Shane's: Polyrhachis beccarii. Gold

[shane]

Log: 28.04.2016

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Soon at I had a quick look at this colony, Already they was pulling to bits the entrance of there test tube but the brood seem all ok,

the works have spiky shoulders and can be fast, Seem to have no problems running on glass

Polyrhachis sp. this species between gold and bronze do weave nests so hoping they will weave in there nest tank then there foraging tank.

They from Asia part of world and like it on the warm side but can take low temps around 14c up to 34c so fine with room temps, They like light too but  just for warmth it seems.

Heres some photo's of them.

Video of queen which may get rare as colony progresses.

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[shane]

Log: 01.05.2016

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No change to this colony, Seem to just sleep at low temps.

Only taken a dead lotuses in yesterday and back to been like lazy.

 They do seem to like it on the warm side only showing activity at 28c + to 31c and when they do there only forage in light and at right temp which was

like a trigger yesterday as I was messing trying to get there set up to a more summer feeling in there tank.

they also do like the warmth of a lamp when there forage, Also they don't show much activity once they taken a bit of food back to nest,

They don't show any intrest yet in honey water or syrup, Just like dead pry. " edit - They carry dead pry around and only drink water or sugar water"

Heres some photo's of them sleeping, They never showed any interest either in moving them unlike my other ants that go crazy even with

a tiny vibration, Maybe it could be there instinct with movement of there nest not affecting them much cos in wild wind or a breeze or rain fall

would shake there nest about.

PS: There nest is still in test tube so its easy to lift them out to check on them, for now, and will only do every 3 or 4 days to see they doing well.

Anyhow heres some photo's.

Queens almost same size as her worker ants and could easily be mistaken for a worker ant, Just her slightly bigger abdomen and shoulder bit

Gives her away.

Colony Numbers 14 and counting.

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[shane]

Log: 03.05.2016

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I've had a closer inspection of this species and there 100% "NOT Polyrhachis Divers" and I also found there right name tonight

which is  "Polyrhachis beccarii"

But they do belong to the Polyrhachis family with weaving nests and there give away spiky shoulder and medium body thorax parts

and there pointed down shape gaster.

As I said before there seem to be fully gold metallic all over and hairy in white light and using a close up micro lens you can see for your self the

body of this gold lay back species of Polyrhachis.

The workers have a rigged up line on there backs going from there spike on there shoulder bit either side all the way down there back thorax

that looks like the thorax divides in to 5 section like blocks going down the back to her gaster.

 

More of my photos...

This photo shows her hole golden hairy body with a larvae.

More added photo's.

 This colony does just laze around

This colony also as I said before don't seem to show any aggression and seem more tame then any other ant species.

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[shane]

Log: 10.05.2016

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I thought something was wrong with this colony as they was neglecting there food and binning them away from nest and only

taking in sugar for last week as I thought at first they was eating them before binning them away.

I was talking to some one on facebook yesterday who looks after them and he says they diet is mainly normal sugar water

as honey water they won't touch.

They will only eat dead roaches and a species of dead fly's you only get in asia, Any thing else they won't touch as they  just carry them about till they

find a place to bin them at a later time and random placers.

In wild it seems they mainly live on sugars from tree's and only eat the odd  small roaches or dead ones and small fly's they come across on forest floor.

Colony size in wild they have is small of around 400 to 500+ and have there nest under ground but as colony grows later can nest under dry

leafs in tree's.

So looks like I have to get them small roaches for there protean source as anything else there will attack and bin then eat it.

NOTE: "This species of ant are Picky eaters"

I may try them on random other foods but if they like pandas and only eat drink seiten foods then I will have to get them .....

This can be a bit of a draw back if there only eat seitan foods from there own country.

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[shane]

Log: 11.05.2016

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Was told tonight to lock them in test tube till there's around 30 works and to feed them roaches and sugar water at entrance,

 Reason for it is that some of scouts don't return back to nest when let out early

and keep out in foraging tank or in branches and at some point can attack a fellow worker that scouting for sugar or food.

They can even attack one another to death if they spray a fellow worker if there attacking something with both works not knowing who's who .

Colony is very friendly but picky with foods and if away from main colony for to long like forgets its own colony and can attack kill another worker.

Colony seems to exchange information a lot with each other by antennae then smell  like a pair of people or more talking in street

with waving they hands around as they talk. Still don't know why they do this but only do it out side of nest and yes last night 2 works killed

one another when something went wrong with antennae like touching antennae like talking which is cos of letting them out early .

Think this colony is going to be hard to get going.

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[shane]

Log: 12.05.2016

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Small colony seems fine back in test tube and the rouge works have died out in foraging arena,

Some photo's of a rogue worker on a leaf. Still don't know why they fight when colony's small when away from nest for some days,

All I can think off is that they loose there colony connection.

