63 replies to this topic

[Ra3MaN]

 

 

chewing a mosquito.

 

I like how the ants first chew of all the appendages before going for the body of the insect. 

[antmaniac]

My observation is, the ants tend to bite off the appendages and feed to the larva first. Maybe they are like drumsticks or noodles to them. Or maybe they are just easier to dismantle and chew, as I also notice they tend to bite off the gaster first. I think this eating habit also happens in other insects like spiders, they sometimes even make the thorax into a meatball like afterward. Another theory is that the legs would dry up quickly, but the body can preserve longer. Hence they don't have to waste their food at all.

[antmaniac]

24/3/2015

The ants have moved the brood to a well hydrated part of the nest, after I gave them heaps of fruit flies and mosquitoes the night before. I believe that they used formic acid to kill their prey.

[antmaniac]

The ants have move the brood back. Probably too attached to the queen. Anyway, I may take this opportunity to share some photos of sugar ants in the past.

 

[antmaniac]

28/3/2015

Good to see that the ant has carry a piece of garbage outside, hopefully more will follow. The ant managed to kill fruit fly after trace it by scent. However, as it is still day time, the ant didn't have the courage to come out and hunt in group.

 

Update: It is dark, but the nanitic workers are having trouble with a larger fruit fly got into the straw passageway. Although they went out in group, it appears that the queen still have to go out and give a hand. However, the queen appears to be afraid of the section of the straw leading to the outside.

 

I have removed the fruit fly the next day. 

Edited by antmaniac, March 28 2015 - 8:28 PM.

[antmaniac]

28/3/2015

The larvae are packed with liquid. I have been feeding them the brown sugar water and it seems be working, so far.

 

The ant is feeding the fruit fly to the larva.

 

The ants are hiding something.

 

[antmaniac]

28/3/2015

I think the larva is a major, but I am not 100% certain.

 

The worker is feeding the chubby larva.

 

[antmaniac]

13/4/2015

Unfortunately, one of the workers was found dead. It could be due to the mould which has appeared due to the garbage dumped in the nest or the worker just didn't eat. They have moved the body of the worker to the outside. I am planning to move the whole nest to the outdoor. So far they still stocking up on the brown sugar water.

Edited by antmaniac, April 14 2015 - 5:05 AM.

[antmaniac]

A quick and last update for this journal. I relocated the colony outside and unfortunately, they moved out to the wilderness. I did get a glimpse of the workers carrying the brood outside. Hopefully they are surviving well.

[antmaniac]

20/11/2015
Caught 2 queens on Friday night, I guess I can continue this journal now.




24/11/2015
The lighter coloured queen died, I suspect she died from the injury which caused the abdomen burst open.

Edited by antmaniac, November 24 2015 - 12:43 AM.

[antmaniac]

26/11/2015

3 eggs so far.

 

[Gregory2455]

Awesome! This species looks so cool!

[antmaniac]

The colour of this species looks quite nice indeed.

7/12/2015
Nothing dramatic happened so far. My guess is a dozen of eggs there. I have been feeding the queen mosquito occasionally. It appears that this queen prefer mosquito over honey, maybe she is a different species compares to the previous one.

Edited by antmaniac, December 10 2015 - 1:40 AM.

[antmaniac]

20/12/2015

The larvae are developing well.

 

24/12/2015

The queen is chubby and the larvae are well fed. I have put in some more mosquitoes. 

 

[antmaniac]

29/12/2015

First cocoon.

 

3/1/2016

3 cocoons.

Edited by antmaniac, January 5 2016 - 5:15 AM.

[antmaniac]

19/1/2016

About 7 cocoons now.

 

[antmaniac]

22/1/2016

First worker

 

[antmaniac]

6/2/2016

5 workers

 

[iXvXi]

Awesome! This camponotus colony seems to be doing well. It took around 20 days from larvae to cocoon?

[antmaniac]

From the timeline, from egg to cocoon in about 20 days is correct. Major worker and cooler season may take longer though.