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How big can a honey pot ant colony get?

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:23 pm
by AntsDakota
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.

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

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:16 am
by antnest8
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.

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

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:48 pm
by AntsDakota
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.

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

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:58 pm
by AntsDakota
And the only species of Camponotus that are considered honeypot ants are Camponotus inflatus, which live in Australia.

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

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:03 pm
by antnest8
all camponotus ants have replets just not to the size of others. in most species the replets can do things

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

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:12 pm
by AntsDakota
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.

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

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:15 pm
by AntsDakota
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.

Re: How big can a Myrmecosystus colony get?

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:16 pm
by AntsDakota
So back on topic. How big can a colony of Myrmecosystus get?

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

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 2:39 pm
by AntsDakota
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.