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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 24, 2018 20:34:48 GMT
After reading Shane's journal again and watching some videos, I became inspired to order a colony of this interesting species from Antsrus, which will consist of a queen and 5-10 workers. Yes, I know I said on my latest journal I wouldn't get any more ants. And unless I can find another Camponotus singularis colony for sale, I mean it this time! One of the interesting aspects of Harpegnathos venator is that when the queen dies (They have a short lifespan of approximately three to four years), one of her workers can take on a special reproductive role, known as a gamergate. This worker will lay eggs that'll produce viable offspring to continue the colony, which is theoretically immortal in this way if it can stay healthy. Another thing I find interesting is their hunting behaviour. Rather than blindly charge at prey like most ants, H. venator workers will carefully stalk their prey using their excellent eyesight before jumping at it. If successful, their long, unusually shaped jaws restrain their prey whilst the worker paralyses it with her stinger. I've read that this sting is pretty nasty, so I'll be sure to be careful around them. Here's a cool video I found of them hunting: The colony should hopefully arrive tomorrow! As usual, feel free to comment.  |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 25, 2018 10:46:52 GMT
They've arrived! I am impressed by the size of these girls. There's a queen and nine workers. I counted four eggs. Queen is the one on top. She does have distinct wing scars and a slightly wider thorax which is how I recognised her.    I've given them a stunned cricket which after suspiciously snapping at a bit, they seem to be chewing on now. Whilst I was checking my other ants, I noticed a few of the workers were following my movements. Odd knowing that while I'm studying my ants, some of them are in turn studying me... |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 25, 2018 14:35:48 GMT
I miscounted the eggs, there's actually seven! The workers are busy with that cricket and have already half chewed it up. I still can't get over the shape of their jaws. |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 26, 2018 9:55:26 GMT
Last night this colony ate a second cricket, of which there is now hardly any trace. Interestingly, I noticed the eggs aren't adhesive and simply roll around.
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
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Post by shane on Jul 26, 2018 12:16:46 GMT
You're lucky you have a real queen with wing scars. Mine was 2 gamergates  , Don't forget to check for mites too. |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 26, 2018 13:24:24 GMT
You're lucky you have a real queen with wing scars. Mine was 2 gamergates  , Don't forget to check for mites too. I've looked quite closely and haven't seen any evidence of mites so far, luckily. I mentioned it before, but that stinger of the workers is a truly vicious implement. I watched closely as they took a live cricket just now and the stinger was big enough to leave a visible puncture wound on the cricket's body. The cricket could still very slightly move but was effectively helpless as it was pulled over to the queen, who was the first to start licking away at it. Luckily, the workers don't seem to be displaying aggressive behaviours when I open the test tube or attempting to escape. I'm sure that'll start to change when there's more of them! |
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shane
Ant Photographer
Ant Species Image Gatherer
Posts: 1,738
Likes: 819
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Post by shane on Jul 26, 2018 16:34:04 GMT
You're lucky you have a real queen with wing scars. Mine was 2 gamergates , Don't forget to check for mites too. I've looked quite closely and haven't seen any evidence of mites so far, luckily. I mentioned it before, but that stinger of the workers is a truly vicious implement. I watched closely as they took a live cricket just now and the stinger was big enough to leave a visible puncture wound on the cricket's body. The cricket could still very slightly move but was effectively helpless as it was pulled over to the queen, who was the first to start licking away at it. Luckily, the workers don't seem to be displaying aggressive behaviours when I open the test tube or attempting to escape. I'm sure that'll start to change when there's more of them! Be care full cos there will jump and run and if cornered will use there stinger . |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 5, 2018 17:06:19 GMT
If anyone else here decides to keep these girls...do not give them the opportunity to escape, they are very fast for such big ants! One of the workers sneaked out of the test tube when I was feeding them and it was a game of cat and mouse to catch her again. I'm wary of their powerful sting so I didn't pick her up, but eventually scooped her into the test tube with a ball of cotton. I had to move slowly because she would see me coming otherwise. She was actually jumping away from me very much in the same way a cricket does, making a loud tapping sound every time she landed. It's an extraordinary thing seeing an ant jumping. My Camponotus mitis can jump, but nothing like these girls can!  There's just four eggs now, but I'm hoping they'll hatch given time. I've been feeding them a cricket almost every day now. |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 13, 2018 11:41:16 GMT
A few days ago the colony had eaten all their eggs, but today there's seven again. I've been checking on them less often and it seems to be helping so far.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 16, 2018 13:35:00 GMT
Today there are eight eggs! Looks like they haven't been eating them, so my strategy of not checking the colony as often has been working.   |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 18, 2018 12:43:31 GMT
Today there are ten eggs. Unfortunately though, a worker has been on her side for a while and will likely die soon.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 1, 2018 18:45:35 GMT
The number of eggs continues to fluctuate as new ones are laid and others eaten. Today I counted five and none have hatched so far. I may need to move this colony into a fresh test tube or, failing this, a tank set up so they can dig their own nest. They're still voracious feeders and continue to accept crickets.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 4, 2018 18:58:24 GMT
Unfortunately another worker has died, leaving 7 and the queen. I decided to move them into a large clean boiling tube, which I did by tapping them out. To their credit, they didn't seem to react badly at all and quickly settled in, accepting a cricket minutes later after organising their eggs. The queen was the first to start eating, here she is:   |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Nov 25, 2018 16:03:36 GMT
There's now just four workers left. Sadly the queen has died as well...in a last ditch effort to save them I've moved them out of their test tube.   It's not all gloom though. For the very first time, they have let one of their eggs survive to hatching, so you can imagine my surprise to see this tiny and hairy larva. And hopefully the next worker to be born will become a gamergate and take on the reproductive role?  |
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Post by TenebrousNova on Nov 27, 2018 1:49:41 GMT
They've settled nicely in their new nest. Tonight I put in a cricket, which entered the nest. One of the workers soon spotted it and followed it.  She closes in on the cricket:  Before attacking, she first checks to see if the coast is clear at the nest entrance and stares at me as if to say "you're next".  The cricket is pounced on and dragged into the nest. These ants are large and very strong, so a single worker can take on prey that most ants would need to attack in numbers.  The cricket was then paralysed with a sting to the head:  That little larva is going to eat well tonight.  |
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, Don't forget to check for mites too.
