Pachycondyla spec. Malaysia nest

[Steven Gielis]

I ordered a colony of this Ponerinae ants. This is the nest I build for them.

 

[beetleman]

:clap: wow very impressive!

 

[cacoseraph]

dang, that is awesome!

 

[Steven Gielis]

Thanks! I'll post some more pics when the ants arrive.

 

[Steven Gielis]

The ant arrived! Very impressive ones! Length about 14mm. They sting like a wasp.
Some pictures feeding a midsize cricket:

 

[beetleman]

wow! very cool:clap:

 

[RodG]

Amazing stuff:drool: Please keep us posted

 

[syndicate]

wow awesome setup.i wish we could order some of those here in the usa!
very primative looking ants

 

[Steven Gielis]

They are indeed primitive. You can not recognize the queen. I am not even sure there is any. But I have seen eggs and larvae. The genus Pachycondyla has several primitive forms of reproduction. There are species where the queen also forages when she starts up her colony. And there are species where the workers are fertile and can be fertilized and start a colony on there own. I am trying to ID the species to know more about the reproductive habits.
The larvae are also primitive: they are not fed by a secretion of the workers but they can eat independent on the pieces of cricket which the workers bring to them.

 

[syndicate]

how is your setup ventilated and how do u water them or keep it from drying out?ive never used a plaster enclosure before but i think id like to try to build one.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Lets see them nesting man. Are you sure these are primitive ants they look like the advanced versions that are on the verge of growing wings and becoming wasps LOL.

Those things have the abdomen of P.dominula...and the face of a primitive hornet LOL

 

[syndicate]

Are you sure these are primitive ants they look like the advanced versions that are on the verge of growing wings and becoming wasps LOL.

well its commonly thought that ants evolved from wasps millions of years ago due to fossils of ants found in amber specimens.id also like to see shots of them in there nest tho

 

[Tleilaxu]

well its commonly thought that ants evolved from wasps millions of years ago due to fossils of ants found in amber specimens.id also like to see shots of them in there nest tho

So its the reverse then thus they would be primitive... Nest shots!

 

[Steven Gielis]

They just start to use the new set up. So I'll have to wait to shoot some more pictures.
The nest is made of ytong. I don't know the correct English term for it. Fast building blocks maybe? White blocks of a rather soft material. Ytong absorbs water pretty well. The nest site is placed in 10 cm water. The water stands where you can see the white gravel. The carved nests start just above the water level. So the ants can choose between a gradient of humidities.
There is a ventilation groove under need the front windows and the top has also a groove.

 

[8+)]

I'm not getting into ants! I'm not getting into ants! I'm not getting into ants! I'm not getting into ants! I'm not getting into ants! I'm not getting into ants!

But that's sooo awesome! :clap:

 

[Tleilaxu]

DAMN THE USDA for shipping restrictions on these things! I know what I am going to be fiddling with next... *goes to look for large containers*

 

[Steven Gielis]

Doesn't the US have some native Pachycondyla species?

 

[Tleilaxu]

Even if we did it is ILLEGAL to ship queens of ANY type of ant ANYWHERE with in the USA.

 

[dtknow]

Even within a state?

It basically means people who keep ants mustfind the queens themselves.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Correct. Legally the people MUST find the queens themselves.