Purifier: (15. Okt 2007 16:19)

Yeah. I belive there are only a few Camponotus species who are hard to keep.
But what is hard to keep?! I would say only Atta or Acromyrmex or Pheidolegton ants are hard to keep.
I started with some Polyrhachis dives and the do well :)

kashmir79: (19. Okt 2007 12:19)

heya, My Queen arrrived today, and Hercu** seems to look identicle to Ligniperda, but i researched wat they look like and they do seem very similar ( the red glow under their abdomens)

she seems very healthy, with 4 larvae in a little pile

will she lay anymore eggs? , seen as though its late autumn ??

Martin S.: (19. Okt 2007 12:58)

perhaps the photo from the Camponotus herculeanus is helpfull for you:
http://www.bembix.de/gallery/formicidae-htm/Camponotus_herculaneus_1.htm
The different is not only the color. The legs are smaller as by the Camponotus ligniperda.

regards
Martin

miszt: (19. Okt 2007 13:54)

i discovered last night that Herculeanus have a very nasty sting! cant be sure that I was stung, maybe just bitten and formic acid rubbed into it....but it sure as hell hurts!! (I didnt spot a worker walking about on the glass and nearly squashed her! :( so i kinda deserved the sting!)

kashmir79: (19. Okt 2007 16:29)

ouch ! yeh itl be Acid, they bite then inject into the bite wound :oops:

JimmyVe: (22. Okt 2007 19:54)

Glad i never had a sting (so for) from herculeanus . ;)

Nice to hear the she arrived kashmir79, i don't think she is going to lay eggs this year, it is hibernation time so... keep them in hibernation till end of February (half March).

kashmir79: (30. Okt 2007 21:27)

thanks Jimmy

will put her in the shed soon, so she can rest for the winter, ill take her out in late february :D

mzfckr: (31. Okt 2007 15:57)

does sting from herculeanus is painful as bee sting?

miszt: (31. Okt 2007 16:10)

does sting from herculeanus is painful as bee sting?

its diffrent, hurt like hell for the first few seconds, then itched for nearly a week afterwards, i do tend to react quiet badly to bites n things usually tho, so may not be like that for everyone

hypervelocity: (31. Okt 2007 17:43)

Hi all,

Once when my dad was little he was stung by a lot of red ants on his leg. The next day he got a rash, and fungus started to grow were the stings were. After a few weeks his entire legs had bits of fungus growing on them and they were very painful.
So, if you are very unlucky an ant sting might be like a bee sting every day for months. :pale: