Posts by jonthefish

A great read!!

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%20a16_1.jpg]
They are now sharing two test tubes.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%20b25.jpg]
There is around 15-18 workers.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%20c12.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%20d2%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2011.jpg]
The disturbance of taking the photos, has encouraged them to move into the acrylic nest.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2015_1.jpg]

Hello Alexander,

Thank you for the positive feed back. We are thinking the same here at AntKit if the nest will provide enough moisture for this particular species. They certainly do well for me in the open test tube setups. I have about 100 M. rubida Queens in my possession at the moment. The plants I am using are from my aquatic shop where they are fine with both coldwater and tropicalfish. I am both curious and concerned if they will do harm to my ants. Could you point to me peoples journals or evidence to this please, I would really like to learn more about this.

Many thanks Jon.

I received this Queen about a month ago from a friend. She has been fed every couple of days with a baby Cockroach, plus now and again a Fly, Brown Cricket and a Mealworm. With a constant supply of sugar-water. Today the first 2 workers have appeared, so felt it was time to do a journal.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%204.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%206.jpg]
Empty at the moment.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%207.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%208.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%209.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2064.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2052.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2059.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2062.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Manica%20rubida%20Journal/Manica%20rubida%2049.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

What is there not to like about this species. Colourful, active and aggressive.
[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Light/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Light%2023.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Light/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Light%2013.JPG%20Take%205.jpg]

What a lovely looking Ant cannot wait to see the first worker.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Dark%20and%20Bright/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Dark%2016.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Dark%20and%20Bright/Camponotus%20substitutus%20Dark%2019.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

Here are a few photos of my Acromyrmex octospinosus
[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Acro%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_4054.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_4045.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_4033.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

Hello everyone, exciting news. My Queen has laid another 2 eggs.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Odontoponera%20transversa/Odontoponera%20transversa%207.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Odontoponera%20transversa/Odontoponera%20transversa%206.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Odontoponera%20transversa/Odontoponera%20transversa%203.JPG%20Take%202.jpg]

I have the go ahead, the thumbs up, the ok to get Camponotus fulvopilosus.

Have to stay calm. ;-D

Suggestions on where to go for them? I am planning on getting a small colony from Ants Kalytta.

Jon.

Thu Dec 18, 2014 12:48 am

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1054take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/thbtake2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0946take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Marenarius15take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0968.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0981take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0982.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0563take2.jpg]
Brown cricket for tea.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Messoraremariusratus20take2.jpg]
Queen Jezebel.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Messoraremariusratus17take2.jpg]
With her crew.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0469take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_0461take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Messoraremariusratus34take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Messoraremariusratus38.jpg]

Sat Aug 23, 2014 8:55 am

The colony is one year old with around 200 workers.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/bd0a32c8-b9f0-4cca-93eb-a884598efe0e.jpg]
This morning we had cockroach for breakfast.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/176eb00d-a89a-4c9f-82fb-c75bea27a75a.jpg]
Look at the size difference between these workers, it is crazy.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/ff6aa46e-1dae-4842-80e3-ce6295b3d65c.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/dd9b6467-bb4e-41a7-b48b-7ac5d3c6f6ba.jpg]
Loads of eggs and larvae.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Camponotussingularis13.jpg]
... and then there was 5 workers.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Camponotussingularis21Take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1509Take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1504Take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/CapmonotussingularisTake2.jpg]
Where have all these larvae come from?

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Capmonotussingularis9Take2.jpg]
There is a whole load of different sizes going on.

But still no sign of the pupae hatching. They continue to get darker.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1475take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1472take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1458Take2.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1454.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/IMG_1424.jpg]
I was using post it notes, but have now created some laminated labels. Look at me go.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Messoraciculatus.jpg]
As usual these Messors are messy.

[Blocked Image: http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z173/jon2thefish/Messoraciculatust.jpg]

Sun Dec 07, 2014 10:05 am

I have ordered and hopefully receiving next week a Queen and a few larvae. This is a species that can have more than one Queen in a colony, however the last time I tried getting this species I was let down earlier on in the year, they have become available again, but there are no colonies with more than one queen.

This will be my 7th species of Messor. I can say this Genus is the Genus people should start with if they want to keep ants, they are easy to keep , usually quick at expanding in numbers and the size difference between the workers is crazy..