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Post by odesssus on Aug 30, 2010 0:34:14 GMT
I have ordered a queen with her first brood has any one got any tips for this ant . also what does the sp. stand for? I know I might sound a bit stupid but if I have learned any thing, I've learned to ask.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2010 8:05:12 GMT
sp stands for species - which if its not named means they do not know which species it is. There are quite a few different species of these ants and they are not easy to tell apart. I have had some in stock before and found them very interesting. As you know they are trap jaw ants so a search on the net will give you the conditions they like. You will probably find that they are mostly nocturnal and most of the foraging goes on at night. I found that their favorite food was very small crickets. I used to put them in the tank alive and by the next morning most of them had been caught and were in the ants nest. Do be carefull when handling them as not only can they give a good bite, but many also have a painfull sting.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Aug 30, 2010 9:24:30 GMT
I think you may have ordered a colony from here} www.ants-kalytta.com/Odontomachus-spblack.html as this is the only site I have found selling them The 3 pics below are all borrowed from a Google search, so my apologies to the photographers who took the original photos. A Queen. A Worker. Her mandibles (jaws)
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Post by odesssus on Aug 30, 2010 19:00:17 GMT
That's right Woodant ants kalytta is just where I got them from. I got an email today to say that they are on the way, I'm going to put them in the big 3ft tank that I had set up for the harpegnathos venator. I had to take out the nest I set up for them and put in a rotton wood one but that was all, But with my bad hands that took 3 days to do. If I can figger out how to do it I'll post some pics.
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Post by odesssus on Sept 1, 2010 13:08:03 GMT
I have had a look at the gls web site and my new ants are on the van on there way to my house I can't wait I'm going to go and put the heater on in the tank so it's nice a cosy for them. by the way nice pics wood ant . I have looked on the web and the thing is that there are so many different ones it's hard to say how to keep them.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 1, 2010 15:16:54 GMT
I hope that the new colony does really well for you, as they look amazing ants with those jaws, almost like Army Ants ;D I too have a new colony on order, but no news of when they're coming, but when I get them I will post about them
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Post by odesssus on Sept 1, 2010 17:33:23 GMT
I have waited in all day and no ants mybe tomorrow
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Post by odesssus on Sept 1, 2010 18:48:05 GMT
well they have turned up at 7.30 . I have just gone up to look at the tank and now there is some thing growing on the nest I got for them it looks like some sort of fungus .what do you think I should do try to get rid of the fungus of leave it
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Post by odesssus on Sept 1, 2010 21:11:31 GMT
I put the nest in the micowave and blasted it on high for 8 mins a side. I think that will kill off any fungus. looking in the test tube it looks like I got a queen 1 worker lots off eggs and some larve. they all look ok to me
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
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Post by shane on Sept 1, 2010 23:17:46 GMT
I find fungus or molds a pain in my ants nest but lucky for me I can remove them as they seem to grow around foods if left in for over a day and its warm. Hope you have best of luck with your new odontomachus sp. black colony and have hours of fun observing them
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Post by odesssus on Sept 2, 2010 14:17:37 GMT
she is still staying in the test tube looking after her eggs . she looks in good condition I must say how well she was packed, he had put a small roll of tissue paper around the inside of the tube for her to hide in also he had drained the water out from the cotton wool but left the wet cotton wool in there. you can see he puts the ants first .well done ants kalytta
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Post by odesssus on Sept 6, 2010 17:59:08 GMT
she has moved out of the test tube and taken eggs larvae worker with her I've looked but I can't find her any where . I will look tonight and see if any thing moves.
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Post by odesssus on Sept 15, 2010 12:35:03 GMT
For the first time since I had to take the nest out, my Odontomachus have taken some food. I've been putting a small Locust in every 2 days and the one I put in a day ago is gone, I'm very happy protein is just what the queen needs at the moment to lay all those lovely eggs. I think I will put another in in a day or so. ;D
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Post by odesssus on Oct 9, 2010 3:17:06 GMT
well it took long enough but I have seen one at last. I put a fresh fly in tonight and looked in every now and again but nothing. then my mad dog woke me up to go outside for a wee so I let him out and went up to look in on the ants and much to my surprise there was the worker walking around she walked over by the honey but didn't go close enough to eat any then the dog started to scratch at the door to come in and because I didn't want him to wake my kids up I went down to let him in and when I come back she was gone. it might have only lasted a few seconds but it's made me happy I'm glad that they are still alive.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2010 7:11:43 GMT
I have kept Odontomachus before and found that all their foraging was done at night. They spend the day resting in their nest but as soon as it went dark loads of workers left the nest to go hunting. Maybe if you sneak a look late at night / early morning you may see them out and about!
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