Dr. Robert M Flight
myrmepropagandistWho is 4.5 years old, has 600 daughters and 500 eggs ready to go for spring?
This queen carpenter ant. I’ve known this bug longer than some people— and I like her better.
She's in her prime, they can live for over a decade and I hope to see if she can live that long.
Eric Vitiello@futurebird WOW. I had no idea they could live that long. How old is she?
Nearly 5 years old!
@futurebird very cool
Henrik Pauli@futurebird I genuinely thought ants lasted like one year. Ten though? That's so cool!
WTL@futurebird I did not know that they could live that long. Cooool.
During her first two years of life she hung around the egg chambers, but then a couple of years back her daughters decided to move all of the eggs and larvae to another log, so her log is just for her, the ants to care for her (and who whisk the eggs away) and maybe just a few dozen most recently laid eggs. She also has an extensive collection of majors hanging around especially at the entrance.
It's the queen's apartments.
She has an army of nannies for the little ones.
I would be so much more impressed with human queens if they had this many kids and a set up like this one with big beefy daughters ready to defend them.
Might even get more interested in monarchy if they could do that.
lucindacatchlove.bsky.socialWouldn't that be a momarchy? *I will see myself out*
Richard Barrell@futurebird I used to read a comic called Drowtales in which this is a thing. The main characters are all elves. Almost all the most powerful people in their expansive world are centuries old women. Their royal courts tend to center on their huge families. They are very loyal because who wouldn't take up arms to defend their mama or their grandma?
Michael Gemar@futurebird It’s wild to me that after years her workers would decide to make such a huge change.
I think they like keeping all the larvae of the same age in one place for efficiency and her log was too small. And like most queens she didn't want to move.
But I've seen this in the wild too. The larvae are a target of predators, so keeping the queen separate is probably safer in the long run.
As it turns out I have video of when they first moved into the log!
Dottie passed away nearly two years ago. She was one of the first wave of workers and saw a lot of change. I might mark another ant or two this spring as it's interesting to see what they get up to... they are NOT all the same. Very different personalities.
Steve's Place@futurebird @michaelgemar Interesting. There are usually 1-6 ants having at the honey I leave for them on a frozen yogurt seal set on the non-biz side of the sink counter. When the weather changed, it was like a sale was on, and a lot more visited. Since I decided to try honey, they have mostly not looked elsewhere for food, like inside of my coffee maker, though if I neglect to rinse a plate, it is like I opened up a new wing of the ant diner.
BTW, I think I saw the queen - a large version of that ant - show up to eat once, then disappear.
10K ants, eh? Swell. I guess I'm going to need more ant munchies.
They own Oregon. I've seen the deed.
Sue Ellen Fast@futurebird the Queen’s Chambers or Logingham Palace? Her retinue, and the Royal Guard - sounds so familiar
"Logingham Palace" is perfect.
Rory@futurebird Ants are so cute...
@futurebird Lovely girl!
Do queens ever run out of sperm?
Yes! That happened to my Pogonomyrmex queen a year back and she started laying eggs that grew up to be sons. It was kind of sad since it meant the colony was over.
She must not have mated enough? Or maybe she got sick.
She was only two years old. Normally it takes much longer for that to happen.
Leonardo FontenelleI had never thought of it! In my head, queens stored eggs for a new days, to kickstart the colony, but obviously they need to store the sperm as long as they produce new eggs! 🤯
Ant queens can already sort of do what people in Iain M. Banks culture do with their mental menus.
Claire, The Ultimate Worrier
Keeper of the orb@futurebird oh dang shes a big girl!!
how long is she expected to live in good conditions? or is that a matter of academic debate :O
At least 10 years. Maybe much longer. We don't really know how long they live.
She seems to be doing great. The colony is huge, though I'm trying to get them to grow it slowly since IDK where I'm going to put 10k ants.
Hteph
Luna Lactea@futurebird Carpenter ants are very polite! There were a few colonies of them living in the back yard of a house I used to live at. They kept very clean & they never had loud parties or anything. They're good neighbors.
Heliograph@futurebird oh wow a superinterestng thread 😲🙏 thanks I had no idea about #carpenter #ants #carpenterAnts
Thomas Lobig@futurebird aww, so nice. I tried cultivating a colony once (Camponotus Herculeanus), maybe 15 years ago. But my diy Formicarium wasn't very good and despite three hatched eggs it never picked off and the Queen died ;_;
Got the queen from a large colony that lived in a dead chinmey pipe in my inlaws' house.
The German common name is Rossamameise, horse ant, dunno the etymology.
I love the Camponotus for their dimorphism, i.e. the soldier ants. People consider them pests, people are stupid.
Got the queen from a large colony that lived in a dead chinmey pipe in my inlaws' house.
The German common name is Rossamameise, horse ant, dunno the etymology.
I love the Camponotus for their dimorphism, i.e. the soldier ants. People consider them pests, people are stupid.
Sometimes queen ants die even with the best care. Don't beat yourself up about it too much.