26 replies to this topic

[anttics]

Hello. I'm starting this journal as means to get help from more experience keepers. I captured this queen. At Vasquez rocks. On March 28. It's been a month. I checked on her twice. First check she had a few eggs. 3 weeks later. The eggs have not grown. I'll put pics. Tell.me what you think.





I have kept her at temp from 85 in the mornings to 90 afternoon and night. Since day one. She was disturbed only twice. The only cause for her failing I can think of. She is not fertile.

[Scrixx]

My Camponotus sansabeanus were caught March 30 and I don't think they have larvae yet either, just eggs. It's unlikely that all of them are infertile as Camponotus apparently have a high success rate. Camponotus are known as slow growing so keep waiting.

Edited by Scrixx, April 26 2018 - 4:21 PM.

[Enderz]

My Camponotus sansabeanus were caught March 30 and I don't think they have larvae yet either, just eggs. It's unlikely that all of them are infertile as Camponotus apparently have a high success rate. Camponotus are known as slow growing so keep waiting.

yes mine aswell, I think i saw like 1 tiny larvae MAYBE. I think it will take like 2-3 months to get workers.

[YsTheAnt]

My quercicolas that I caught about a week after all you guys got your Camponotus in SoCal have large larvae, third or fourth instar. I heat them to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Edited by YsTheAnt, April 27 2018 - 2:00 PM.

[KBant]

you gotta boil them for 3 minutes in saltwater so they grow faster but not too much because you still want a runny yolk for the gram.

[Serafine]

Many Camponotus species grow very slow at the start, 4 weeks for eggs to hatch isn't unusal. The larval stage is actually the shortest with the pupa stage taking the longest time.

[StopSpazzing]

My quercicolas that I caught about a week after all you guys got your Camponotus in SoCal have large larvae, third of fourth instar. I heat them to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Yeah, if you want them to grow fast, heat is needed. Otherwise expect a slow start as Serafine stated. I also have salsabeans and yeah they are slow, wanted to try heating them but have nothing that gives ambient heat currently.

 

How are you heating them @ YSTheAnt?

[Scrixx]

I just checked on my queens and my Camponotus sansabeanus have larvae now. They're the same size as eggs so they're probably only days old. So about 4 weeks for me from egg to larvae.

 

Going back to your queen, half of those eggs look odd and deformed. It's possible that you're keeping the test tube too hot and caused the eggs eggs to be not viable. Maybe she's actually infertile but there's no reason not wait either. Either way good luck!

[anttics]

Thanks for the help. I keep her in a test tube. In a plaster mold. I have termomether next to the end of the test tube. it reads at 90 degrees. So the closer.to the water the colder..as to give her a gradient. She has her eggs placed 1 inch away form the end. So heading them to deformity might not.be the reason. Worst case scenario she is infertile. What confuses me. Is spare. Caught his queens a week after and he has big larva. And keeping her at lower temps than me. Oh well I guess if I do not see larva in 1 week something is wrong the set up or the queen. Well post back inn a week to give the good or bad news. Thx guys

[Serafine]

I don't think they're deformed it's just cotton fibres stuck to the eggs.

[YsTheAnt]

My quercicolas that I caught about a week after all you guys got your Camponotus in SoCal have large larvae, third of fourth instar. I heat them to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yeah, if you want them to grow fast, heat is needed. Otherwise expect a slow start as Serafine stated. I also have salsabeans and yeah they are slow, wanted to try heating them but have nothing that gives ambient heat currently.

How are you heating them @ YSTheAnt?

I have a tube rack with a heating lamp pointed towards the opening. They choose where to keep the brood. The growth might also be due to me putting oak bark in their tube, they chew it up and put it all over the tube

[anttics]

One last question I have gotten very little info about. Some say to feed then after 1 month. The I hear to feed them once nanitics are born. Which one is it. And can the queen last 3 months with out food. Plus feeding the larva. Most queens I hear have nanitics in 1.month. I know these species are huge. Can she survive for 3 months or more.??

[KBant]

if they are fully claustral, no need to feed! you can give a drop of sugar water every couple weeks if you want, but its not needed. 

 

once you get your first worker, you can offer sugar water and a small amount of protein, like a cut up cricket, and from then on feed on a more scheduled basis. 

[YsTheAnt]

Some people feed during founding stage and are very successful (i.e nurbs). Other people decide to wait till workers. I might feed some queens one protein meal during founding, but not always. It is up to you .

[Scrixx]

 

I brought up the appearance of the eggs because they should be nice and plump like the picture, not wrinkly. It could be because the eggs are infertile and after a month they're decomposing. Or the heat was too much and without enough humidity the eggs are drying. I would try something else, like a lower heat. Some of those eggs could still be viable if she's not infertile.

 

Though I also want to point out the color of the eggs. I breed some fish and white opaque eggs are indicative of infertile eggs. I'm not sure it applies to ants but if we compare your eggs and my photo eggs, we can see yours are opaque and one color throughout while mine have two separate colors and they're even separated inside. Think of it as seeing the developing organism within the egg. 

[anttics]

I see what you mean. She might not be fertile. The eggs do not change. I do keep her at 90. I'll try 85 to 88. I'll see if it gets better. There was a heat wave. A few weeks ago. I saw her temp at 93. She was under that for a few hours. Maybe that killed the eggs. So it could be that. Well thx for the help guys.

[Enderz]

Yes, mine have the same eggs as Scrixx, but my C. quercicola has larger eggs than my C. sansabeanus. I don't like they have larvae yet, I am wondering if it is because I am keeping them at around 72-79 F (It fluctuates throughout the day).

[anttics]

Hello. Well great news. The Queen was fertile. She has 2 little 4mm translucent nanitics. She has also an pupa soon to be enclose. A few eggs and larva. Here is a pic.



This queen loves the heat. I'm keeping her next to 2 camponotus vicinus. Which are halfway into the pencil formicarium. This queen and her nanitics stay at the borser closer to the heat mat.





I'm really looking forward to this species. She barely needs hibernation. She was found at lower altitude hills. Were the coldest it gets its 45 to 40 degrees. 3 months in my garage with out heat mat should do. This species are as big as other mountain camp species. that need to be store in the fridge for hibernation. A disavantage if you ask me. Oh I will be selling my 2 camp vicinus. One has 5 nanitics, larva. She is a super egg laying machine. A top quality specimen. The other has 3 pupa and 5 eggs a healthy specimen. Message me if you are interested. 70$ for the best queen. 50$ for the other once she gets workers. I located at ventura county, and los angeles county limits.

[anttics]

There was some progress. A 3rd worker enclosed. Also most of the eggs turn to larva as big as the nanitics. I do not see many eggs. I think i saw 1 or 3 if lucky. She is taking her time to lay. But her gaster has grown significantly. So a docen might be coming soon. Here some pics.

[anttics]

I'm sad to inform this colony was atacked by argentine ants. They were the closest to their columm, and took the brunt of the attack. They lost all 5 workers. I manage to save the queen who was fighing for her life. She has all her limbs and just drinked a whole drop of nectar. I think she will live. She managed to saved 2 pupa and 3 larva. I like this species of sansabeanus, because they were found in a place that never goes below 45 degrees. Unlike the ones found in mountains. Very little to no hinernation might be required. She is a fighter. I like her more now. She might have 2 workers in 1 or 2 weeks, and start again.