How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

General Off Topic Chat and Discussions

Moderator: ooper01

Post Reply
AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35275Post AntsDakota
Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:23 pm

So, just wondering. For those of you that live where honey pot ants are native, and keep them, do their colonies grow very large? Because usually non-aggressive species don't grow very large colonies. I wish I could at least find Prenolepis, but the ant with the biggest repletes around here are Camponotus.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

User avatar
antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35321Post antnest8
Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:16 am

it would depend on the species of honeypot ants. prenolepis imparis don't get very large but camponotus grows to a sometimes considerable size for some species.
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35332Post AntsDakota
Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:48 pm

antnest8 wrote:
Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:16 am
it would depend on the species of honeypot ants. prenolepis imparis don't get very large but camponotus grows to a sometimes considerable size for some species.
I meant Myrmecosystus. I have observed a Myrmecosystus colony that spanned an entire driveway, and part of a side yard, with several satellite nests. I estimate that there were at least several thousand workers present. There were immense trails between each nest, and they were hunting little flies. They had red heads and thoraxes and black abdomens. Myrmecosystus depilis, mimicus, and wasmael match this description.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35333Post AntsDakota
Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:58 pm

And the only species of Camponotus that are considered honeypot ants are Camponotus inflatus, which live in Australia.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

User avatar
antnest8
Posts: 1438
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:11 pm
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35339Post antnest8
Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:03 pm

all camponotus ants have replets just not to the size of others. in most species the replets can do things
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
  • Ant Care Sheets
    Queen Hunting
    How To Identify Ants
Goal is to become #2 poster on the forum

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35372Post AntsDakota
Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:12 pm

Prenolepis are not actually considered honey pot ants. All other species of ants that are considered honey pot ants do not live in North America. So it is most likely that a person in North America will be referring to Myrmecosystus when they speak of honey pot ants.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 35373Post AntsDakota
Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:15 pm

antnest8 wrote:
Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:03 pm
all camponotus ants have replets just not to the size of others. in most species the replets can do things
Camponotus do have repletes, but C. inflatus is the only species with pronounced enough repletes to be considered honey pot ants.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How big can a Myrmecosystus colony get?

Post: # 35374Post AntsDakota
Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:16 pm

So back on topic. How big can a colony of Myrmecosystus get?
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

AntsDakota
Posts: 1283
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:22 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Post: # 36077Post AntsDakota
Fri May 18, 2018 2:39 pm

AntsDakota wrote:
Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:48 pm
antnest8 wrote:
Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:16 am
it would depend on the species of honeypot ants. prenolepis imparis don't get very large but camponotus grows to a sometimes considerable size for some species.
I meant Myrmecosystus. I have observed a Myrmecosystus colony that spanned an entire driveway, and part of a side yard, with several satellite nests. I estimate that there were at least several thousand workers present. There were immense trails between each nest, and they were hunting little flies. They had red heads and thoraxes and black abdomens. Myrmecosystus depilis, mimicus, and wasmael match this description.
My mistake! It was a Dorymyrmex bicolor colony.
"God made every kind of wild beasts and every kind of livestock and every kind of creeping things;" (including ants) "and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests