ANTSTORE World of Ants

[darradar]

Hi guys, as your aware i have my first major, infact i think i have now seen 2, but i am wandering, since they arrived they dont really seem to do anything, i mean i never saw them outside the nest yet, sometimes when i put in a rather large lockust in, i imagaine they would be called up on to chop it up and help drag it back to the nest, but no, and i have sat for hours watching and waiting to see them in action, if only to get some dam fine photos,
So i guess my question is, what is their purpose in the colony?
do they only come out when there numbers are greater? does it depend on the size of thier hunting ground?

thanks guys

[tail__]

What species do you have? In some species majors are professional soldiers and they are used only in fights with other ants.
How old they are? Young ants always stay in nest, no matter which caste they belong to. And majors usually live longer and have longer "childhood" period.

[darradar]

Camponotus cruentatus (photos in my thread experience with euopean ants) majors are a matter of weeks old.

[mzfckr]

mine camponotos ligniperda majors do the same.

[Phasmid]

I think it depends on both age of the ant and howmany majors. With my Camponotus ligniperda and Messor barbarus, the small media workers only started foraging after many majors were born and a couple of weeks old .

[SteveUK28]

Well i remember when my Pheidole Pallidula had soilders they pretty much stayed in the nest all the time. So i think it might depends on numbers and size of the colony.

[miszt]

Majors will stay close to the Queen at first, as a general rule, only about 10% of the colony will ever be outside of the nest, and always the oldest ants only, so 4 week old majors arnt expendable enough yet, once you have 5-6 majors, u should spot one or two out occasionally when needed, but for now there job will be to protect the queen

[darradar]

coolio thanks guys and Miszt for the detailed info..

[JimmyVe]

Also it takes much longer for a major to develop from egg to major than a worker from egg to worker. They rather lose a minor than a major.