Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

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Hunter36o
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:57 am
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 49692Post Hunter36o
Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:58 am

I really am in love with this topic 😍

That is strange as the only time I heard of ants going back to a nest in a disorderly fashion is what you give them a fresh chocolate bar, it is like they become drunk with sugar and do not fully comprehend their own pheromone trails.

As for why they are pushing only the fire ants away is because they could have already discovered they are a massive threat and instead of falling victim, they had a chance to be the dominant species and took it. Personally I would not argue if one ant species was keep fire ants away from my front door hahaha.

And finally, from my own experience with wild colonies. I have seen colonies leave random workers alone and left them to their business, but I have watched the same colony have a field day with their drones and queen during their flights. My conclusion is a long time ago ants discovered that although a single worker may be a waste of energy for just a small feed, it would seem they know for a fact that queen's and drones are fair game, which makes sense since the queen would have all the proteins needed to produce an egg and the drones are full of **** which would also be packed full of protein and what to larvae need? Lots and lots of protein.

Also I am loving their handy work with these crators, maybe they stop after a car hits them because they could have taken note that it was not a natural incident and could happen continuously making it a nuisance for the ants.
Research is important before during and even after you have established a colony. There is always time to learn and to listen to others experiences. Live by this and your ants will thrive. Fail to do so and your experience may be brief.

Bierschneeman
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:11 pm
Location: louisiana

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 49908Post Bierschneeman
Sun Sep 09, 2018 4:40 pm

Ants vs Tropical Storm Gordon.

Big news at the end.

So Tropical storm Gordon passed through giving me spots of heavy rain, and periods of bright sun in waves. Lets see how they have done.

First to Hunter. No chocolate, I have given them the feeder crickets I bought for my domestic colonies, a chicken bone from a day of grilling, moved a dead insect from the feeding grounds of one species, to them. they walk in weird ways all the time, even moving brood.

Speaking of it seems some of the colonies share, If I water one nest too much, they start bringing brood to the next nest over. man, really are just one large supercolony.

With every wave of rain, the construction begins again. If the whole is plugged, the ants left outside (or ants from neighboring nests) begin tearing it open as fast as they can.
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After The first wave of rain, THEY FLEW.
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They aren't supposed to fly in september. or at least all the resources I find put their end in June,July or August. but never september.
Maybe they fly now because of the longer dry spell, Why not earlier in the week for that first rain, was the rain too light, or did they wait because of the MASSIVE flights by competing species?
I couldn't get too close because they would go back and hide FAST.
Their gasters were very swollen. they almost looked like bumbled bees, and they took off clumsily.
They started gathering to fly at 6pm, and actually flew about 45 minutes later. (Brachymyrmex are also evening flyers)
unfortunately this means the best time to get a fertilized queen, would be around midnight. That is peak mugging hours around here, so I walked at 5am and saw none of them.

They seem to exclusively nest in sand, although they will break into clay or silt, the dominant substrate is always sand. This is true all over, as I have found them in many places throughout the area.

Heres a bunch of sandy structures built inbetween waves of rain, all destroyed and replaced by now.
(the mossy crack has a plant...lol
Image
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This one is filling in nicely
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This one was dug up by a dog, they built a volcano in the bottom of the hole, then the rain filled it in, they just kept building it up.
Nice sandy layer.
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speaking of volcano.
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The news is on second post. reached character max.
Founding:
3 Solenopsis I/X
5 Tapinoma sessile
1 Nylanderia terricola/vivulda

Colonies:
1 Brachymyrmex patagonicus
1 Pheidole soritis
1 Tapinoma sessile

The difference between a hobby and a scientific pursuit, is detailed notes.

Bierschneeman
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:11 pm
Location: louisiana

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 49909Post Bierschneeman
Sun Sep 09, 2018 4:41 pm

part 2, of Tropical storm vs ants.

the news.

So I have been catching a lot of ants in the subfamily of Dolcherdinae, So I now have been doing a lot of research in the taxonomy of the whole lot. I had to get some more pictures of these guys.
What I found out... Some of these nests aren't Forelius purinosis. I have some Dorymyrmex bureni mixed in.
Heres the defining feature (well, the one that is easiest to identify)
Dorymyrmex always have either a tooth or a spine on the propdeum which is itself pyramid shaped.
This one is toothed, not spined ( i did find some spined.) and you can see the triangular shape in the slow and the whole thing comes to a pyramidal point.
Image
Forelius NEVER has a tooth or a spine. The propodeum can be sloped/flattened, it can be rounded, it can be squared, but never a pryamid and NEVER a tooth or spine.
I went back amongst my pictures and found the queen I caught was definitely Forelius. (she was also 5mm, I even measured her post mortem. 5mm queen Forelius, 6.5mm or bigger, Dorymyrmex) I wish now I caught one of the unfertilized queens and measured her, they seemed bigger, but thats anecdotal, not scientific. This also indicates why only some of the colonies flew, but others did not.

There is a mass of nests where I found a Forelius worker, but the Dorymyrmex workers were on a more sparsely laid out string into the alley. These were also the taller more volcano like nests.

One day I will have to line up labeled containers and gather one worker from each nest, so I can chart which nests are which.
final propdeum picture.
Image
notice the petiole is shorter, and more of a scale, less of the long wave like form of the other.
Founding:
3 Solenopsis I/X
5 Tapinoma sessile
1 Nylanderia terricola/vivulda

Colonies:
1 Brachymyrmex patagonicus
1 Pheidole soritis
1 Tapinoma sessile

The difference between a hobby and a scientific pursuit, is detailed notes.

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

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 49918Post AntsDakota
Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:11 pm

Hope you catch a Forelius queen. I would love to see a captive colony of them.
"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

Bierschneeman
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:11 pm
Location: louisiana

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 50391Post Bierschneeman
Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:50 am

Sorry I missed your question so long ago Antsdakota, Yes sun ants are polygynus.

update,
on Sunday, when I got back from a walk I saw a queen land on one of the nests, the ants went crazy, she starting rolling on the ground to get her wings off.
I scooped her up. put her in a n Empire ants twopart formicarium and outworld. added 8 workers from the nest that was accepting her (to prevent the problems of the last queen.)
Image
Image
Image
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She went right in, but the workers kept trying to explore the outworld part, took forever for them to disappear.
She liked hanging upsidedown.
The workers LOVE honey. I have read these guys have a heavy addiction to sweets. It shows. Also their gasters are now all swollen and clear.

There is also sand in there so they can move it around in case it is too open for them.

I verified I grabbed a Forelius queen, not a Dorymyrmex (If you remember there are very similarly looking Dorymyrmex nearby)

Three days later.

She eventually rejected the formicarium part and is nesting in the outworld part... so stressful, every time I water, clean or feed she runs for the hole.
You can see in this picture they are all surrounding her often, and caring for her as if this was the formicarium part.

Image

Day Four.
I found five dead workers in the Primary outworld/water source. one worker was a solenopsis (was this an accidental pick up on my part, I only grabbed two at a time.)

Here is what I have for the outworld
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notice extra sand so they can make the decisions on their own.

Today, Day Six
There is presumably only 2 workers, I have not seen since before the mass death. She is fine, finally returned to the formicarium part which means I won't see her for a while, going to give her space, time, and privacy.
The hole from the combo outworld to formicarium is plugged with dirt!!! why they do that. I hope she is doing alright, I hope she gets enough water off the walls when I water the nest.

Should I just water every other day but ignore her otherwise?
Should I add more workers from the same nest that had accepted her?
Should I disconnect the big outworld and tape a water test tube there (more water, less oxygen.)?
Founding:
3 Solenopsis I/X
5 Tapinoma sessile
1 Nylanderia terricola/vivulda

Colonies:
1 Brachymyrmex patagonicus
1 Pheidole soritis
1 Tapinoma sessile

The difference between a hobby and a scientific pursuit, is detailed notes.

