Acromyrmex spec

Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon Joshposh » 21. Nov 2008 18:29

Yesterday after a week i got my Acromyrmex Queen. She's a beautiful looking ant. She came with a tiny amount of fungus and from what i can see no eggs or larvae. Im keeping her warm and Humid.

I have a few questions:

1. Will the fungus run out very quick and without any workers will she be able to produce some herself from leaves i'm giving her?

2.My ptfe seems to have disappeared becuase it's so humid in the tank, Do you have any ideas of how i could stop this?

3.Anyone with experience with these ants starting with a queen could you please give me some advice.

Thanks alot, :)
Joshposh
member
member
 
Beiträge: 14
Alter: 32
Registriert: 21. Okt 2007 20:34
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke



Werbeanzeige: Acromyrmex cf. octospinosus



Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon Messorus » 21. Nov 2008 19:24

So...

1. Queen, like the single ant, can´t cut leaf- mixture, substrate for cultivating of fungus... This is work for workers, cause each one caste of workers have different size of mandibulas.... For example, bigger workers can bring leafs into the nest and cut them on smaller pieces... But for fungus substrate the colony needs more smaller pieces... This work is for smaller caste of workers, with smaller mandibulas... So colony needs more than 2 size castes for cultivating fungus and for queen isn´t able to make fungus substrate, cause she is too big... When leaf-cutters start with new colony, queen is feeding fungus by her eggs and by saliva... This all is in the book: ,,Journey to the ants", very good publication...

2. How big is the tank, in which you are keeping her? I don´t want Acromyrmex or Atta, but I´m sure, that for small with queen is 5x5x3cms plastic box with some grit or substrate on the floor, is really ideal! Also I don´t understand if you do like this, that why you have PTFE in the tank with one Acromyrmex queen, which isn´t leaving her chamber for hunting or somethink other...?

I don´t have enough experience with leaf cutter ants of Acromyrmec or Atta... I saw just few documents, a colony of Atta cephalotes in ZOO in Torquay(UK) , I have few Acromyrmex workers in alcohol too....

Nice liinks-

Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar Atta in plastic box

Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar Atta queen is digging up her chamber

Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar This document excite everybody who wants Leaf cutters.... Take a look at it, very very good.... I want to dig up young colony of Atta, like they´ve made!!! #-o
Benutzeravatar
Messorus
member
member
 
Beiträge: 284
Alter: 30
Registriert: 7. Okt 2007 19:39
Land: Slovakia (sk)
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke

Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon Phasmid » 21. Nov 2008 20:37

1. The queen will be able to produce more fungus if you give her the right leaves (experiment, they are surprisingly picky) because otherwise the queen would be doomed in the wild as the colony would have no fungus to start with. Her mandibules are adapted to cut leaves and chew them up.
She should be laying eggs in the fungus once there is enough.

2. PTFE does not work in high humidity. You will need to make fer chamber and foraging area ant-proof because she may leave in search of better leaves.

3. I have not yet tried starting an Acromyrmex colony from a lone queen, but I have seen a couple of journals showing queen with small fungus that she grows to about her size until first workers are born, then she may cut leaves for the small workers until there are bigger workers. Keep her V.humid and temp. 24-26C and don't make her move because that will stress her alot.
Phasmid
member
member
 
Beiträge: 266
Alter: 32
Registriert: 25. Nov 2007 19:04
Wohnort: east sussex
Land: United Kingdom (uk)
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke

Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon Joshposh » 21. Nov 2008 21:00

Okay thats good to hear that the queen will be able to make more fungus. I have given hear a wide variety of leaves and some apple, i've seen her walking around it but im not sure if she's done anything with it..

At the moment she has about 1cm of fungus, but she has split it into one bigger bit and one smaller peice and she is keeping only the smaller peice near her.. I havent looked to much becuase i dont want to disturb her becuse i dont want her getting stressed.

I have a few more questions:
1. Would she prefer to be in darkness?
2.The fungus is whitey grey, however on pictures i've seen the fungus has been white but with orange on it, does this mean that the fungus i have has died?

Thanks again :)
Joshposh
member
member
 
Beiträge: 14
Alter: 32
Registriert: 21. Okt 2007 20:34
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke

Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon gabranth » 22. Nov 2008 00:36

darkness would be best it will make her less stressed
Benutzeravatar
gabranth
member
member
 
Beiträge: 429
Alter: 39
Registriert: 22. Apr 2008 05:22
Wohnort: wales
Land: United Kingdom (uk)
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke

Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon donbilbo » 22. Nov 2008 12:13

Have a look at nature. Queens dig into the earth for a first small chamber and do not leave it until they die. At least i have never heard of those queens furaging to cut leaves in nature. So i guess they must be abled to feed themselves and a tiny fungus in the earh until first workers are abled to leave the nest and cut some leaves...
donbilbo
member
member
 
Beiträge: 640
Alter: 41
Registriert: 14. Apr 2008 00:54
Wohnort: Wuppertal
Land: Germany (de)
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke

Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon Phasmid » 22. Nov 2008 12:40

The orange bits in the fungus are the fruiting parts that the ants eat, provided she can keep the fungus fertile and conditions are right, the orange-food part of the fungus should grow in time.
Phasmid
member
member
 
Beiträge: 266
Alter: 32
Registriert: 25. Nov 2007 19:04
Wohnort: east sussex
Land: United Kingdom (uk)
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke

Re: Acromyrmex spec

Beitragvon highered » 8. Dez 2008 15:55

I have found that sunflower oil works ok in high humidity with my Polyrhacis dives colony.
highered
member
member
 
Beiträge: 262
Alter: 44
Registriert: 27. Mai 2008 13:36
Land: United Kingdom (uk)
Hat sich bedankt: 0 Danke
Danke bekommen: 0 Danke




Werbeanzeige: Acromyrmex cf. octospinosus


Zurück zu Acromyrmex

Wer ist online?

Mitglieder in diesem Forum: 0 Mitglieder und 0 Gäste