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i am thinking about buying myself a new colony :grin:
i was thinking about getting a colony of Temnothorax nylanderi and was wondering if you could please answer some questions i have :)
i was wondering what type of setup would be best for these ants as i know that they don't get very large in size?
and i was wondering where would be the best place to keep them as i live in england would it be best to keep them indoors in my bedroom ?
thanks
Sithmaster676
Hello sithmaster676 ,
this species is really very small. You can keep this species into a cork nest:
for exsample:
http://www.antstore.net/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p1201
or in a mini nest:
Book 'Journey to the Ants' - Bert Hölldobbler on page 218
To keep this species by a room temperature is at the summer time possible.
greetings
ok thanks for the help
does it need to hibernate or not?
and is it possible to have more than one queen inside the colony?
Sithmaster676
Hello sithmaster 676,
the Temnotorax nylanderi need hibernate. We give warranty that a queen is contained in the colony. If there is more, then it's luck.
greetings
ok thanks for all your help hopefully i should be ordering one within the next few weeks as my birthday is soon so i should be able to get the money
Sithmaster676
Hi Uta,
the Temnotorax nylanderi need hibernate. We give warranty that a queen is contained in the colony. If there is more, then it's luck.
T. nylanderi is monogynous, see here:
http://www.ameisenwiki.de/index.php/Temnothorax_nylanderi
In a few colonies more than one dealate gyne may be found, usually in the fall and until early spring. In these instances a couple of unmated gynes have dealated and remain in the nest over winter. Sometimes there are only such virgins and no mated, egg-laying queen. So, to get a colony with 2 or more gynes isn't luck, but risk!
They need 5-6 months hibernation at temperatures below 10 C. If kept too warm during the summer, i.e. in constant room temperature (20-25 C) the development is too fast, so that the next hibernation must begin much earlier than in October. In nature they have a lot of cool nights even in the summer which reduce the speed of colony and brood development.
It's true that they need only very small formicaries: 10 x 10 cm x 3 cm hight is sufficient. But provide different soil and air humidities within the formicary, a humidity gradient! In the field they settle at densities of up to 10, 20 or even 30 colonies on one single square metre!
Buschinger, A. 1967: Verbreitung und Auswirkungen von Mono- und Polygynie bei Arten der Gattung Leptothorax MAYR (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Inaugural-Dissertation, Würzburg, 114 p.
Buschinger, A. 1968: Mono- und Polygynie bei Arten der Gattung Leptothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Insectes Sociaux 15, 217-226.
Regards,
Earlant
so in england it would be fine to keep them in my outside shed throughout the year?
if i were to keep them indoors then what temperature would be best for them?
and how much humidity do they need?
thanks for the help :P
Sithmaster676
Hi Earlant,
thanks for the correction!
Regards
with advice from some members off other websites i have decided that i might consider getting a colony of Formica fusca :P
and i was wondering if you could please answer some questions i have,
i was wondering if room temperature is sufficient enough to keep these ants in?
and what sort of enclosure would be best suited for these ants e.g. ytong or cork?
and do they need a high level of humidity or not?
Thanks
Sithmaster676
Hi Sith, i keep them in a Y-tong nest. (but i do that with almost all of my colonies. ;) ) The are kept at room (outside) temperature and they humidity is about 50% (room)