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

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 50394Post AntsDakota
Sat Sep 15, 2018 12:54 pm

Bierschneeman wrote:
Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:50 am
Sorry I missed your question so long ago Antsdakota, Yes sun ants are polygynus.

update,
on Sunday, when I got back from a walk I saw a queen land on one of the nests, the ants went crazy, she starting rolling on the ground to get her wings off.
I scooped her up. put her in a n Empire ants twopart formicarium and outworld. added 8 workers from the nest that was accepting her (to prevent the problems of the last queen.)
Image
Image
Image
Image
She went right in, but the workers kept trying to explore the outworld part, took forever for them to disappear.
She liked hanging upsidedown.
The workers LOVE honey. I have read these guys have a heavy addiction to sweets. It shows. Also their gasters are now all swollen and clear.

There is also sand in there so they can move it around in case it is too open for them.

I verified I grabbed a Forelius queen, not a Dorymyrmex (If you remember there are very similarly looking Dorymyrmex nearby)

Three days later.

She eventually rejected the formicarium part and is nesting in the outworld part... so stressful, every time I water, clean or feed she runs for the hole.
You can see in this picture they are all surrounding her often, and caring for her as if this was the formicarium part.

Image

Day Four.
I found five dead workers in the Primary outworld/water source. one worker was a solenopsis (was this an accidental pick up on my part, I only grabbed two at a time.)

Here is what I have for the outworld
Image
Image
notice extra sand so they can make the decisions on their own.

Today, Day Six
There is presumably only 2 workers, I have not seen since before the mass death. She is fine, finally returned to the formicarium part which means I won't see her for a while, going to give her space, time, and privacy.
The hole from the combo outworld to formicarium is plugged with dirt!!! why they do that. I hope she is doing alright, I hope she gets enough water off the walls when I water the nest.

Should I just water every other day but ignore her otherwise?
Should I add more workers from the same nest that had accepted her?
Should I disconnect the big outworld and tape a water test tube there (more water, less oxygen.)?
So cool! The ants probably plugged the nest entrance to keep airflow from entering the nest, and/or to further conceal their nest entrance.
"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

Bierschneeman
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:11 pm
Location: louisiana

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 51304Post Bierschneeman
Sun Sep 23, 2018 8:53 pm

So I haven't seen a worker in a long while, Even if I turn on the red light to look in at her, she seems alone. (she does have a clutch of eggs, YAY!!!)

So I disconnected the tupperware outworld and attatched an alternative water source straight into the hose. (a lot closer)
I then cooked the substrate and put it back in for a Crazy ant colony from a friend.
Put the substrate back in (I like the stripe so I tried to keep the two colors seperate)

Image
as they were moving in I noticed a lot of dying ants sprawled on their backs like they couldn't work half their bodies. WHATS GOING ON. I noticed they were exclusively dying on the white sand, (the same stuff I exclusively found the dead Sun Ant workers on.)
So I gave it a closer look (can't be contamination, they been cooked, twice.) IT looks an awful lot like Perlite, a type of Volcanic glass used often in filtering beer and wine, But also used in pool filters. there is also this looser fine brown stuff under it. I went back to where I got it, and peered through the fence. A POOL!!!

That fine brown stuff is likely Diatomacious Earth (or DE) which was killing my ants. This homeowner was probably just dumping his pool filter just barely off his property (which is why I found it in abundance). (technically this is legal, and fine, its the same as dirt, or fossils.)

So deadly substrate discovered. I removed it, as well as 83 dead ants. (there is now 170+ left, plus more than that of brood, only one queen)

But even more important, that deadly outworld is disconnected from my sun ant queen before it reeks even greater havoc destroying my pride and joy.
Founding:
3 Solenopsis I/X
5 Tapinoma sessile
1 Nylanderia terricola/vivulda

Colonies:
1 Brachymyrmex patagonicus
1 Pheidole soritis
1 Tapinoma sessile

The difference between a hobby and a scientific pursuit, is detailed notes.

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

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 51394Post AntsDakota
Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:03 pm

Bierschneeman wrote:
Sun Sep 23, 2018 8:53 pm
So I haven't seen a worker in a long while, Even if I turn on the red light to look in at her, she seems alone. (she does have a clutch of eggs, YAY!!!)

