39 replies to this topic

[Ender Ants]

Hello fellow ant keepers,

 

This is one of my newer species that I have not kept, nor seen. Most likely because I missed last years flight, and what I have found, is that they begin and end their flights in June and July. I'll be sure to change the title, and make any edits when I identify the species when the nanitics arrive. 

 

Capture Date: July 9, 2018

 

 

 

Edited by Ender Ants, April 17 2020 - 2:57 PM.

[Ender Ants]

July 11, 2018:

 

First egg batch has been laid.

 

 

[Ender Ants]

August 5:

 

Eggs have now developed into larvae. I didn't want to disturb the queens during this time, since it is the farthest I have gone with Crematogaster. From previous experience with keeping a different species of Crematogaster, they were easily stressed. 

Edited by Ender Ants, August 29 2018 - 7:00 PM.

[Ender Ants]

August 15-August 20:

 

Larvae have now developed into pupae. Few pupae are also darkening in color, resembling workers. Very excited to see how they will look. Next update will be when the first nanitics arrive. 

 

 

 

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ender_ants/

 

YouTube: https://www.youtube....QsYezy_sddgLlAA

 

I am more frequent with my updates, and posts on my Instagram page, and will be making a colony update, introducing them to my YouTube Channel.

[YsTheAnt]

Nice queen! Just a question, how come a dealate is shown in the second post, but the first and third post have an alate?

[Ender Ants]

Nice queen! Just a question, how come a dealate is shown in the second post, but the first and third post have an alate?

The third post was one of my other queens that had pupae, while the others didn't. The first post is most likely the queen in the third post. I didn't want to disturb that queen, because I wasn't sure if she was fertile or not, since she only had eggs. Sorry for the confusion

[Ender Ants]

August 31:

 

Crematogaster cf. vermiculata has received their first nanitics! 

 

Queen Length: 9mm

Worker Length: 3-4mm

 

 

 

Edited by Ender Ants, September 8 2018 - 7:00 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

I have a Crematogaster cf. cerasi queen. She has not laid and she will not until after hibernation. (Here where I live they fly in August and September). Do you have any info on how to keep them?

[Ender Ants]

I have a Crematogaster cf. cerasi queen. She has not laid and she will not until after hibernation. (Here where I live they fly in August and September). Do you have any info on how to keep them?

Unfortunately, I have not kept that species, or know how to keep them. But since it is also Crematogaster, they should have somewhat similar habits as other Crematogaster species. Since she has not laid any eggs yet, I would recommend to not bother her, until winter passes. I've had a Crematogaster queen and she kept eating her eggs. I put her in my wine fridge from October to March, and she laid eggs, but also ate them. She later died, most likely from dehydration, as I was away on a trip. If you live in a warmer place, then I would not attempt to hibernate them, but if you are in a much colder place during the winter, then I would recommend to try and hibernate her. These colonies of Crematogaster that I have love their honey, so when yours gets nanitics, try feeding them honey. Mine also like cockroaches, so try those when you have the chance. Its all about experimenting to see what you colonies prefer eating

[Ender Ants]

October 2:

 

Crematogaster vermiculata colony now has 13+ workers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crematogaster cf. coarctata colony has 7+ workers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

More photos coming to my Instagram: 

 

@ender_ants

Edited by Ender Ants, October 8 2018 - 3:43 PM.

[Kaelwizard]

My C. cerasi (???) is dying because her abdomen deflated.

[Ender Ants]

My C. cerasi (???) is dying because her abdomen deflated.

Bummer Do you know what may have caused her abdomen to deflate?

[Kaelwizard]

I think just moisture in the petri dish thing I kept her in. (I moved her out of a test tube as she fell off the walls all the time). I put her out of her misery just now. 

[Ender Ants]

November 12, 2018:

- Crematogaster cf. coarctata colonies

 

Colony 1 has 11 workers with a small pile of brood left over. 

 

 

 

Colony 2 has 9 workers, with a new pile of eggs, and brood that is still developing into pupae surely, but slowly

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Ender Ants, November 12 2018 - 3:45 PM.

[Rstheant]

Nice pic. Great job!

[Ender Ants]

Nice pic. Great job!

 

Thank you!

[Derpy]

How did you identify your species of Crematogaster? I have one colony, but have yet to come up with an accurate ID for them.

[Ender Ants]

How did you identify your species of Crematogaster? I have one colony, but have yet to come up with an accurate ID for them.

 

I went to antweb.org and searched my country/state. From there I looked through all of the species of Crematogaster that were in my state. Off of there, I looked through some of the macro pictures, and checked their info on antwiki. Some were hard to identify, but I was able to narrow it down to a few species. I also checked if anyone else had this species on this forum, and youtube. Takes a bit of researching, but you'll be able to find the species, or a few that are similar. If you have a microscope, or macro lens, you'll have an easier time checking for those minuscule things that differentiate them from other similar species. 

[Ender Ants]

December 21, 2018: Crematogaster Re-Homes (Cubes and Tubes Re-Homes)

 

First Introduced in this video:

 

==

 

Crematogaster Vermiculata Cubes and Tubes Setup: (Name will be voted on in the next update) - Single Winged Queen 

 

 

 

 

Colony: (None of the pictures came out well, but they have 8 workers, and the queen's gaster has started growing again)

 

 

==

Crematogaster Vermiculata Colony 2 Setup: Arid Rubble - Fully Winged Queen

 

 

 

Colony: They have gone down to 11 workers, but their larvae count looks to be the same. 

 

 

 

==

Crematogaster cf. coarctata Setup: (Name will be voted on in the next video) - Dealate

 

 

\

 

 

Colony: At 9 workers, I sometimes see a worker walking out and about. Maybe this is a sign that they're are starting to become more active. 

 

 

 

 

 

==

Crematogaster cf. Coarctata Colony 2: Test Tube Setup - Choppy Wings

Before I was about to post this, I just remembered that I had another C. cf. Coarctata colony, but their still living in their test tube setup. I'll put another post of them when I have time to take more pictures. 

 

Colony: They are currently at 9 workers, and are in need of a new test tube. Deciding whether I should move them into a Cubes and Tubes Setup, or a Formicarium. Might go with a formicarium  

 

 

More photos on my Instagram: @ender_ants 

 

Help me reach 1k! 

Edited by Ender Ants, February 21 2019 - 2:44 PM.

[Ender Ants]

June 30, 2019:

 

Crematogaster vermiculata colony reaches to about 30 workers: These guys finally had a lot of pupae turn into workers. The larvae hadn't really developed at all during winter, but I'm glad to see more workers are finally popping out. (Sorry for the dark photos, trying out a new camera, and photographing them in their setups is pretty tedious when trying to get at least one good picture. Might have to resort to using my phone for photographing the ones in these setups.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crematogaster vermiculata colony 2 reaches 30+ workers: Things are really looking well for this colony. They had a major blow up in population while I was on vacation, and it looks like there's a lot of larvae developing into pupae now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crematogaster cf. coarctata colony at around 5 workers: The queen in the Cubes and Tubes setup had died, so I managed to give this queen the workers, but they mostly died out Hoping to find a lot of Crematogaster this year since its that time around. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==

 

I post more picture on my Instagram so feel free to check that out: @ender_ants

Edited by Ender Ants, June 30 2019 - 12:58 PM.