Anonymous: Trophobionts (26. Jun 2007 18:58)

Hi all! I want to ask you, If somebody here have some experience with throphoibonts, insect in the formicarium. Do somebody know about some breeds of throphobiontic insect??? I saw them a lot, in the wild ant´s nests, but I rellay know only about Flower beetles- Cetonia aurata, and one small ,,beetle" called ,,Lomechusa"... On the other school year, I´m doing a Biologic´s project, for school. It will bee about ants, and there have to by some experiments and thinks... I think, the throphobionts are wery interesting topic, in project. When somebody know somethink about, the best, breeds and kinds of, please write. You can use the Latin names, I´m studing entomology, so... :)

Thanks, Biolog

JimmyVe: (26. Jun 2007 20:17)

Trophobionts are animals that are usually benificial to ants
They fool ants into thinking that they are nestmates using chemical signals
Ants get food from some trophobionts
Some ant colonies have their own "herds" of torphobionts that provide them with food

That is all i now and could find of them. Maybe try to find some information about them with google.

Anonymous: (27. Jun 2007 12:34)

Thank you from informations. I´m looking for some new info, specialy some breeds and kinds... I have enthomology encyklopedy, there is a lot of pictures of trophobiots, but only names and painted pictures(painted really good, with good breeding points)...

Anonymous: (27. Jun 2007 12:35)

Thank you from informations. I´m looking for some new info, specialy some breeds and kinds... I have enthomology encyklopedy, there is a lot of pictures of trophobiots, but only names and painted pictures(painted really good, with good breeding points). I´m looking for some breeds of them, I only don´t know, If I can add one throphobiont from ,,his" colony to mine colony...

JimmyVe: (27. Jun 2007 19:01)

I'm sorry i can not give you any more information about this. That was al i know. ;) Hope you find some more, or someone else could help you with this.

Anonymous: (1. Jul 2007 21:10)

Also thanks, Jimmy.

miszt: (1. Jul 2007 21:55)

Although they dont live in the actual colony, Ants get on well with Aphids, if u have a small rose bush (you can buy minuture ones about 15cm high) you could add a few aphids to it, and then the ants will defend them and feed of the sugary syrup the aphids produce when 'tickled' :)

miszt: (1. Jul 2007 21:56)

You may want to add a ladybird aswell, as the aphids will reproduce very fast without any predetors to keep them in check, depending on the ant the ladybird should be safe from eg Lasius Niger, although i may be rong! lol

miszt: (1. Jul 2007 21:57)

Of course your ants may deciede that the plant pot is a good place to nest, so mite not work so well lol

Anonymous: (2. Jul 2007 07:50)

Yes, I know this about aphids... I have young colony of C. vagus, and when it grow up, I put it to the big tank, with some plants, parts of wood, and thinks. I add there plants with aphids...