Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

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MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 47901Post MorbidBugg
Sun Aug 19, 2018 12:16 pm

So I'm starting a habit at room for the things in my life that I enjoy. So I shall document them for future references to care and keeping of all the creatures under my care.

First let's start with the ants.
Colony one: Camponotus Novaeboracenis
Colony two:Formica cf. Subsericea
Colony three:Formica Sp (waiting on workers for positive id)
Colony four and five Lasius murphyi

They are in order of discovery.

All of them are in testbed setups currently except the camponotus are already in a nest as the queen was extremely stressed in the tube because she couldn't get her footing she was constantly moving and being over active. Once in the nest she calmed right down and egg laying doubled.) The two murphyi will be meeting their new family wither today or tomorrow whenever I can get out and look for host workers and or pupa for the workers to help them along(I will try and document every step of the way either by picture or video)
They will all eventually be in a set up that most resembles a natural environment with premade nests for cycling and found materials from close to where they were discovered.(properly sterilized of course)

The other roommates!
As the room I'm using was once a growing closet for veggies it ce to become residence of many bugs of multiple varieties. Some of the ones I'm trying to allow to grow freely, spiders (specifically a very useful and at times larger species)
Araneus Diadematus
And
Salticus scenicus

Then the Common crickets that manage to find their way in there (caught 4 of them so I'm hoping I got a mating pair for future requirements) as well as a captured isopod/spring tail colony.(which I was using for my garden needs to begin with)

Some of the plants that live along side are tomatoes basil beans and a pepper plant.

I plan on adding some more floral plants next year but I need to do some serious remodeling of my room to make room for everything I need.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the journey into the morbid bugg closet when my formica queens finally get some workers I'll be able to take pictures without too much worry of stressing the Queens. I'll also add pictures of my other colonies as well. Busy few weeks for this project. Hopefully I can keep the bad karma away.
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48045Post MorbidBugg
Mon Aug 20, 2018 1:01 pm

Well I was hoping for a more positive first post but sadly it is not. One of the two lasius murphyi queens decided to burrow the wrong way into the tube got her self stuck and drowned in the cotton. RIP. I was on my way to go find some lasius hosts and decided to check before I left and... well yeah so hopefully I can introduce workers to the remaining parasitic queen with no hassles... as I only have one shot at it I have to proceed with extreme diligence...
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48047Post MorbidBugg
Mon Aug 20, 2018 1:09 pm

Upon closer inspection it appears the cotton ball is smaller than the average and appears to have slide further into the water reservoir.very and the queen must have assumed safety through the path of least resistance. Once under the cotton it appears her antenna where the cause of her short comings as they appear to be caught on the cotton. Sad but this should be seen as not just sad but a teaching moment. Make sure your cotton ball is big enough to sit snug!
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48089Post MorbidBugg
Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:48 pm

Yes! It took hours but I think the lasius workers(4) accepted my lasius murphyi she's in the tube and over the host brood licking her antenna after every worker checks it out. Unfortunately my camera didn't tape the first 2 hours ... but I was able to get some footage.


How the process worked. Went for a walk to some older gardens that haven't been tended too for over a year. Flipped rocks till I found what I was sure was lasius Niger. I don't know why but I just couldn't find anything else on that walk besides Niger. So I figured might as well see what kind of reaction I get.

First I got a pupa and dropped it into the parasitic queens tube she smelled it and didn't know if it was safe after 5 minutes she went to check it out more and then began to lock and wash her antenna. A good sign from what I've read. So now the difficult and honestly the hardest part trying to introduce workers I had started with 4 workers and about 10 to 14 pupa(giver take) and placed the Queens tube into a tuper ware out world. I left it sealed. I did this for a reason. I then took the tube with workers and pupa and gently rolled them into the tuper ware. This is where it gets interesting.when the ants and pupa fell to the ground there was a rush between the 4 workers to get the brood collected and safe when half were collected I opened the Queens tube at this point 2 workers were nesting over the recovered eggs 2 were collecting. The initial meeting was quick the queen tried to stay out of their way.... for the most part, she would dive in and feel the other ants as they would walk by looking for more eggs she would then lick herself more. After awhile(SEVERAL HOURS) the two that were collecting the eggs started coaxing her towards the nest. Once inside the other 2 workers watching the eggs gave her a quick smell and left her with the brood to find the rest! I'm hoping to check back in a bit. Perhaps get a picture. To post editing the video will take some time..

Joyous exclamation!

Notes on the other colonies

Camponotus are slowly doing their thing. Still waiting on the pupa to eclose. ..
One formica queen on appearance has laid no eggs yet. I'm a little worried but not enough yet. The other formica has about 6 larva and a few eggs.


Oh and my tomatoes look awesome... (sorry couldn't help myself)
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

AntsOfOntario
Posts: 72
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 1:06 pm

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48095Post AntsOfOntario
Mon Aug 20, 2018 11:09 pm

MorbidBugg wrote:
Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:48 pm
Yes! It took hours but I think the lasius workers(4) accepted my lasius murphyi she's in the tube and over the host brood licking her antenna after every worker checks it out. Unfortunately my camera didn't tape the first 2 hours ... but I was able to get some footage.


How the process worked. Went for a walk to some older gardens that haven't been tended too for over a year. Flipped rocks till I found what I was sure was lasius Niger. I don't know why but I just couldn't find anything else on that walk besides Niger. So I figured might as well see what kind of reaction I get.

First I got a pupa and dropped it into the parasitic queens tube she smelled it and didn't know if it was safe after 5 minutes she went to check it out more and then began to lock and wash her antenna. A good sign from what I've read. So now the difficult and honestly the hardest part trying to introduce workers I had started with 4 workers and about 10 to 14 pupa(giver take) and placed the Queens tube into a tuper ware out world. I left it sealed. I did this for a reason. I then took the tube with workers and pupa and gently rolled them into the tuper ware. This is where it gets interesting.when the ants and pupa fell to the ground there was a rush between the 4 workers to get the brood collected and safe when half were collected I opened the Queens tube at this point 2 workers were nesting over the recovered eggs 2 were collecting. The initial meeting was quick the queen tried to stay out of their way.... for the most part, she would dive in and feel the other ants as they would walk by looking for more eggs she would then lick herself more. After awhile(SEVERAL HOURS) the two that were collecting the eggs started coaxing her towards the nest. Once inside the other 2 workers watching the eggs gave her a quick smell and left her with the brood to find the rest! I'm hoping to check back in a bit. Perhaps get a picture. To post editing the video will take some time..

Joyous exclamation!

Notes on the other colonies



Camponotus are slowly doing their thing. Still waiting on the pupa to eclose. ..
One formica queen on appearance has laid no eggs yet. I'm a little worried but not enough yet. The other formica has about 6 larva and a few eggs.


Oh and my tomatoes look awesome... (sorry couldn't help myself)
Exciting!! Can't wait for more

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48127Post MorbidBugg
Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:47 am

So some some what confusing news.

The lasius murphyi and her host colony all survived the night. But there wassomething I didn't expect when I turned on my lights to the room today... the queen and 1 host worker are in the tube the other two workers have taken all the pupa and placed them outside of the tube... are they rejecting the queen? Perhaps it was too wet for the pupa? I'm not sure what's happening here but the one worker is sticking by the Queens side... I'm not sure what I'm looking at..
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48129Post MorbidBugg
Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:48 am

No sign of the fourth worker or any remains I'm not sure if he escaped or what...

Edit I found her she escaped right into a spiders Web. Down to three
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48134Post MorbidBugg
Tue Aug 21, 2018 10:08 am

Omg the light! I turned it on 30 Minutes later all eggs are back in the nest...
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48540Post MorbidBugg
Sun Aug 26, 2018 11:04 am

Update with a bunch of pics tonight (sorry got really busy last week had no time to edit or update the pictures. Tonight will be better!)
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

MorbidBugg
Posts: 284
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:11 pm
Location: Orangeville

Re: Morbid Buggs ants and bugs and plants

Post: # 48632Post MorbidBugg
Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:06 pm

First I apologize it is clearly the next day fell asleep while looking at the pictures, now lets get into it,

Colony updates:

Formica Sp. no pictures, she still has yet to lay any eggs since last checking (tuesday of last week) so Im gonna leave her alone for another week before I do a photo and check up. sorry no photos.


Formica Cf.Subsericea a few eggs and a couple of larva as I know shes spooked easily Im waiting for workers before I do much with her, should be soon though if I have larva. again sorry no pictures just a check up report.

Lasius Murphyi/Niger(assumed)

So alot to report, they've not only begun to forage for the queen but she is sharing meals with the new nantics that have come forth, I have been giving them fruit flies syrup water (water made with brown sugar as opposed to white) and a slice of apple in their outworld, I havent seen them near the fruit but they like the syrup atleast. here are some pictures and a link to the album if anyone would like super close. Taken on a Canon G7, auto setting, Macro setting.

Link to album(More Photos!): https://imgur.com/a/F8vGguo

New Queen feeding nantic and Familiarizing
Image
Image

Image


Camponotus Noveaboracensis
Still probably the most relaxed and entitled colony, I fed them half a cricket and they brought it over to the clutch for the larva, still waiting for them to give up the other remains, but probably just a little good stuff left in it for them to not want to waste. upto 6 workers four stay in the nest one gathers sugars and the last gaurds

Link to album(More Photos!): https://imgur.com/a/NIzSVak

the hot spot,
Image
Image

Until Next time!
Ants are life's most successful invaders. Understand and respect that power.

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