ANTSTORE World of Ants

[UneXisted]

On the german section of the Camponotus cruentatus and other C. species it says that they can hibernate at room temperature (=20 degrees). Can someone confirm this?

[Messorus]

Hello
Hybernation at 20°C isn´t hybernation. My Messors were normal behaving and active at 20°C and mediterraneal Camponotus too.
I have my Messor around 10°C and they also have outdoor activity in the arena... I think you shoud put the cruentatus into somethink around 7°C for good hybernation
One my friend left Messor barbarus queens(some with workers) outdoor in -15°C! The watter near the cotton was frozen, the watter behind cotton was cool, but the queens had waked up without any problems! I´ve also hybernated my Messors at cooler temps, around 3°C and it was unproblematic But it´s Myrmicinae, not Formicinae... I don´t know what can happens with Campo under 0, but I think you can hybernate them around 8°C
Best regards Messorus

[Moiser]

Hey there,

I can only talk about the experience I've had with my Camponotus ligniperda colony. I bought the queen in april with and she arrived with no brood. She layed 9 eggs which hatched. The temperature in the tank was set at 25C. At some time in October the colony went into hibernation, obviously when I noticed this I dropped the temp in the tank. I've been told the species is pretty stubborn and will go into hibernation whatever the temp is.

x

[UneXisted]

Yes, Camponotus species is endogenous-heterodynamic. Which means that they have an 'internal clock'. Im almost certain that Camponotus cruentatus doesnt need a hibernation, because this species habitat stretches from south-france all the way to north-africa. Hibernation is needed for the species who live in the northern part of the palearctic, like Lasius, Myrmica and some Camponotus species, because of the low temperatures in the winter. The larvae (and maybe the queen also) of C. cruentatus do have a diapause. They decide when to have a diapause based on their internal clock. This diapause can be done on room temperature. It is important to offer a nest which has optimal temperatures (~26-30) and room temperatures (~20). The ants will move their larvae to the right part of the nest according to the state the larvae are in.

This is what i think. My excuses for using the terms diapause and hibernation in the wrong way. They are not the same and should both be used carefully in the right sentence. If there are people with actual experience with this species and its behaviour, then please post your own experience. I need to know whether what im saying is right or wrong about C. cruentatus and its behaviour of diapause/hibernation.

[insanebe]

Hey there,

I can only talk about the experience I've had with my Camp. Ligneperda colony. I bought the queen in april with and she arrived with no brood. She layed 9 eggs which hatched. The temperature in the tank was set at 25C. At some time in October the colony went into hibernation, obviously when I noticed this I dropped the temp in the tank. I've been told the species is pretty stubborn and will go into hibernation whatever the temp is.

x

my experience was similar though different and ill tell you why, bought mine in January they arrived with larvae already developed and eggs already laid, the workers developed and the colony went into hibernation in july, so this must be the internal clock working.

[UneXisted]

Hey there,

I can only talk about the experience I've had with my Camp. Ligneperda colony. I bought the queen in april with and she arrived with no brood. She layed 9 eggs which hatched. The temperature in the tank was set at 25C. At some time in October the colony went into hibernation, obviously when I noticed this I dropped the temp in the tank. I've been told the species is pretty stubborn and will go into hibernation whatever the temp is.

x

my experience was similar though different and ill tell you why, bought mine in January they arrived with larvae already developed and eggs already laid, the workers developed and the colony went into hibernation in july, so this must be the internal clock working.

Interesting, for how long did the colony have a diapause?

[insanebe]

they still in diapause/hibernation or whatever you want to call it, they all still alive, completely still and inactive. Might bring them back in the house see if they wake up soon, but i havn't done so yet.

[MorbidMike]

On the german section of the Camponotus cruentatus and other Camponotus species it says that they can hibernate at room temperature (=20 degrees). Can someone confirm this?

My Camponotus vagus have been doing the very same thing @ room temperature. They went into 'hibernation' in October and they just ended it 5 days ago.

[Kale^^]

My cruentatus started being rather inactive and the brood didn't develop so i decided to put them in a cooler temp for a while (10celsius).