ANTSTORE World of Ants

[ant dude]

hi everyone, can any of u people help me please i need other peoples expirences of this ant and infomation(maybe some pics aswell i did manage to find some in the german forum but......). i started up a new topic because i dont think anyone else has asked or gave any info on them(apart from german forum but could'nt make much sense of it when i did a search) by the way i started this up aswell cos i hope to keep this species some time next year or year after. all i know about formica cincera(the ant im asking about) is that i think, there quite an aggresive ant and they prefer to use teamwork thats basically it! in genral basically everything that i need to know if i do keep this species, would they be ok for me to keep? and so on

please help, please help

[Gaster]

Hi ant dude,

I'm gonna try to help you a bit, hope that you understand my terrible English...
Serviformica cinerea can be kept like most other Serviformica species. I think its easier to find information on Serviformica fusca. You should have a look at them.
Serviformica is relatively easy to keep. They don't need much care and not that much space. A tank of about 30*30*60cm is enough for the first 2 or 3 years.
My Serviformicas always live in plaster nestes.
Do you have any appointed questions?


cheers

[ant dude]

hi your english is ok, correction fine acshely

I'm gonna try to help you a bit, hope that you understand my terrible English...
Serviformica cinerea can be kapt like most other Serviformica species. I think its easier to find information on Serviformica fusca. You should have a look at them.
Serviformica is relatively easy to keep. They don't need much care and not that much space. A tank of about 30*30*60cm is enough for the first 2 or 3 years.
My Serviformicas always live in plaster nestes.
Do you have any appointed questions?

i appricate your help but im not particually intrested in fusca loads of resons but im not writing it all down because it will fill half the page!:( i know theres a lot more info on fusca but i dont really like that species to much and im asking about cincera.

yes, like what should i know bout them if i were to keep them?

[Gaster]

Ok, thanks for correction.

Like I said, you can keep them under the same conditiones like fusca, so you need the same information. The only difference between fusca and cinerea is the coloration (also cinerea is a bit more agressive). If there are realy that many reasons why you don't like fusca, I think its not a good idea to keep cinerea...
The only think you should know is that they tend to be panicked just by touching the desk they stand on. Due to their acid they can die then, if you have them in a little box or a poky nest. So be aware of this and be careful with them.

[Messorus]

I have Formica polyctena and rufibafiris, but I never had no serviformica, but I know about, these ,,serviformica" is ,,stupid", than Formica....

[Necturus]

Hi,
good choice, Formica cinerea is a very nice and active species. I agree with Gaster on his tips. They work for (motivated) beginners too
Greetings,
Necturus

[ant dude]

thanks everyone for your comments/help much appricated

at the moment if im right what ive heard from u fusca and cincera are very simerliar. and i know anouth info about fusca so i should be ok for this ant too, no?

theres only about 5 reasons why im not to fond of fusca and they are very long to write on here so......this saves a whole lot of writing lol(not being lazy its just really is a lot to say in my reasons and know ones probaly that intreseted anyway

The only think you should know is that they tend to be panicked just by touching the desk they stand on.

thats one of the things i dont like to much about fusca lol. maybe your right gaster then, maybe i should'nt get this species (although i have always succesfuly kept fusca before)

hmmmmm is there any more differences between them

[JimmyVe]

I only keep fusca so i can not tell the difference between them, but mine ore not that shy like you told.

[ant dude]

I only keep fusca so i can not tell the difference between them, but mine ore not that shy like you told.

sorry jimmyve, what are u try to say

[Purifier]

That he only have some fusca. And that he can not tell you the difference. But his fusca are not shy.

[ant dude]

oh right, thanks purifier

well mine were very panicky, and they wouldnt kill there own food such as pinky maiden(maggots) woodlice etc. and the slightist vibration sets them off like turning your light on, sitting down in the room they are in and even walking etc. so jimmyve arnt yours like this then

[tail__]

I keep Formica cinerea and they are also very sensitive to vibrations. They have also good sights and are sensitive to strong light - they adapt to normal day light, but don't like rapid light changes (like turning on the lights at night) They must be kept in quiet and calm place and they will be ok. Otherwise they are easy to keep in house. They are mostly predators, so they will gladly kill any small insect, and they prefer prey than honey (but they also tend aphids, so they need some sweets)

Formica cinerea is very common in my city, so I can observe large colonies every year. They are very fast, probably the fastest ants of northern Europe. They're agressive predators, hunting every small insects, including other ants, mostly Lasius niger. However, I've never seem them hunting in packs. In nature they prefer sandy, sunny places, in towns they always make nests in sand, below concrete pavements. Most colonies are polygyn and can grow quite large, and they make federations of a few related nests. Sometimes they engage in territorial wars with their neighbours, which are mostly Lasius niger and Manica rubida, but when forces are equal and one colony can't destroy another, they can live in peace with them for years.

[ant dude]

thanks tail_, its sounds like u live near a good range of species

everyone, now i dont really think cincera is for me after all lol.(sorry if u think i have wasted your time but its always intrsteing to know about ants)

[amrik singh]

hello,
Four years have past since the last entry on this subject so this can not really considered as a reply but it may be interesting for those interested in the subject later.
Those who study Formica cinerea hesitate to name it Serviformica because these are rarely if ever use as slaves.
F. cinerea is an aggressive ant capable to resist Raptiformica sanginea or Formica group rufa and fight back when the conditions are favorable. While other Serviformica's show little cooperation outside the nest , hunting individualy, Formica cinerea is capable of group hunting and fighting and form occasionally large colonies with numerous queens and nests.