A worker!!

[Stutheant]

Finally and 6 days before the hibernation cool-down, my Camponotus Laterallis has a worker!

I purchased the Camp Laterallis a bit too early (regarding my experience) and basically just 'dumped' her into the formicarium. This stressed her out a lot and she lost all her brood. So I spoke to the chap at CG Ants and he said place her back in the test tube (I did not purchase the CL from CG) and place her somewhere safe. SO I did. However no brood was laid. I remember reading about placing brood from another ant and she will take it as her own. So I placed some Camponotus Herc brood into her test tube then placed her in the dark for a week. When I removed her to check she had laid her own brood and the CH brood was still there. The CH brood has now developed into a small worker (I thought CH workers would be bigger)..

The other good news, my Messor Barbarus has got 1 super-major in there now! What an impressive ant that is!

Anyway 5 days and counting. till hibernation. The MB are not going to go with the other ants to hibernation, I am just going to switch the heat mat and the bulb off so they can hibernate and room temp.

When I have sorted my business I am going to start a journal, and hopefully get some snaps!

Stuart

[Wood~Ant]

Nanitic or first workers are always a lot smaller than those which come later from brood in a well established colony. 

[Stutheant]

I do find it strange my Camp Hercs own brood have not developed past the brood stage. I know they are slow to grow but these have been brood since June.

I wonder if they release a pheromone that tells the brood to grow at different stages.