7 replies to this topic

[Dotdispenser]

Hello! As you can see--because you have eyes (I hope)--my username is Dotdispenser. I live in East Tennessee and started keeping and enjoying ants this year. This is where all of the updates on my two Camponotus colonies will be made. 

 

Recurring updates will be made every Wednesday and Saturday. Picture updates will only be every Saturday until the queens are well out of the founding stage.

 

Lastly, this journal is meant to be fun. I want everyone who has input to put it in whether it is positive or negative input (all critiques are welcome!!). Hope this is as enjoyable for everyone else as it is for me!

 

 

Fiona

 

Species: Camponotus Castaneus

 

Caught on 06/18/2018

 

Camponotus Castaneus is my "dream species" of ants. I have searched and searched all year and only found three. The first one was incredibly successful, until she died due to THA's Type II toxic fumes. The second one was infertile and laid no eggs after weeks of being in a tube. Finally, I found Fiona in an evergreen forest near my home. She has done incredibly well and given me absolutely no issues.

 

As of now, she has approximately 9 larvae, 0 eggs, and 1 cocooned pupae (not pictured).

 

 

 

 

Hillary Anton

 

Species: Camponotus Americanus

 

Caught in May 2018

 

If you haven't already caught the pun, I guess now is the time to break it to you. I named her after Hillary Clinton as a joke, due to her species' name. It ended up sticking and is now her name. She is the second queen I've found of this species, and the only successful one, as my last one died the same death as my first Camponotus Castaneus--a painful death caused by the fumes off of THA's Type II formicariums. I went against one of my only rules in ant keeping: no capturing of wild colonies. However, she was on a campground near the site's constantly populated picnic tables, with three nanitics and nothing more than a small stick covering her colony. So, I decided to take her and her three nanitics (now down to one nanitic) in and care for them. They are doing incredibly well and now have a reasonable number of larvae and eggs.

 

 

Edited by Dotdispenser, July 31 2018 - 5:18 PM.

[Dotdispenser]

Update Wednesday, 08/01/2018:

 

Fiona is now up to 4 cocooned pupae and three larvae currently (pictures will be posted on Saturday)! A small drop of honey was placed in her test tube alongside a quarter of a mealworm.

 

Hillary is now at 8 larvae (1 large, 1 medium, 5-6 small) and a small cluster of approximately 4-5 eggs. A larger drop of honey was placed in her test tube alongside a quarter of a mealworm.

 

Picture updates will be posted this Saturday! I'll also be creating my Formica and Tetramorium journals either tonight or tomorrow.

[Dotdispenser]

Update Sunday 08/05/2018:

 

Yesterday was an incredibly hectic day and I wasn't able to update the journal. But I made sure to make time for today! Sorry for anyone who was looking forward to the update!!

 

Anyways, Fiona is doing incredibly well. It seems that I miscounted the amount of cocoons she has on the last update. Fiona has 3 cocoons, and three larvae still (though they seem to have grown in size). Her gaster has distended slightly due to the honey I gave her. She also devoured the mealworm I fed her. I estimate she's gonna have some little orange ant children in no more than 1 to 1 and a half weeks!!

 

Hillary is also doing well. She still has 8 larvae (2 large, 6 small larvae). I placed a pre-killed cricket into her formicarium (pictures of the formicarium will be added by Wednesday). Her ByFormica water tower was also refilled.

 

 

 

 

[CatsnAnts]

Those are some awesome Camponotus queens! Good luck with them! Can’t wait to hear the next update!

[Dotdispenser]

Thanks! Maybe someday I'll catch a queen as awesome as Topa!! Love your journal!

[CatsnAnts]

Thanks! Maybe someday I'll catch a queen as awesome as Topa!! Love your journal!

Thanks!

[Dotdispenser]

Update Wednesday 08/08/2018:

 

Fiona is back up to four cocoons--sounds like I need to learn how to count. Anyways, she's got three larvae, and two of the cocoons appear to be darkening slightly. Her gaster is still slightly swelled due to the honey I gave her a few days ago. She's an awfully happy camper. Can't wait for her first nanitic!!

 

Hillary is doing well and is coming along. In just three days, her larvae have all grown a "size." She's got 7 larvae (2 extra large, 2 medium, 3 small) and still 0 eggs. The cricket I placed in there Sunday was ripped apart and a leg is still sitting beside the brood at this moment (lol). I placed one drop of honey to give Hillary and her worker some sugar and much needed energy. Their next meal will be this Saturday. 

 

Not much of an update but everything is coming along slowly but surely! Pictures will be posted this Saturday!

[Dotdispenser]

Update Tuesday 08/28/18:

 

It feels so good to be back on here. 

 

Anyways, I wanted to apologize for not being able to update these journals as I absolutely love keeping up with them and observing their growth. The reason I have not been on here for nearly a month is because college hit me hard. I've had an insane amount of stress and personal issues thrown at me on top of college. However, starting Saturday, I will return to giving updates--with a few changes:

 

Updates will now only be on Saturdays. I'm not home on any day other than Saturday and Sunday now; therefore, I can no longer update on Wednesdays. 

 

Other than that, everything should return to normal as far as these journals. Thanks!