Brood

[Will230145]

I recentley brood boosted one of my colonies as they had a few eggs and a week later they moved all of the boosted brood in a test tube and the true eggs in the formicarium, could this be they don't want them?

[AntsSA]

it could be that it is not the exact same species, so they will not accept them.

[Will230145]

Oh, I did realize that. But camponotus Pennsylvanica are black, live in wood where I found them and have majors. The only difference is that when the other species hatched they were brown and had to harden their exoskeleton as Pennsylvanica is hardened in the cocoon.

[StopSpazzing]

Oh, I did realize that. But camponotus Pennsylvanica are black, live in wood where I found them and have majors. The only difference is that when the other species hatched they were brown and had to harden their exoskeleton as Pennsylvanica is hardened in the cocoon.

Sometimes even when it should work, that colony doesn't want to be brood boosted. You could even say each colony has it's own personality.

[Will230145]

It's weird because the colony split up and 6 ants take care of the eggs in the test tube and the rest took care of the queen and other brood in the formicarium.

[StopSpazzing]

It's weird because the colony split up and 6 ants take care of the eggs in the test tube and the rest took care of the queen and other brood in the formicarium.

Yeah, that is very odd. Hopefully they won't fight later.

[Serafine]

Some ants, especially Camponotus, store pupae in other places than eggs and larvae. The reason is that the eggs need humidity, the pupae don't.
My Campos store their pupae at the top end of the nest where the heating cable is and the eggs at the opposite side inside the attached water tube (larvae are scattered from top to the middle part of the nest).

[Will230145]

Ok thanks, what would happen if I got the wrong species?

[Phoenix]

Would've Been Eated Already.

[Serafine]

Ok thanks, what would happen if I got the wrong species?

They might eat the pupae or kill them when they hatch from their cocoons (these sometimes even happens to social parasites that are built to get accepted). Although sometimes if they're related enough they will be accepted.