So I disconnected the tupperware outworld and attatched an alternative water source straight into the hose. (a lot closer)
I then cooked the substrate and put it back in for a Crazy ant colony from a friend.
Put the substrate back in (I like the stripe so I tried to keep the two colors seperate)

Image
as they were moving in I noticed a lot of dying ants sprawled on their backs like they couldn't work half their bodies. WHATS GOING ON. I noticed they were exclusively dying on the white sand, (the same stuff I exclusively found the dead Sun Ant workers on.)
So I gave it a closer look (can't be contamination, they been cooked, twice.) IT looks an awful lot like Perlite, a type of Volcanic glass used often in filtering beer and wine, But also used in pool filters. there is also this looser fine brown stuff under it. I went back to where I got it, and peered through the fence. A POOL!!!

That fine brown stuff is likely Diatomacious Earth (or DE) which was killing my ants. This homeowner was probably just dumping his pool filter just barely off his property (which is why I found it in abundance). (technically this is legal, and fine, its the same as dirt, or fossils.)

So deadly substrate discovered. I removed it, as well as 83 dead ants. (there is now 170+ left, plus more than that of brood, only one queen)

But even more important, that deadly outworld is disconnected from my sun ant queen before it reeks even greater havoc destroying my pride and joy.
If they are Black Crazy ants, the queen will clone herself.
"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

Bierschneeman
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:11 pm
Location: louisiana

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 51407Post Bierschneeman
Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:44 pm

AntsDakota wrote:
Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:03 pm
Bierschneeman wrote:
Sun Sep 23, 2018 8:53 pm
So I haven't seen a worker in a long while, Even if I turn on the red light to look in at her, she seems alone. (she does have a clutch of eggs, YAY!!!)

So I disconnected the tupperware outworld and attatched an alternative water source straight into the hose. (a lot closer)
I then cooked the substrate and put it back in for a Crazy ant colony from a friend.
Put the substrate back in (I like the stripe so I tried to keep the two colors seperate)

Image
as they were moving in I noticed a lot of dying ants sprawled on their backs like they couldn't work half their bodies. WHATS GOING ON. I noticed they were exclusively dying on the white sand, (the same stuff I exclusively found the dead Sun Ant workers on.)
So I gave it a closer look (can't be contamination, they been cooked, twice.) IT looks an awful lot like Perlite, a type of Volcanic glass used often in filtering beer and wine, But also used in pool filters. there is also this looser fine brown stuff under it. I went back to where I got it, and peered through the fence. A POOL!!!

That fine brown stuff is likely Diatomacious Earth (or DE) which was killing my ants. This homeowner was probably just dumping his pool filter just barely off his property (which is why I found it in abundance). (technically this is legal, and fine, its the same as dirt, or fossils.)

So deadly substrate discovered. I removed it, as well as 83 dead ants. (there is now 170+ left, plus more than that of brood, only one queen)

But even more important, that deadly outworld is disconnected from my sun ant queen before it reeks even greater havoc destroying my pride and joy.
If they are Black Crazy ants, the queen will clone herself.
sorry, should have been more specific.

not Patartrechini longicornis "longhorn" or "black" crazy ants (a la Dark Knights AntsCanada)
not Anoplolepis gracilipes "yelliw" crazy ant (a la Golden Empire AntsCanada)

not Nylanderia fulva "raspberry crazy ant" or "hairy ctazy ants"



These are Nylanderia terricola"earthen crazy ant" a native crazy ant.

I dont know if the same rules apply or not, just starting research now, so dont even know if they are polygynus yet.
Founding:
3 Solenopsis I/X
5 Tapinoma sessile
1 Nylanderia terricola/vivulda

Colonies:
1 Brachymyrmex patagonicus
1 Pheidole soritis
1 Tapinoma sessile

The difference between a hobby and a scientific pursuit, is detailed notes.

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

Re: Forelius pruinosis Journal(my dream species)

Post: # 51644Post AntsDakota
Sun Sep 30, 2018 2:49 pm

Interesting.
"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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