets in her test tube. Hoping she will recharge and start laying some eggs. But she won't come near them

Will take one of the crickets and give to the Iridomyrmex bicknelli

Edited by CoolColJ, May 3 2018 - 11:36 PM.

[CoolColJ]

As you can see a baby cricket is plenty for them 

The larvae at the back, on the cotton are feeding on the cricket's legs

 

click for bigger

Edited by CoolColJ, May 3 2018 - 11:54 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Melophorus - 5th May 2018

 

Sigh, still no eggs

I think I might have my first Melophrous major, at only 4 total workers

One larvae is larger than other one

 

You can see the larvae is larger than the minor worker, and is getting fed more.

 

This is 3 weeks since they turned from egg to larvae.

So pretty slow growth with another month of cocooning to come whenever they change... eggs were laid on the 25th March

The brown thing is a baby cricket body, I think.

 

click for bigger

[CoolColJ]

Colony update - 6th May 2018
 
Fed all my ants one mini mealworm for the first time. Well I cut one into 5 parts  
Might need two mini mealworms next time.


Melophorus sp. (furnace ant)
 
Still no eggs. But as mentioned above one larvae is definitely larger than the minor workers, so it could be a major or a medium.

click for bigger

 
 
 
Iridomyrmex reburrus?
 
Looks like the queen will get another worker soon, a second gen one. The nanitics were about 5mm, so this one may be larger. the queen is 10-11mm


 
 
Camponotus humilior
 
She laid 2 eggs this week, so 3 total now. A far cry from my smaller ants... but at least she is laying them the regular now.
They gobbled one baby cricket this week, and haven't touched the mini mealworm piece I gave them yet



 
Iridomyrmex bicknelli
 
Back up to 9 workers, and maybe one pupa will eclose this week




2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm
 
3 nanitics now, and another 2-3 to eclose this week by the looks of it


 
 
Pheidole sp, all black  7mm
 1 nanitic, and another this week maybe
 

[CoolColJ]

My strobe ant queen - Opisthopsis Rufithorax

click to enlarge

[CoolColJ]

6th May 2018 - Queen update
 
Iridomyrmex sp. 7-8mm
 
Into week 5, some medium size larvae now

click to enlarge 


 
2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8mm
 
No major changes, just more small larvae.
But I did give them a foil of honey a few days ago and they loved it, spending long periods of time on it.
 

 
 
3x Phediole sp. red head/black body 8-9mm
 
no major changes from last week, but they already have a lot of eggs.
  
 
Camponotus consobrinus 16-17mm
 
No eggs
 
Pheidole sp. red 7mm
 
no eggs...
 
Pheidole sp, light red head, dark red body, 6-7mm
 
Queen 1 - no eggs
Queen 2 - no eggs
 
 
Large Melophorus sp. queen 10-11mm
 
no eggs

[CoolColJ]

Strobe ant family pic. Two of the four nanitics and a bunch of pupae and larvae

click for larger



Red headed Iridomyrmex, smaller meat ant species.
brood with one pupa about to eclose

[CoolColJ]

2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm - 7th May 2018

 

Another nanitic eclosed this morning. 4 total now.

I expect another to eclose this week.

 

After that I may bring them out of the red test tube rack and set them outside on a blu tack, like my I.bicknelli.

 

Then I may release my I.bicknelli into the wild... we will see....

No point in selling them as they are so common and not worth much, but I may just give it to someone.

Edited by CoolColJ, May 8 2018 - 2:20 PM.

[CoolColJ]

2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm - 8th May 2018

 

5th nanitic has eclosed.

I dropped in a baby cricket into their nest. Thought I had crushed it's head enough to kill it, but DOH! it was still alive.

And all hell broke loose in the test tube. One worker moved all the brood close to the wet cotton - bad, and the others plus one queen freaked out but did eventually managed to kill the cricket.

 

That's when I noticed the 5th nanitic, but it wasn't moving much, just freshly eclosed

 

One of the queens is very passive and the other is more active and aggressive, runs up with the workers when alarmed and reacts more to things

Edited by CoolColJ, May 7 2018 - 6:25 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Well my Red headed Iridomyrmex queen and brood is getting moved on.

I'm exchanging her, with another local ant keeper, for a large unknown Melophorus species

 

About the same size is my current eggless Melophorus queen 11mm or so, but with the opposite colour scheme.

She has four workers

 

Edited by CoolColJ, May 7 2018 - 5:38 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Raw almond

Gave a small peice of raw almond to my two Pheidole setups with workers, and the I.bicknelli

 

I.bicknelli

Bicknelli seems less eager for the almond, but there is one worker on it.
Last week I gave them some freeze dried mealworm, and while they prefer the fresher mealworm, then there was a still a worker on it.

Didn't touch the freeze dried cricket leg though (even after soaked in water)


2x Phediole sp. red head/black body 9mm
As Pheidole normally are, they like raw nuts and seeds, there were 2 of the 5 nanitics on the almond at all times so far.

Even though I already fed them a baby cricket yesterday.

 

That is one good thing about Pheidole ants, they can eat a wide variety of stuff.

And nuts/seeds can last a while without going off, so there is always an alternate source of protein around.

Much like raw honey, low maintenance food sources.

 

edit - workers dragged the almond up and now one of the queens has joined them for a bit

 

Pheidole sp, all black  7mm

The queen came and inspected the almond and had a nibble.

Then she checked on the entrance cotton like she always does, since there must have been a breach for the almond to show up

Happy that the nest was secure she went back for a brief nibble and returned to the brood

 

She has put all the brood in the middle of the test tube.

So far I have noticed the black Pheidole like things dryer, while my red headed ones inbetween, and all red Pheidole like it really wet, even burying brood into the cotton

 

The single nanitic has placed 5 larvae (all with black insides) on the ceiling of the test tube near the wet cotton, away from the main brood.

She was there for a while tending the larvae, and then went to the almond, and has been there since

 

They really need that second nanitic soon to ease the workload

 

edit - queen is really getting into the almond and loving it

Edited by CoolColJ, May 8 2018 - 4:58 PM.