The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

Hi im new to this forum, i have a odontomachus monticola queen that i got about 4 days ago, she is placed in a testtube with sand and moist. I am worried because she don't want to eat sugarwater,honey or even chopped up mealworms for protein.
She has no eggs and this is why i am worried and i have no experinece with this species.
my questions are following:
-Should i wait until larvae appear until i feed her in an outworld?
-How long can it take for her to settle down and lay eggs?
-Why does she even ignore sugarwater and honey?

Hi. Welcome to the AntsCanada forum!

Odontomachus is a fairly hard species to raise. Mostly because it is semi-claustral. This means that the queen needs to hunt for her to survive and feel comfortable. Try giving her a semi-live mealworm and see how she reacts to it. I think, but not sure, that she will probably lay eggs in about a week to two weeks. These eggs might take two maybe three months to develop only because those eggs are her first eggs. Tell me if this works out.

-ArizonanAnts

Thank you for giving me hope i have no experience with odontomachus and i know they are picky, but maybe should try a small semi killed cricket instead?
She's currently in a testtube with sand i made a damp chamber for her closest to the cotton and she seem to like it! she comes out from the chamber at night and she wanders around in the half that is not filled with sand so basicly the testtube works as an outworld as well.
i know people feed odontomachus mealworms when they are chopped up.

Do you have an AC test tube portal?

Whatever works for you as protein

Nope i don't have, but i am going to try crickets or dubia roaches today and se if she just ain't hungry. She has rejected a few tiny fruit flies that i found yesterday (forgot to mention)
I can se her in the sandy chamber close to The cotton.

Update: i bought dubia roaches they are about 5mm smaller than the queen, i cut it in half and it moves around and still she show no intrest i it
I also made a small outworld with a thin moist sandy substrate, it is like the AC testtube portal and she goes out and look up as if she wants to climb out.