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Post by UKantz on Oct 23, 2012 19:22:58 GMT
On my holiday in spain I have managed to catch a large red headed messor barbarus queen during a nuptial flight, she currently resides in a old sweet jar untill I return to the Uk. At this time she has dug a founding chamber out and sits there for the mean time, I just hope she won't get to stressed on the plane journey home as this seems to be this species demise.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Oct 24, 2012 9:13:00 GMT
That was a good find, as I'm sure some of our members will be envious of you. Keep her packed safely for the journey home and she should be fine, as don't forget these queens enter the UK on planes when you buy them from Europe, so just make sure she is well padded for her trip.
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Post by UKantz on Oct 24, 2012 16:22:25 GMT
Thanks for the advise, I intend to pack her as well as I can. As an update, today on the beach I found another red headed queen and decided to keep her. She is in an identical sweet jar to my other queen and has begun digging as I speak. I would have caught more queens as there was such an abundance of them everywhere, but I lacked the accommodation for them, well perhaps next year if I'm lucky. ;D Pictures as soon as I return home
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Post by TenebrousNova on Oct 24, 2012 16:33:15 GMT
Shame that you couldn't catch more, as Messor queens can be sold for about £10 each when they're on their own. I would feel nervous if it were me, I'd expect customs to spirit my ants away if I took some. Good luck with them!
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Post by antique on Oct 24, 2012 17:05:19 GMT
As both countries are part of the EU it should not be a problem, as long as you're not bringing in hundreds of ants for sale here in the UK. Good luck and I hope your queens do okay when you get them home, as a lot of people seem to keep this species and there is plenty of info on them on this forum.
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Post by UKantz on Oct 26, 2012 16:38:16 GMT
Both queens have made founding chambers but there have been some strange actions from 1 queen who hangs from the top of her founding chamber, hopefully it's just that she dislikes the plastic floor and isn't something more serious. The other queen hasn't dug next to the sides so I'm not sure what's happend to her... Anouther interesting but rather unwelcome shock was to find Pheidole Pallidula workers on my table where the queens are kept, there were even a few soldiers wandering around . Hope none of them found a way I to the jars...
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Post by Smudge on Oct 27, 2012 2:43:18 GMT
I'm sure they will be fine messor barbarus queens are quite heavily armoured and pack a large set of quite formidable jaws quite capable of crushing a pheidole worker or soldier easily l shame you havent found a few of theyre queens.
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Post by UKantz on Oct 29, 2012 18:00:45 GMT
Both queens made it safely back from the trip alive and well.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Oct 29, 2012 18:42:14 GMT
Both queens made it safely back from the trip alive and well. Nice one, I am pleased about that for you. Now they might start laying eggs very soon, or wait until next February depending on how warm and settled they feel.
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Post by UKantz on Oct 29, 2012 18:52:39 GMT
Thanks wood ;D
I will give them untill the end of October/early November to lay eggs if they havnt by then I will remove the heat mat and wait untill February.
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Post by UKantz on Nov 25, 2012 10:05:34 GMT
As I hadn't checked since they arrived I thought it be good to do so, sadly 1 queen was found dead. The other is alive but rather sluggish this might be down due to the cold weather though.
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Post by UKantz on Jan 22, 2013 19:57:14 GMT
Just thought I would update the queen is still alive, well and still in hibernation.
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Post by UKantz on Feb 18, 2013 6:54:21 GMT
Anouther quick but more interesting update, the queen has now finally laid her first batch of eggs (a cluster of about 6-9)
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Post by UKantz on Apr 7, 2013 19:46:31 GMT
Over the past weeks the eggs had turned from eggs to several large larvae and 1 pupae. However upon checking on the queen today, she had eaten all of her brood Only upside is that she has laid anouther small cluster of eggs, I just hope she doesn't continue to eat her brood, I'm not realy sure where I'm going wrong as I keep her undisturbed and dark. Mayby I should reapply the heat mat?
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Post by crockatt on Apr 7, 2013 19:54:00 GMT
Maybe she is needing some protein, if she hasnt fed since hibernation. Good luck with your new batch of eggs
Sent from my GT-I8150 using proboards
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