Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

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1sttimeantfarm

Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28449Post 1sttimeantfarm
Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:36 pm

I knew they couldn't go in a formicarium right away. (there is now 4 camponotus workers with more coming)
I was also concerned about hurting them putting stuff directly into the tube so this is their current setup. Back two tubes are water tubes with the left being the original claustral cell. The front tube is sugar water and the other end has cotton.
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Laugh at my toilet paper rolls if you want but inside is paper towel helping keep those areas dark and allows me to slide easily to view with minimal disturbance. Not too close a picture of the family but...
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The behaviour is this. I gave them a cricket leg. At first I thought they were rejecting it because they put it in the right tube. But as I've learned through AntsCanada it's mostly the pupae that eat the meat. I was wrong, and they bring the pupae over to the right tube to feed on it for periods of time. It's somehow safer away from the queen and eggs. lol
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Another is almost eclosed here.
I was worried I might be giving them too much space but they are using it. :)

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Batspiderfish
Posts: 3315
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28452Post Batspiderfish
Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:48 pm

It looks like the put the pupae in the garbage pile. Larvae are the ones that eat; pupae don't eat anything.
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.

1sttimeantfarm

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28458Post 1sttimeantfarm
Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:17 pm

Could be larvae. They take them back and continue to care for them.

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Nathant
Posts: 181
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2016 7:57 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28464Post Nathant
Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:30 pm

1sttimeantfarm wrote:
Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:17 pm
Could be larvae. They take them back and continue to care for them.
No, they're pupae. That gray one looks ready to eclose.

Serafine

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28484Post Serafine
Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:43 pm

It's not unusual that pupae are stored in a different (warmer and dryer) location.

Larvae and pupae look quite different, it's easy to identify them:
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And yes, my Camponotus just decided to pile their brood in the outworld.

Full size picture:
http://i.imgur.com/RaXmIN6.jpg

1sttimeantfarm

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28494Post 1sttimeantfarm
Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:49 pm

You people are all so amazing. How are you finding the ant nectar feeders? I've seen one review on them.

AqdasHassaan

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28509Post AqdasHassaan
Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:41 am

Serafine wrote:
Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:43 pm
It's not unusual that pupae are stored in a different (warmer and dryer) location.

Larvae and pupae look quite different, it's easy to identify them:
Image
And yes, my Camponotus just decided to pile their brood in the outworld.

Full size picture:
http://i.imgur.com/RaXmIN6.jpg
Damn those nectar containers look so cool.

Serafine

Re: Interesting ant behaviour - new to me - new to this

Post: # 28663Post Serafine
Thu Aug 10, 2017 2:56 pm

These are the byFormica Galileo feeders, you can buy them on Ebay. The are really really good - just change the sugar water inside them once a week and do NOT use honey or honey water during the summer (honey ferments quickly during hot weather and that produces gases which push the liquids out of the feeder, honey water is even worse).
I use them with water, sugar water and sunburst. They are especially good for smaller ants which have a tendency to drown in drops of sugar water or honey.

https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Supplies-byFormica/s?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=byFormica&page=1&rh=n%3A2619533011

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