151 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Cotton setup - more survived than I thoguht.
I think that alate nymph is alive. 5 soldiers and 8-10 workers

click for bigger


Note the hairy stuff on the deflated body of the dead alate nyphm. And the dead workers have blobs on them, I think condensation




Toilet paper setup -
not so good...7 workers and 1 soldier left



fuzzy growth on the dead..

Edited by CoolColJ, October 1 2018 - 3:59 AM.

[Nare]

Looks a bit moist - I wouldn't be surprised if that's the issue.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 1st October 2018

 

Cotton test tube setup - all dead except 1 soldier!

The smell of mold is strong, and I can see growth along the whole test tube surface...

 

Toilet paper test tube setup - 4 workers and one soldier

Lots of dead moldy bodies!

 

Welp I will retire both setups

 

Capture vial setup - dirt, damp folded toilet paper, pieces of outer edge of tree/bark

Still going well as far as I can see. I saw soldiers and workers come out when looking through the open top last night, but can't see inside if the others are still alive.

That is the problem with this setup....

Edited by CoolColJ, October 1 2018 - 6:22 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 4th October 2018
 
Capture vial setup - dirt, damp folded toilet paper, pieces of outer edge of tree/bark

Haven't added water onto the toilet paper in a while, I think over a week now and I still see condensation drops against the side of the vial which the toilet paper rests against.
This could be a self sustaining setup with the lid shut, which still allows air in.

The termite workers have heaped even more dirt against vial side and toilet paper.

Edited by CoolColJ, October 3 2018 - 7:09 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Spring 6th October 2018
 
Capture vial setup - dirt, damp folded toilet paper, pieces of outer edge of tree/bark

The termite have virtually covered the vial side of the toilet paper with dirt.

I still see workers coming out of the tunnels here and there, plus 2 soldiers.
I have no idea if the other termites under the dirt, like the alate nymphs are still alive though, but I assume they are

I added a few drops of water to the toilet paper, but I think it is largely unnecessary as I seen fine droplets of condensation on the opposite side of the vial wall.

[CoolColJ]

Measured humidity at centre of the above ground portion at 71%
Room RH at 49%

Underground humidity should be higher

[CoolColJ]

click to enlarge




You can see the soil is pretty damp without any major watering.
And tunnel entrances around the damp toilet paper

[CoolColJ]

Spring 11th October 2018
 
Capture vial setup - dirt, damp folded toilet paper, pieces of outer edge of tree/bark

The damp toilet paper is virtually all covered in dirt from the side and top.
I think they are doing so they can forage on it completely udnerground.

That means they have been doing a lot of digging and that is the case.
I see tunnel networks all the way down to the bottom and chambers against the bottom.
On all sides and probably into the middle.

I can now see termites active inside, so they are still alive and kicking.
Soldiers do come up top when I open the lid
There are two alate nymphs against the bottom surface

Container has more condensation now so I won't have to add any water for a while.
But only on one side, so there is a temperature difference

Edited by CoolColJ, October 11 2018 - 2:30 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Today at the park I saw an effective termite trap for these, a rock slab placed ontop a tree stump.

I lifted it up and boom termite colony of these underneath

Could be a nice way to set up a home colony

Edited by CoolColJ, October 17 2018 - 7:42 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Might have some queen/kings of these species

 

Termite alates are flying in now, at least near the bush behind the football park near me.

 

I was looking there after dusk with a torch to see if A.longiceps were flying, they were not... and was walking back up a ramped road at the back of the football field on the edge of bushland, and saw a winged termite alate on the road.

So I put the torch down to try and capture her, which is hard!

I had to use a sheet of small paper to do it in the end. And more arrived both winged and unwinged, attracted by the torch I guess.

Lots of Camponotus were running around as well, nigriceps and consobrinus, plus Polyrhachis 　

 

Wasn't sure which  are queens or kings so collected 8 and hope they tandem run when put in a large container

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 1:22 AM.

[LC3]

Congrats on the find
Any pictures for ID purposes? (I’m not even sure what Australian Nasutitermes alates look like to be honest)

[CoolColJ]

I see some pairing, but it's hard to get a container that they can run in, without letting them escape, they slip on plastic etc.
In the end I just put some wet tissue at the bottom of a glass petri dish

 

Still not sure on what setup to use with these... would like to go test tube for visibility.....

 

Paired couple, female looks so similar to the male

 

click to enlarge

[CoolColJ]

I put one pair into a test tube setup with damp cotton, the one with no standing water.

 

There was another pair, but the pair broke so I can't tell which is which right now.

[LC3]

These are Heterotermes (Rhinotermitidae). Not sure what species but based on the available information I can find these are probably H. brevicatena which seems to match the closest morphologically head wise (I'm not sure what colour it is though). H. ferox which matches in colour but not morphology. H. paradoxus and H. logicatena are also possibilities.

Edited by LC3, October 19 2018 - 5:22 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Ahh a new species, interesting, I haven't seen these in person

 

I hope the test tube method works then

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 5:55 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Ahh a drywood species? yikes, test tube method might be too wet

[LC3]

I’ve only found H. ferox mentioned as drywood. Even so Heterotermes should be considered subterranean termites.

[Nare]

Ahh a new species, interesting, I haven't seen these in person

 

I hope the test tube method works then

If you've got extras, I would recommend the toilet paper in test tube method. I know it hasn't worked for you before, but this species is much more closely related to mine, which are flourishing in such a setup. I've seen people founding Coptotermes in this setup as well - I'd recommend you give them only a small chamber to start in, better they dig and expand as needed than have too much space. Ofc, I do recommend against putting all of your eggs in one basket, so a dirt setup or a petri dish setup in addition are recommended.

[CoolColJ]

If you've got extras, I would recommend the toilet paper in test tube method. I know it hasn't worked for you before, but this species is much more closely related to mine, which are flourishing in such a setup. I've seen people founding Coptotermes in this setup as well - I'd recommend you give them only a small chamber to start in, better they dig and expand as needed than have too much space. Ofc, I do recommend against putting all of your eggs in one basket, so a dirt setup or a petri dish setup in addition are recommended.

I have one pair in the test tube cotton method, and they are "digging" a bit into cotton from the initial chamber I made.

The rest of 7, 1 died a male, and I think there is only 1 female in the remaining 5.
They are all in a temp petri dish and wet cotton while I figure out my options.
They are all under the cotton in the petri dish

What if I put all 5 in one setup?

Edited by CoolColJ, October 19 2018 - 8:15 PM.

[LC3]

Can you attempt to sex them? Put them in a clear petri dish, take a pic of them from underneath, see if they have a large plate at the tip of the abdomen (female) or a bunch of smaller ones (male).