Camponotus xiangban

[bugsy]

Are they still accepting protein and sugar/honey solution? What temperature are you keeping them at and how are you heating them? Can you post a picture of the entire enclosure please so I can see how your keeping them. I might be able to offer a few ideas that way, well its worth a try anyway.

[Andie]

Thanks bugsy, they only seem to be taking honey water so appear to be thriving on even less proteins than my C. singularis. A heat pad is underneath their arena and heats to 75f - 80f. I'm trying them dry at the moment but their is some action but not a lot.
This is interesting, well to me as ive not seen this before but it looks like a winged sexual has been pulled from its cocoon, obviously not ready to emerge. The ants have been tending to it for two days now and don’t appear to be harming it. What ever it is, its good to see something happening in the colony at last.



A closer look you can see the wings

[AntsNational]

If this is the only male within the nest, it will more than likely be killed soon after it ecloses. Lets hope not though, and you have a prince running around!

[bugsy]

Interesting mate, keep us posted with that one. Does the queen tend to be located in the heated part of the nest. I've noticed with mine they move away from it when it starts to dry. This is my signal to add water to the y-tong, then the queen moves back. Just a thought, although they are different species they cant be that dissimilar, in my experience most species like it moist.

[Andie]

They all stay in one of the recesses which is at the top but occasionally a worker may go to the other side but ive rarely seen any at the bottom. The nest is heated at the bottom so this may be why. I havent seen any signs of the male today so i think he must have been killed.
The strange thing is that this species has been for sale at 3 different shops lately yet there is bugger all about them on the internet, i think this was considered a new species last year.
Perhaps ive frightened people off getting them Sorrrrrryyyyyyy .....

[AntsNational]

The male was most likely eaten by the workers as a protein supplement for the larvae. Usually "naked" pupae of Camponotus sp. will be eaten. Also, about your heater, it may be too hot for them. Remember that most ant nests are underground, and are heated at one portion (the upper levels) and are cooler (MUCH cooler) deeper in the earth. It may be too hot. What is the voltage to your heater/temperature?

[Andie]

Ive tried all differet ways to heat these since last november when they seemed to become pretty dormant but thinking about it this all happened after i moved their nest inside the arena, they did seem to enjoy the plastic tube leaving the nest so perhaps i should revert back, i also used to have the nest in a bowl of water but now i water the nest from above. I suppose its a bit of a no brainer really,,,go back to the old way when they were happy.
Thye heat pad im using is back on the rear again its only a small 10 watt.

[AntsNational]

Keep it simple
Cheers

[bugsy]

I can only think that your new method isn't keeping them moist enough. Try adding water more frequently, I did this with my Messor erectus as the queen had stopped laying and and the larvae went dormant. After increasing the water frequency to the nest, the larvae started growing again. Worth a try.

[Andie]

Gonna try and get them back how they were before at the weekend, thx Bugsy.

[Andie]

I'm gonna keep this thread going because there is so very little information out there about this species, so if anyone has a colony please feel free to ad to this.

So i have put the colony mostly back to how i started with the y-tong nest and a tube leading out to a small plastic arena with a couple of cm's of soil in the bottom which is kept damp. The nest sits in a shallow water bowl with a small 7 watt heat pad under one corner. I know these ants will feed from the honey water but actually catching them in the act has been quite rare but looking at their gasters they are obviously feeding on something. The small flies, crickets, roaches, mealworms all seem to be ignored but there is life and movement in the nest. There are a few pupae now which have to be fron the larvae from last year as there hasnt been any other larvae present that the pupae could have been from. This brood must be at least 7 months old?????
So at last things seem to be working but something is missing as these ants were so much more active when i first had them.
So nest temp about 70f- 75f and humidity high.



A pupae is about to hatch, i hope its a worker...and there is another pile of eggs..

[AntsNational]

How is your colony doing now?