# robo mantis' ant pictures



## robo mantis (Sep 25, 2007)

Here is me feeding one of my colonies honey.












Bad quality picture of the queen :roll:






I will have more pictures up soon of my different species and different colonies! Enjoy!


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## Andrew (Sep 25, 2007)

Those are some cool ants! What species? Mind sharing where you shop for them?


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## OGIGA (Sep 26, 2007)

Red ants?? Scary...


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## robo mantis (Sep 26, 2007)

Actually i hear you can't buy them  All my queens i get from mating flights or lifting up rocks,lods, and bricks. I'm not exactly sure but i think Lasius Flavus (they are yellow and orange mixed). Colony has 1 queen about 100 larva 70 workers and lots of eggs and such. (those are estimates).


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## asdsdf (Sep 26, 2007)

Yep, it's illegal to send queen ants in America. They can start many many colonies that might wipe out other bugs. (Psst...the keeping of exotic mantids are illegal too)

Very cool ants. Unfortunately, the only ants near where I live are these annoying little black ants.


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## robo mantis (Sep 26, 2007)

We have those annoying black ants too their colonies can reach 80,000 (most stay in the ground).


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## robo mantis (Sep 26, 2007)

My Acrobat queen











A small group of colonies about 15 queens (VERY RARE)!!! NOTE: The queens are the big ones. The common name is "crazy ant."


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## asdsdf (Sep 26, 2007)

Wow, I heard of 'crazy ants' on the news a while back. They are a serious threat to the native species, going into nests and killing them all. I really don't see it possible, since they are small as well, but hey, it was in the news.


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## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 27, 2007)

> Wow, I heard of 'crazy ants' on the news a while back. They are a serious threat to the native species, going into nests and killing them all. I really don't see it possible, since they are small as well, but hey, it was in the news.


it is possible. there is a species that actually captures young and makes them into slaves.


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## robo mantis (Sep 27, 2007)

Yes or when you see ants swarming on sidewalk that is an "ant war." After the war the ants that won will raid the other nest of eggs larva and pupa. Very common. I will have more pictures up soon.


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## OGIGA (Sep 27, 2007)

> Yes or when you see ants swarming on sidewalk that is an "ant war." After the war the ants that won will raid the other nest of eggs larva and pupa. Very common. I will have more pictures up soon.


Ooh.... so that's what I have been seeing..........


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## robo mantis (Sep 27, 2007)

Yeah its common in around this time of year. Mainly August and i have seen many wars! One of the wars involved a colony of 80,000 vs. 70,000! it raged for 3 days!!!!!!!!!


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## AFK (Sep 27, 2007)

ants are totally badass. i love ant biology! very fascinating stuff.

15 queens? :shock: :shock: :shock:

are you sure they're queens and not drones? drones can be readily found in great numbers at times.


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## robo mantis (Sep 27, 2007)

Positive i know what drones look like. Smaller than queen, now as bulky, die right after mating, and they always have their wings on. This species mating season is over so there are no drones of this species existing right now.


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## robo mantis (Oct 6, 2007)

Hey guys i got a queen today! Lasius Niger. She has lots of eggs here are some pictures! Enjoy!


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## robo mantis (Oct 6, 2007)

More pictures but this time of my carpenter colony! Enjoy! "Big one is the queen."


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## Sparky (Oct 6, 2007)

You shouldn't of said it was from ??????!


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## asdsdf (Oct 7, 2007)

Sparky said:


> You shouldn't of said it was from ?????! Somone could report you


You shouldn't even say you are in the ??. It's illegal to send Queen ants to the ??. Very illegal, since ants are skgflkdhsfklask when they invade your food, and people hate em when they do that.

It would be cool to have an ant battle. Maybe eliminate some of the colonies practically inside of my house.

(Did I edit right?)


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## OGIGA (Oct 7, 2007)

Maybe we're all going to get in trouble for having exotic insects.


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## robo mantis (Oct 7, 2007)

OGIGA proved my point


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## josh_r (Apr 20, 2008)

robo mantis, have you ever considered a colony of pseudomyrmex apache??? i got me a young colony that seems to be doing pretty well. quite a fascinating species.

-josh


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## Hypoponera (Apr 21, 2008)

That is a very cool ant species! But, unfortunately for Robo, it doesn't range as far North as Indiana. He would need to make a road trip to find a colony. Where did you find your colony? Its range extends from southern CA across to TX. However, there is only a single record of it from southern NM. Afraid I just don't have the time to go on a mad search for it just yet.


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## josh_r (Apr 21, 2008)

P. apache is found in new mexico. in california, they are found most commonly on arctostaphylos (manzanita) and in arizona and new mexico, it is found on prosopis (mesquite) and palo verde. they like the thorn scrub habitat in the southern part of our states. there is another very cool species found here in arizona google it

cephalotes rohweri (turtle ant)

i found a colony of these in southern arizona and they didnt do to well for me. i would love to try them again if i can find anotehr colony.


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## Hypoponera (Apr 21, 2008)

Josh R,

Have you checked in at the Ant Farm, http://antfarm.yuku.com/directory ?

There are several rarely found species in the SW desert. I have been trying to come up with a way to keep Hypoponera. I would also like to find some Achanthosticus as well.


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## josh_r (Apr 21, 2008)

very cool forum. not too many people seem to be into ants. ive been fascinated by ants since i was a small kid.

hypoponera, we should get together some day.

-josh


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## Hypoponera (Apr 21, 2008)

Are you in CA or AZ? I have family in Tucson. I live in northern New Mexico. Let me know if you ever swing by! You can always come out for Balloon Fiesta! That's in the fall when ooths are easiest to find. Unfortunately, the assorted ant species in my front yard should start swarming in a couple weeks. I may have to start another colony of Dorymyrmex insanus this year.

Let me know if you need any ant info. If I have what you need, I can scan and email it! Ants were my insect of interest for the past several years before I got back into mantids.


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## josh_r (Apr 21, 2008)

i am in phoenix AZ. i could have gotten me a nice colony of fungus ants a few weeks back.... queen and all. it was tempting, but i passed. i have also thought about giving acromyrmex a try..... or even trying to find a queen atta mexicana in the organ pipe area. they are not too common though. i tend to be most interested in oddball and arboreal species. ive kept a couple odontomachus clarus colonies in the past. strumy. louisianae has been introduced to tucson and ive been tempted to get me a colony of those as well. ants are very cool and very unapreciated.

-josh


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## Hypoponera (Apr 22, 2008)

Let me know when you go anting again. I need some samples of those oddball types!


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