I caught a P. imparis back on 4/26.
How long should I wait before deeming her infertile?
P. Imparis - how long should you wait?
Moderator: ooper01
Re: P. Imparis - how long should you wait?
how often have you been checking on her?
where did you catch her?
What is her setup?
where did you catch her?
What is her setup?
Some of My Informative Sheets
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19099
Includes :
- Ant Care Sheets
Queen Hunting
How To Identify Ants
Re: P. Imparis - how long should you wait?
Maybe once a week, I'd say every 6-12 days. (only three times since capture)
Northern Massachusetts. Walking across my picnic table one evening.
Standard test tube setup - wrapped in foil to block the light - in a small cardboard box that holds my test tube setups, in my media cabinet to provide heat.
Northern Massachusetts. Walking across my picnic table one evening.
Standard test tube setup - wrapped in foil to block the light - in a small cardboard box that holds my test tube setups, in my media cabinet to provide heat.
- Batspiderfish
- Posts: 3315
- Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: P. Imparis - how long should you wait?
Try not to get swept up in the concept of fertility. "Fertility" is the catchall word that ant keepers often use when their queen fails, but no hobbyist has ever investigated if this. A queen may be sick, maybe the temperature or humidity isn't right, maybe she wasn't fed well enough or didn't develop properly, maybe she just isn't ready yet -- if we've done everything by the book, there's little we can do about it but wait.
Also, as an unrelated PSA, "infertile" does not mean the same thing as "unfertilized". Infertile means an organism is incapable of reproducing, while unfertilized means that an organism can reproduce, but never mated. Ants still reproduce without the act of mating, although the eggs are haploid (meaning, in this case, that there is no father DNA, just one unpaired copy of the mother's DNA where there would otherwise be two copies pared together). Males are the result of haploid eggs -- even workers can sometimes lay these.
Also, as an unrelated PSA, "infertile" does not mean the same thing as "unfertilized". Infertile means an organism is incapable of reproducing, while unfertilized means that an organism can reproduce, but never mated. Ants still reproduce without the act of mating, although the eggs are haploid (meaning, in this case, that there is no father DNA, just one unpaired copy of the mother's DNA where there would otherwise be two copies pared together). Males are the result of haploid eggs -- even workers can sometimes lay these.
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.
Re: P. Imparis - how long should you wait?
Valid points on all accounts.
You are correct I was overly lax with my fertile prefixes. I will endeavor to prevent such future errors.
However, as I am new to the hobby, assuming optimal (stress free, clean, warm, moist, dark) test tube setup - how long would you keep a fully alate specimen of the fully claustral species P. Imparis?
You are correct I was overly lax with my fertile prefixes. I will endeavor to prevent such future errors.
However, as I am new to the hobby, assuming optimal (stress free, clean, warm, moist, dark) test tube setup - how long would you keep a fully alate specimen of the fully claustral species P. Imparis?
- Batspiderfish
- Posts: 3315
- Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:47 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: P. Imparis - how long should you wait?
Until she lays eggs or dies. She doesn't have much of a chance, regardless, if she missed the flights.
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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