They are a friendly colony but very fragile at same time to they own and not forgetting fussy eaters.

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[shane]

Log: 30.05.2016

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Colony seem to be only talking in sugar water and water . They do seem to like roaches , Thanks "Thebugman" but a little then back to sugars.

Colony don't seem to do so well in a big set up if colony's small, They like wonder off the workers and not return back to nest and end up

fighting with one another like they lost there colony connection.

I was told this colony can be hard to get going even if you have over 30 workers, You need at least 50+ for colony to work as a colony

that stops scouts wondering off alone and turning rouge and attacking they own colony if they come  close to them on there leafs they just laze

rest on.

In wild this colony nest on ground and drink sugar sap from plants or roots, Colony only grow to a max of just over 250.

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[shane]

Log: 10.06.2016

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I let colony back out of test tube yesterday and they now working as a colony,

4 scout works had a wonder around and about after 20mins they went back in to test tube nest then stopping out 

I don't know why they dint do this first time, But Things seem back on track with this colony and they eating well too for protean.

They only seem to eat roaches and drink sugar water. Honey water they seem to just leave and other bugs I tried them with they won't even touch

Odd Works seem to do a tapping on glass with there gaster I never seen before till today, At first I thought the tapping was from my Messor colony till

I seen a worker tapping away her gaster on glass close to nest entrance. They seem to do this when foods about or ready to attack.

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[shane]

Log 11.06.2016

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Turns out the worker that tapping is a Help call  and have a video of it but may need to turn up sound.

At start of video you can here the worker tapping.

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[shane]

Log: 11.06.2016

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They not been out that long and already there is a totally different change in colony from when I first got them.

The so could rouge outcasts I call them that turn on colony when they lose there colony connection with been out to long use to turn in to

a battle mess, Reason why I shut them back away in to nest till colony got a little bigger.

Now any out cast the that turns on colony the nest now resorts to pining the worker down and seems death if they do turn on there own colony.

Videos a little sad to see a worker getting punished. But now colony is holing its own if any get out of line.

They do like ripping up there foods.

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[shane]

Log:12.06.2016

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When I first tried them with apple they never touched it.

Now with a bit of sugar water

There do like sweet stuff..

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[shane]

Log: 17.06.2016

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Photo update.

Grading nest entrance on side of glass.

Eating Apple with 5% sugar water added from a drip of water.

A scout exploring there well hope to be soon there new nest.

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[shane]

Log: 23.06.2016

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For past week I been experimenting with different Syrup and some have different affects on colony behave yare.

Maple Syrup = Even the slightest smell and the colony go mad for it - If they drink to much they can die from the Syrup too.

Best with about 20% and rest water but not recommended for a sugar diet cos they can kill them self with it.

Honey Syrup = They will drink it but don't seem to go as mad for it as they drink a bit and move on but again they can kill them self with

the way they drink the honey . Worker can show sigh's of change like they drunk and legs not working right with twitches.

I don't know why a worker can change like this after about 4 hours of drinking honey but 2 works did this if there drink to much

and again one ended up dying. 20% Syrup rest water. The works that dint drink much come around and went back to normal.

Golden Syrup - inverted sugar = There will drink it and can go mad for it like maple Syrup But 30% Syrup in water.

Been more or less 100% fine, No sighs of works reacting weird or drunk or even dyeing after dinking the Syrup after 3 or 4 hours.

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I don't know why with different Syrup's the workers reacts differently or even death but lucky the colony didn't die

 as it was dierluterd thought passing to each other. I found out even thought Sugar that's bad is the most safest to use in there sugar

diet then the rest.

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[shane]

Log: 24.06.2016

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See something new everyday and dint notice this from viewing them from above, But from side tells a different tail on how they feed.

Yes There beg for food wanting more and here's a video.

Even when they drink feed there do the front leg tapping too,

Maybe in wild they may live on aphid bug sugar with the tapping for more sugar foods from them.

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[shane]

Log: 02.07.2016

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Changing there diet to "Organic Honey - African fruit honey" Seems they like it more then anything now which maybe cos

its more fruity for them.

I am going to try other colony's on with this Honey and if they like it I'll keep it as there main Sugar diet.

Colony numbers are around 60 or 70+ and growing fast,

There max numbers are only around 250 strong so colony for beccarii is small and they only send out 4 to 5 works at a time as the

remaining colony keep in nest holding larvae or cocoons or eggs on side of walls,

Colony also like been in a small clumped up colony with queen, There nest I'm changing to a ball shaped nest then a test tube

or even a glass upright nest, There nest is keeping small as there don't seem to like long tubes of any sort.

Colony numbers around 60 strong.

Older workers now just wonder out of nest and seem to die in random placers in there tank cos most of time there cannot control

there legs right and seen to die upside down

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