10 replies to this topic

[Martialis]

Recently, there was a large flight in which many of the native smaller ants flew in my area. Among these were Temnothorax curvispinosus, of which I captured three queens which are housed together in a small (~1.5in[3.81cm] diameter) petri dish with a hydrostone substrate.

 

 However, I am worried that either this habitat won't be conductive for them or they will not be fed properly.

 

Do I need to feed them while founding? Move them into a test tube? How do I make sure they succeed?

 

Thanks in advance.

[BMM]

I caught a ton of them last year and in my experience they're a very hardy species. Mine started eating shortly after the first workers arrived and they easily have the largest appetite of any of the ant species I've collected. They dogpile sugar water and swarm any source of protein I give them.

[AntsAreUs]

They are fully claustral Martialis. They are also very polygynous from what I know. I have caught some too.

Edited by AntsAreUs, July 1 2018 - 12:24 PM.

[Zxirl]

They are fully claustral Martialis. They are also very polygynous from what I know. I have caught some too.

I've got 3 queens, only 1 with eggs right now. Would you recommend moving them into 1 single test tube?

[Kaelwizard]

Where are they being housed currently? I would recommend a  test tube set up. Remember; ants like small spaces for founding.

[AntsAreUs]

I'm currently working on a 2 in 1 bioactive setup for really tiny ants such as these. I'll be posting about hopefully soon. It should be semi self maintainable with springtails, mites, and other smaller organisms that help clean the setup and act as prey for the ants. You would be able to drop things in for the organisms to eat and reproduce for the ants.

[noebl1]

I find T. curvispinosus founding more successful if kept in groups of 2-4.  I keep mine in 16mm test tubes which is still huge for them, but the water lasts a while.

[rbarreto]

I tried to put two of these queens together but one killed the other. She almost has workers now.

[Major]

I just caught a colony of 19 workers today, is a test tube alright?

[Kaelwizard]

I just caught a colony of 19 workers today, is a test tube alright?

A test tube connected to a out world should work. You can also put the test tube in a clear tub. That is called tubs and tubes method by Ants Australia.

[Canadian anter]

These queens generally kill each other during founding, but once established will accept new queens.