7 replies to this topic

[sericultivist]

Cyphomyrmex season is rapidly approaching, and I've been trying to envision some good setups for founding queens of this genus. The setup would most likely work for other small fungus growers like the ever-so-common Trachymyrmex I saw everywhere in Texas, or the rarer Mycetosoritis. 

 

I haven't been able to find a lot of information about setups for the small fungus growers that mainly use caterpillar frass for their gardens, only the larger dedicated leafcutters like Atta and Acromyrmex. 

 

Below is what I think I'm going to try to build first, but it's a very rough idea.

 

Edit: If you're unfamiliar with the bead container formicarium design, here's a link to Crystals' tutorial: http://www.formicult...icture journey

 

 

If anyone has any ideas or contributions I'd love to hear them, thanks in advance.

Edited by sericultivist, April 23 2018 - 6:28 PM.

[AntsMaryland]

Does cricket frass or mealworm frass also work for them?

If so crickets might be a good option, considering they have a very short digestive-track and spit out frass like crazy.

[Ants4fun]

I kept Cyphomyrmex in Costa Rica. They cultured yeast gardens. I found they were pretty low maintenance. In thr wild, you could find them bringing bird poop back to their nest. So, as gross as it sounds, I collected it to give to them. They also enjoyed honey. They did pretty good for me just on bird poop. I kept them in a similar setup, but didn't bother with grout, if memory serves me.

[VoidElecent]

I'm not sure how the hydration will really work, perhaps I don't entirely understand your plan.

Edited by VoidElecent, April 23 2018 - 4:34 PM.

[Ants4fun]

I'm not sure how the hydration will really work, perhaps I don't entirely understand your plan.

http://www.formicult...icture +journey

[sericultivist]

Does cricket frass or mealworm frass also work for them?

If so crickets might be a good option, considering they have a very short digestive-track and spit out frass like crazy.

 

From what I understand they like the frass of insects that feed entirely on plant matter, though some (Like tropical Cyphomyrmex) enjoy bird poop as well. I've cultured silkworms many, many times in the past (hence my screen name) and have played around with hornworms as well, and they are both very easy to raise while creating loads and loads of frass. Keeping them happy in terms of nutrition isn't a worry for me, it's mostly just finding them a home to thrive in.

[sericultivist]

I'm not sure how the hydration will really work, perhaps I don't entirely understand your plan.

 

Sorry, I wasn't very clear about that. I was following Crystal's design idea behind a bead container setup. Sponges would be placed inside the hydration chambers, and then I would make many little holes in the wall so that the humidity can go into the nest chamber. 

 

Here is the link to Crystal's bead container setup design: http://www.formicult...icture journey

[sericultivist]

I kept Cyphomyrmex in Costa Rica. They cultured yeast gardens. I found they were pretty low maintenance. In thr wild, you could find them bringing bird poop back to their nest. So, as gross as it sounds, I collected it to give to them. They also enjoyed honey. They did pretty good for me just on bird poop. I kept them in a similar setup, but didn't bother with grout, if memory serves me.

 

I've heard lots of tropical Cyphomyrmex species (like those in Florida) love bird poop. I only have a single species here and it lives in arid desert to chaparral areas. They do not culture yeast but instead white fungus, though I would love to see the yeast culturing ones some day. There's very little information I've found about the eating habits of Cyphomyrmex wheeleri, but from what I've read they desire caterpillar frass above all else.

 

If you look at the bottom 4 images of the Cyphomyrmex page in Alexander Wild's list of genera you can see Cyphomyrmex wheeleri with their fungus in a lab. Here's a link:

 

https://www.alexande...a/Cyphomyrmex/