ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
Moderator: ooper01
Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony
Great journal, ooper!
I love your set up and outworld.
What kind of sand and ratio do you have on your vertical nest?
Subscribed to your journal.
I love your set up and outworld.
What kind of sand and ratio do you have on your vertical nest?
Subscribed to your journal.
Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony
Thanks! The white streak of sand is industrial quartz (silica sand). I added that in there so that I could tell when they had dug down that far by them bringing it to the surface. The dark layer on the top is garden soil. I didn't add any sand to that layer in an attempt to help the upper tunnels/chambers to not collapse. The lighter soil is a 50/50 mix of garden soil and "play sand" for sandboxes from Home Depot.Mauritaniants wrote:Great journal, ooper!
I love your set up and outworld.
What kind of sand and ratio do you have on your vertical nest?
Subscribed to your journal.
The exterior dimensions of the formicarium are 14" x 12" x 1". The interior digging width is 3/4". The outworld is 11" x 6" x 7".
~ ooper
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Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony
After watching Dr Deborah Gordon's Google Tech Talk from this post:
http://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=210&p=1539&hilit=gordon#p1539
I noticed that the males in the photos were red, similar to the virgin queens. The Pogonomyrmex ants that I have were collected from nuptial flights with black males, so I began to question my barbatus species. I emailed Dr Gordon asking her and she referred me to Dr Jack Longino at University of Utah. I emailed him and he suggested they were most likely either occidentalis or rugosus. Based on the info he provided on those two species, I have determined that my Pogonomyrmex barbatus ants are actually Pogonomyrmex occidentalis!
Glad I got that all straightened out!
http://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=210&p=1539&hilit=gordon#p1539
I noticed that the males in the photos were red, similar to the virgin queens. The Pogonomyrmex ants that I have were collected from nuptial flights with black males, so I began to question my barbatus species. I emailed Dr Gordon asking her and she referred me to Dr Jack Longino at University of Utah. I emailed him and he suggested they were most likely either occidentalis or rugosus. Based on the info he provided on those two species, I have determined that my Pogonomyrmex barbatus ants are actually Pogonomyrmex occidentalis!
Glad I got that all straightened out!
~ ooper
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Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
Congratulations I have a 2 year old Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony and a 1 year old colony as well
Looking great
Looking great
Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
Do you have a journal for your colonies? I'd love to follow it.Anthony wrote:Congratulations I have a 2 year old Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony and a 1 year old colony as well
Looking great
~ ooper
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Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
September 2, 2015
I added more outworld with a spiral tunnel like the one I saw elsewhere on this forum. The colony continues to thrive, doing really well. Also built a little framework to hold everything rather than books stacked up. I haven't seen the queen in quite some time. She knows all the good hiding places I guess. Estimating well over 100 workers now.
I added more outworld with a spiral tunnel like the one I saw elsewhere on this forum. The colony continues to thrive, doing really well. Also built a little framework to hold everything rather than books stacked up. I haven't seen the queen in quite some time. She knows all the good hiding places I guess. Estimating well over 100 workers now.
~ ooper
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Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
Look good! Would love to do something along those lines for my solenopsis but they are extremely good escape artists so I can't have a open out world.
Hows that red film working for ya?
Hows that red film working for ya?
MadVampy
Head Forum Admin
Name is also Mike but please don't confuse me with Mikey Bustos, two different people.
Keeper of Solenopsis Ants.
Head Forum Admin
Name is also Mike but please don't confuse me with Mikey Bustos, two different people.
Keeper of Solenopsis Ants.
Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
The red film is working great! I can observe the ants w/o having to remove cardboard covers or lids. I can even shine a dim flashlight on it and the ants don't seem to get alarmed. I was afraid they might begin to cover up the walls to prevent my watching them, but they have not, so I am guessing the red light is "darkness" to them.MadVampy wrote:Look good! Would love to do something along those lines for my solenopsis but they are extremely good escape artists so I can't have a open out world.
Hows that red film working for ya?
~ ooper
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Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
That formicarium looks cool, reminds me of those observation beehives, can I ask what type of substrate your using in it?
Re: ooper's Pogonomyrmex occidentalis colony (#1)
The substrate in the formicarium is layered. The dark layer on the top is garden soil. I didn't add any sand to that layer in an attempt to help the upper tunnels/chambers to not collapse. The lighter soil is a 50/50 mix of garden soil and "play sand" for sandboxes from Home Depot.PaydenB wrote:That formicarium looks cool, reminds me of those observation beehives, can I ask what type of substrate your using in it?
~ ooper
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