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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 21, 2018 12:58:21 GMT
A 7th larva has now pupated!
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 24, 2018 18:31:57 GMT
Just checked the colony and found there's several newborn larvae and an eighth one is now spinning her cocoon.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 26, 2018 9:41:34 GMT
Two cocoons are now getting very dark. It won't be long now, I think another day or so and we'll see the new workers.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 27, 2018 10:54:48 GMT
I'm very happy to report that there are now eight workers! Two pupae eclosed earlier. Let's hope those will be the first of many.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jul 27, 2018 11:01:12 GMT
Cute young things the callow girls, pale and hairy. Can't wait to see what my pupa looks like when she is born.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 1, 2018 9:01:54 GMT
Worker #9 is now up and about! There are six cocoons left. One of them is already getting dark, so maybe there will be 10 by the end of the week?
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 3, 2018 11:25:29 GMT
The tenth worker has eclosed this morning! Another larva is pupating so there's still six of them.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 4, 2018 15:23:19 GMT
I ordered a 1.5cm deep acrylic nest I'm reserving for this colony once it gets big enough. Things are still going well, they're fed almost daily now. On a side note, the younger workers seem to have brighter markings, whilst they're harder to see on the older ones. I wonder if they get darker as they age? They're orange at first before turning red.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 8, 2018 18:21:35 GMT
This colony continues to do well. There are eight cocoons and one of them is very dark, so it won't be long until the 11th worker is up and about. There's several large larvae and plenty of small ones. It looks like there's only a few eggs unhatched at the moment but hopefully the queen will add more when she's ready. I gave them a cricket last night and today the legs and head have been consumed, leaving a hollowed out exoskeleton. Now that there's more workers they're developing a bigger appetite for sugar water and will happily have seconds after they drink the first droplet.
The youngest workers can still be distinguished from their sisters but they're far less pale and shy now.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 9, 2018 22:06:55 GMT
Worker #11 is now on her feet, ready to serve her colony. Two more cocoons are now beginning to change colour and it looks like the queen's laid a few more eggs.
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Post by jynxy on Aug 11, 2018 3:06:41 GMT
Worker #11 is now on her feet, ready to serve her colony. Two more cocoons are now beginning to change colour and it looks like the queen's laid a few more eggs. what was the turnover from egg laid to worker ??
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 11, 2018 11:45:10 GMT
Worker #11 is now on her feet, ready to serve her colony. Two more cocoons are now beginning to change colour and it looks like the queen's laid a few more eggs. what was the turnover from egg laid to worker ?? The first larva hatched on the 24th of May and workers started to eclose on the 27th of July, so it took a while. Some Camponotus seem to grow slower than others.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Aug 11, 2018 12:28:29 GMT
what was the turnover from egg laid to worker ?? The first larva hatched on the 24th of May and workers started to eclose on the 27th of July, so it took a while. Some Camponotus seem to grow slower than others. Yes, this species in particular is notoriously very slow on brood development. TenebrousNova has been luckier with them, as my colony produced less brood and only 1 new worker so far.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 11, 2018 15:48:41 GMT
It's hard to see because the queen is sitting on them, but I managed to get a photo of the eggs. I think that Worker #12 will eclose today.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 11, 2018 20:49:11 GMT
There's now 12 workers.
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