Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Discussions about the care and keeping of ants

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JDSweetMeat
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat May 25, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: Centralia, Illinois

Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 61822Post JDSweetMeat
Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:43 pm

Basically, as stated in the title.

I have some pupa who should be eclosing any day now. Some of the cases are starting to turn black.

Now, I know pupa cases are supposed to darken before eclosing, but I've never seen anything this drastic in my formica ants.

Could it be dead somehow?

What does a dead C. Pennsylavnicus pupa's case look like?

CANant
Posts: 379
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:04 am
Location: Paris, Ontario

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 62384Post CANant
Mon Aug 12, 2019 7:50 pm

Mine get pretty dark before enclosing. I have C. Pennslyvanicus. I think it depends on the colour of the ants. Ie brown ants will have lighter cocoons.

Image
Keeper of:
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

Temnothorax ambiguus/curvispinosus (Acorn ant)

Lasius Interjectus (Larger citronella ant) with host workers: L. Americanus

🐜❤️

Hawkeye
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Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 63005Post Hawkeye
Fri Aug 23, 2019 2:31 pm

JDSweetMeat wrote:
Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:43 pm
Basically, as stated in the title.

I have some pupa who should be eclosing any day now. Some of the cases are starting to turn black.

Now, I know pupa cases are supposed to darken before eclosing, but I've never seen anything this drastic in my formica ants.

Could it be dead somehow?

What does a dead C. Pennsylavnicus pupa's case look like?
There are black ants in there, so naturally, the pupae will turn very dark! Nothing to worry about! If they were dead, the queen would eat them!

LasiusSapien
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 63118Post LasiusSapien
Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:14 am

if the queen hasn't eaten it or thrown it in the trash then chances are its still alive, when i brood boosted my lasius niger all the pupa that didn't make it got put in the trash pile
1x Lasius Niger - early forging stage - 60-100 workers
1x Messor Barbarus - founding stage - <20 workers
1x Camponotus Turkestanus - claustral stage - 1 nanitic + brood
1x Odontoponera Transversa - semi-claustral stage - no eggs

Hawkeye
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Location: Almelo

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 63124Post Hawkeye
Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:04 am

Also come join our Camponotus Crew if you like?

JDSweetMeat
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat May 25, 2019 1:41 pm
Location: Centralia, Illinois

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 65438Post JDSweetMeat
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:49 am

The eclosed ants are paralyzed -- I had one that the C. Penn took out of its cocoon -- they kept it for a week before they took it away from the main cluster of pupae (and it started decaying). About 1/4 of the pupae developed like those (essentially they were paralyzed).

Hawkeye
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Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 65440Post Hawkeye
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:52 am

JDSweetMeat wrote:
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:49 am
The eclosed ants are paralyzed -- I had one that the C. Penn took out of its cocoon -- they kept it for a week before they took it away from the main cluster of pupae (and it started decaying). About 1/4 of the pupae developed like those (essentially they were paralyzed).
Weird?

SYUTEO
Posts: 1395
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:58 am
Location: Malaysia

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 65556Post SYUTEO
Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:35 am

JDSweetMeat wrote:
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:49 am
The eclosed ants are paralyzed -- I had one that the C. Penn took out of its cocoon -- they kept it for a week before they took it away from the main cluster of pupae (and it started decaying). About 1/4 of the pupae developed like those (essentially they were paralyzed).
Perhaps they were molting?

Hawkeye
Posts: 1557
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 pm
Location: Almelo

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 65567Post Hawkeye
Fri Nov 15, 2019 9:33 am

SYUTEO wrote:
Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:35 am
JDSweetMeat wrote:
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:49 am
The eclosed ants are paralyzed -- I had one that the C. Penn took out of its cocoon -- they kept it for a week before they took it away from the main cluster of pupae (and it started decaying). About 1/4 of the pupae developed like those (essentially they were paralyzed).
Perhaps they were molting?
That doesn't sound plausible to me. I'd suspect an environmental influence.

SYUTEO
Posts: 1395
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:58 am
Location: Malaysia

Re: Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Pupae cases are almost black...

Post: # 65580Post SYUTEO
Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:40 am

Hawkeye wrote:
Fri Nov 15, 2019 9:33 am
SYUTEO wrote:
Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:35 am
JDSweetMeat wrote:
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:49 am
The eclosed ants are paralyzed -- I had one that the C. Penn took out of its cocoon -- they kept it for a week before they took it away from the main cluster of pupae (and it started decaying). About 1/4 of the pupae developed like those (essentially they were paralyzed).
Perhaps they were molting?
That doesn't sound plausible to me. I'd suspect an environmental influence.
Oh yeah, i guess hibernation?

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