Leptothorax acervorum questions

Questions from those who are just starting or considering getting into the ant keeping hobby. If you’re intimidated or confused by the in-depth posts of the other sections of this forum, feel free to post here, and we'll start from square one!

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KimNorway
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:45 am
Location: Norway

Leptothorax acervorum questions

Post: # 49234Post KimNorway
Mon Sep 03, 2018 10:31 am

I did study some of my dead "myrmica" ants in a microscope, seems I was wrong. Likely the tiny ants are a Leptothorax species, most likely the common Leptothorax acervorum, one of Norway's most common ants.

Question: is this a good candidate if i find a colony inside an acorn, a straw or reed of sorts around in the wild? I would likely be able to bring a full started colony of 100+ ants into an formicarium, babypowder barrier and place the entire colony inside an outworld?

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

Re: Leptothorax acervorum questions

Post: # 49253Post AntsDakota
Mon Sep 03, 2018 1:01 pm

Do you mean Temnothorax?
"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

KimNorway
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:45 am
Location: Norway

Re: Leptothorax acervorum questions

Post: # 49316Post KimNorway
Mon Sep 03, 2018 5:15 pm

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Leptothorax_acervorum
No, Temnothorax do not appear as far north as I live, while Leptothorax is documented as being common in the species descriptions for Norway.

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

Re: Leptothorax acervorum questions

Post: # 50412Post AntsDakota
Sat Sep 15, 2018 1:24 pm

KimNorway wrote:
Mon Sep 03, 2018 10:31 am
I did study some of my dead "myrmica" ants in a microscope, seems I was wrong. Likely the tiny ants are a Leptothorax species, most likely the common Leptothorax acervorum, one of Norway's most common ants.

Question: is this a good candidate if i find a colony inside an acorn, a straw or reed of sorts around in the wild? I would likely be able to bring a full started colony of 100+ ants into an formicarium, babypowder barrier and place the entire colony inside an outworld?
I wouldn't assume a colony of that species would grow much bigger than a couple hundred workers. So if you want to keep the colony long term, I would either catch a small colony or a queen.
"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

KimNorway
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:45 am
Location: Norway

Re: Leptothorax acervorum questions

Post: # 50491Post KimNorway
Sun Sep 16, 2018 2:20 pm

Thanks. I did try find a colony, and found a tiny colony of some dark colour Myrmica, i am guessing some of the tiny monogynous 100-150 ant colony size kind of Myrmica...
I did put the branch in an tub with a barrier, and the ants basically just gathered all brood uncovered by lifting off some bark, and hid inside the wood. The ants I found now looks like Myrmica lobicornis or sulcinodis, seems to hide inside branches and basically don't go out much.
The next day I judged the colony I captured to be unfit for myrmicarium, and since I expected the entire colony to just gather in the centre of the log and die if i tried, i released it the same place I found it..

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

Re: Leptothorax acervorum questions

Post: # 51707Post AntsDakota
Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:39 pm

Yeah, Myrmica colonies usually don't get very large (except rubra). And just so you know, the correct term is "formicarium".
"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

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