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Cyphomyrmex minutus Nuptial Flights and Care

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:53 pm
by Kosh0606
Hello all,

A number of years ago I had the fortune of finding two tiny cyphomyrmex minutus queens in my pool, which i promptly picked up and placed into test tubes. After finding that they were fungus growers who used caterpillar droppings to cultivate their fungus, I added a few pieces of monarch caterpillar droppings from a milkweed plant. Neither of those queens survived to produce nanitics, but I've always wanted to have another shot at these ants. Today, I noticed a cyphomyrmex worker crawling around a pile of leaves while I was walking, so I believe there is a nest near this location. My questions are; does anyone know when cyphomyrmex in north Florida will have their nuptial flights and how do you successfully grow this species? Should I have not used monarch caterpillar frass? Did anyone have success using a particular item for their ants to grow fungi? I read on antwiki that beetle elytra are preferred by wild cyphomyrmex, has anyone tried this?

Thanks for any advice!