First Brachymyrmex colony

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Aaron567
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Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9530Post Aaron567
Sat Aug 06, 2016 3:08 pm

Every time I check on these queens, their brood size is always larger than it was before. They are laying a lot of eggs! I still cannot tell if they have larvae yet since their eggs and everything is so tiny and hard to see. I feel like their first eggs would've definitely hatched by now, so maybe they are hidden under the eggs or something.

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Aaron567
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Cocoons!

Post: # 9800Post Aaron567
Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:49 pm

So in the past week or two, there have been a ton of eggs and just a couple larvae visible. Now, there are TONS of larvae with a couple pupae! And this is my only species that actually makes cocoons around its pupae. When I was shining my phone flashlight while observing the larvae, pupae, and queens, I could easily see that one queen is definitely different than the others. I noticed this a while ago, but now I am very sure that this could be a separate Brachymyrmex species than the other 6 queens. But she has been caring for the brood a lot, as you can see her in many other pics in this journal.

Here is a good picture of her. She is obviously a completely different color/species
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Here is the huge group of larvae.
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Here is a picture of the light colored queen carrying around a cocoon! They are tiny. I was confused at first when I saw the cocoons because they looked like large eggs or larvae or something, but then I remembered this species makes cocoons.
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MCWren

Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9885Post MCWren
Sun Aug 14, 2016 1:17 pm

It would be great if this ended up being a colony with two different species. Hopefully that happens! Remember to update us once there are workers, and hopefully again if/when there are multiple species.

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Aaron567
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Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9888Post Aaron567
Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:32 pm

MCWren wrote:It would be great if this ended up being a colony with two different species. Hopefully that happens! Remember to update us once there are workers, and hopefully again if/when there are multiple species.
Yes, I love updating my journals! I always check all my 14 queens and hope there is something I can put in the journals :lol: I researched different Brachymyrmex species queens, and the light one looks so much like B. depilis. I also really hope they don't kill that queen or her brood since they might have different pheromones or something? It would be so cool to have black workers and light brown workers in the same colony!

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Batspiderfish
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Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9895Post Batspiderfish
Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:52 pm

I've never heard of multiple, non-parasitic Brachymyrmex species nesting together. It could always be a bright color morph. I once found a Formica aserva queen that was almost completely black, and it actually tricked James Trager into at first thinking it was F. subsericea. :D

Sadly, the colony died out after a couple years. I had a pretty long episode of depression and didn't take very good care of my ants. I'm working hard to make it up to the colonies that survived. :(
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

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Batspiderfish
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Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9896Post Batspiderfish
Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:58 pm

I've even positively ID'd a Camponotus pennsylvanicus worker with a red head an mesonotum.
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

MCWren

Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9933Post MCWren
Sun Aug 14, 2016 6:01 pm

Batspiderfish wrote:I've never heard of multiple, non-parasitic Brachymyrmex species nesting together. It could always be a bright color morph. I once found a Formica aserva queen that was almost completely black, and it actually tricked James Trager into at first thinking it was F. subsericea. :D

Sadly, the colony died out after a couple years. I had a pretty long episode of depression and didn't take very good care of my ants. I'm working hard to make it up to the colonies that survived. :(
You know James Trager?! :o

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Batspiderfish
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9938Post Batspiderfish
Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:32 pm

MCWren wrote:
Batspiderfish wrote:I've never heard of multiple, non-parasitic Brachymyrmex species nesting together. It could always be a bright color morph. I once found a Formica aserva queen that was almost completely black, and it actually tricked James Trager into at first thinking it was F. subsericea. :D

Sadly, the colony died out after a couple years. I had a pretty long episode of depression and didn't take very good care of my ants. I'm working hard to make it up to the colonies that survived. :(
You know James Trager?! :o
Not personally. He was doing identifications for yuku while it was still popular. He's sometimes on Formiculture, but I think he misses antdude's strict environment. :D
If you enjoy my expertise and identifications, please do not put wild populations at risk of disease by releasing pet colonies. We are responsible to give our pets the best care we can manage for the rest of their lives.

nightxwolf88

Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9948Post nightxwolf88
Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:23 pm

Ya I don't use that often I like the more friendly atmosphere here haha

MCWren

Re: First Brachymyrmex colony

Post: # 9985Post MCWren
Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:44 pm

nightxwolf88 wrote:Ya I don't use that often I like the more friendly atmosphere here haha
I don't think I'd ever join yuku. When I'm reading posts on it, it always pisses me of how antdude appears out of nowhere to correct minor grammar issues. A lot of the time he doesn't even answer the questions asked! What's his deal?!

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