ANTSTORE World of Ants

[miszt]

Amazing! 2 weeks ago, I had several medium size larva and a few eggs, not I have about 30+ eggs, lots of small small larva, 2 very large larva and 2 caccoons!

When I read about their growth spurt after hibernation, it didnt know they ment it was that fast! should have about 30-40 workers this summer and if they carry on laying eggs at this rate until mid/late july, well over a hundred workers next year

[darradar]

wowzers mist, i hope mine develope as fast when i bring them out of hibernation...

[SteveUK28]

awesome.. looks like i might have found my next ant

[miszt]

it still takes 12-18 months from egg to worker mind lol i'm not expectin the coccons to hatch for at least another 6 weeks

[ant dude]

@miszt:wow!!! thats sure is sounding good 4 u then dont forget to keep us updated on this news, sounding very interesting

@steveuk28: me aswell maybe....

[SteveUK28]

i think its well mad that they take soo long to hatch.. Is there any other ants that take this long to hatch?

[miszt]

I've got 8 workers now 4 more coccons and I recon about 60 eggs, aswell as about 15 larvae from last years eggs they really are going for it! will keep them very well fed for the next few months, untill the end of July, so hopefully all the larvae will have hatched, and next year i'll be well on the way to a mature colony in 2010

[mzfckr]

it still takes 12-18 months from egg to worker mind lol i'm not expectin the coccons to hatch for at least another 6 weeks

3years for worker to hatch? wow, the eggs and larvas need to survive hibernation....

[Kale^^]

Who said 3 years? Nobody. 12-18 months is 1-1,5 years..

[mzfckr]

oh i was so thinking about some other thing... sorry but anyway its very long too.and and they sometime hatch in 24 months that is 2years.probably im mistaken with 3years.

[miszt]

in colder climates, which they often live in, for eg northern american forests and as far up as Canada, they culd easily take 24months +

[Frico]

wait wait...
im very sure that Camponotus herculeanus need 1,5-2,5 months from egg to adult. The time only expands during winter, when they cant grow and hibernate instead.
I dont know where you guys have got the idea of 2 years from, but under normal conditions, 2 month is normal.
Just feed them with enough proteins and the arena + nest should have a temperature of 24-29 C*.
plus, eggs dont hibernate.Only larvae and adults do.


-Frico

[miszt]

Nah fraid not frico, 12-18 months is normal (ref: The Ants)

[KiamCameron]

Wow so when a queen leaves its nest for the mating flight they must starve for 18 months or so :O wouldnt she die ?

[Frico]

No, it realy is wrong.
The queens of some Leptothorax and Camponotus species do sometimes need 1-2 years to evolve, since they have long cocoon time, they cant cocoon themselfes in August-winter(cocoons cant hibernate and therefore would die)therefore their first year is often in the larvae state and the second year cocoon.
And remember, this is not counting for workers! They still only need 2-2,5 months to evolve.
And if you have this species you will know that they evolve faster than 12-18 months.

-Frico