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Post by deano on Apr 10, 2008 12:24:02 GMT
I was watching my ants today for about half an hour and I noticed a lot of the pre-queen's coming out of the tunnels and flaping their wings and trying to fly. I managed to get a few photos. Small version Larger verion. 500k file size. www.bigdotmedia.com/photos/fly.jpgAnd this animation of 3 of the photos put together. There is 9 pre-queens in my tank. I'm not sure if I should keep them all in the same tank, but no eggs yet. It's been 2 months so I suspect (as I have read) it's a specific time of the year they mate with a male.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Apr 10, 2008 15:22:05 GMT
Nice pics Deano I'm not sure how you got the animated pic, but it is interesting to watch The shape of the ants look somewhat like a Camponotus species, but not being very well informed on Australian ants, don't quote me on that. All I can say is, they appear to be a Formicine ant genus; and it is great to see pics of the alate female. April down under is probably similar to September here in the UK, so you may find many of your native species of ants will hold their nuptial mating flights at around this time of year. Thanks for sharing these photos with us, as we're always happy to look at good ant pics here on the Ant Hill
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Post by Shawn on Apr 10, 2008 16:39:36 GMT
Hi Deano
Very nice photo's, how long you had your ants and what type of set up you got?
Shawn
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Post by sammy on Apr 10, 2008 17:46:29 GMT
hey, cool pics, the 3 pics together are really cool, did you find them or are they from your colony
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Post by deano on Apr 11, 2008 13:08:15 GMT
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Post by jumbo992 on Apr 11, 2008 13:15:21 GMT
Great photos and nice colony
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Post by Jenny on Apr 11, 2008 13:21:51 GMT
I enjoyed looking at your photos Deano, you are lucky to have flying queens in your set up It almost makes me wish it was that time of year here, but then our UK summer would be nearly over
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Post by Shawn on Apr 11, 2008 16:09:25 GMT
I have also got to say very nice pics, I can't wait till my colony of Messor barbarus get that big Shawn
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Post by Wood~Ant on Apr 11, 2008 16:55:54 GMT
There are some interesting shots of the alates. Would I be right to say that you have both male and female alates, as it does look like there may well be? A nice colony, so they evidently enjoy the tank you're keeping them in
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Post by jolon on Apr 11, 2008 17:16:17 GMT
Great pictures and great job being able to raise alates. Jolon
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Post by deano on Apr 12, 2008 5:56:19 GMT
Thanks everyone. Wood Ant, I think there is about 50 odd males in the tank. I was walking down to the shops the day I took those photos and I saw an alate female without her wings. So I assume it was a day of mating here.
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