The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

A couple days ago I caught a Campootus herculeanus queen! She still had her wings, but she broke them off. I captured a male from a colony having nuptial flights and put him with her in her test tube. He died 2 day later, which is unusual for a male of that species to die so quickly, (based off my personal experience) unless he mated. I then introduced 20 workers (about 2 minors, 3 super majors, and the rest were majors) to her. They accepted her and started grooming her. (She also groomed them! ) A super major followed her around, and the largest clump of workers was around her. There were about 6-8, while the others mostly hung out alone or in groups of 2 or 3. The queen started cleaning the tip of her abdomen more frequently once the workers were introduced. So I hope she can lay eggs and keep the Black Embers going!

do you have pics?

antnest8 wrote: ↑

Mon May 28, 2018 4:13 pm

do you have pics?

I don't have an imgur account yet.

oh sorry. Did you ever find out if they really were camponotus herculeanus, since herculeanus queens don't have red queen heads?

antnest8 wrote: ↑

Thu May 31, 2018 5:39 am

oh sorry. Did you ever find out if they really were camponotus herculeanus, since herculeanus queens don't have red queen heads?

No.

I moved them to an old ant gel container filled with damp rotting wood, and when I checked them, they had disappeared! There was no possible escape route, and no dead bodies. I also broke the wood into pieces and found nothing! What could have happened?

antnest8 wrote: ↑

Thu May 31, 2018 5:39 am

oh sorry. Did you ever find out if they really were camponotus herculeanus, since herculeanus queens don't have red queen heads?

All of the workers had red heads as well.

what barrier did you use?

antnest8 wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 04, 2018 4:19 pm

what barrier did you use?

I didn't use any since the lid was tight and escape proof.

I caught a new queen that I think is the real C. herculeanus. She is black with a dull red thorax and transparent stripes on her gaster. She is Fuego Nocturno the 2nd.