Page 5 of 7

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:48 pm
by Acromyrmexbob
Leaf Cutting ant colony growth is not steady, its exponential. It is always the case that keepers report a slow start and then the opposite problem when the colony starts to fulfill its size potential. You will get to that stage I imagine.

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2019 11:26 am
by Arrowing
Ive got the feeling the growth is stagnating a bit for now. They seem to be mostly preoccupied with waste disposal at the moment. The pictures are taken from a different angle because of the damp on the glass.
Screenshot 2019-11-05 at 12.11.45-256x200.png
Screenshot 2019-11-05 at 12.11.31-256x175.png

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:50 pm
by Arrowing
This night they added a bit to the fungus on the right side using clementine white
Screenshot 2019-11-06 at 13.35.20-257x184.png
Screenshot 2019-11-06 at 13.35.30-257x182.png
Screenshot 2019-11-06 at 13.35.41-257x191.png

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:57 pm
by Acromyrmexbob
Id say the fungus is fine, looking like they are working well. Its not unusual for them to spend time working on other parts of the colony once they have fed the fungus. Once the fungus is hungry it exerts a powerful control on the ants time.

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 9:51 am
by Arrowing
Another update,
The last 3 days they refused to build (as we have seen before) only tending the fungus and taking out thrash
We kept refreshing the leaves daily (as usuall) they now have acces to blackberry, privet (2types), oats, clementine whites and an unidentified flower?
20191108_134138-1032x774.jpg
The fungus looks stable but very white (i think its because they only take the clementine white and oats) after the weekend we won't replace the clementine for a few days and see what else they will cut. Overall it has doubled in size in 2 weeks, we also saw a few larvae but not sure also the queen is arround in the morning :P so looking fine to us
20191108_124141-1032x774.jpg

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:04 am
by Acromyrmexbob
Everything you are offering them looks very tough. The ants in a colony at this size do not have the physical strength to cut some of the stuff there. That may be why they are only taking the orange white, its the easiest to cut. When you are offering leaves, you need to make sure that they come from a plant the ant like and also that they are soft. So give them the newest privet leaves. I would also offer the orange white in the peel, with the orange part there and even some orange. Get rid of the flower and all of the leaves except privet. Give them some apple, green blackberry leaves (not old ones that are full of waste products from the plant, and fresh privet, not old leaves but from the tips. If you can place the leaves, still attached to the stem, in some water. As soon as you place leaves on their own like that they start to lose water and dry. You can also wet the leaves and place a damp tissue near them. Its all about making what you offer palatable and attractive.

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:02 pm
by Arrowing
Thnx Andrew, removed everything and put some fresh/young privet and some clovers
The "dry" stuff we kept aswell (oats, clementine white) monday i will give them a piece of mandarin (fruit & peel)
They wont take apple and grapes (tried several times but will keep trying regularly)
A few pictures to brighten the day!
20191104_122102_-3240x2160-1296x864.jpg
20191104_122120_-3240x2160-1296x864.jpg
20191104_171542_-1080x720.jpg

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:26 am
by Arrowing
Hi all,
The last 2 days we gave them only young privet (they take it a little bit) and yesterday we tried again a piece of iceberg lettuce (they rejected it, again :lol: )
20191111_172824-1032x774.jpg
The fungus looks great to us, a bit greyish on top,
its invisible on the pictures but inside the fungus chambers there are 4-5 smaller pupea (gardener size) vissible, also yesterday we saw them busy with a big pupea (harvester size)! So we expext a few extra workers soon!
20191112_090637-1032x774.jpg

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:15 am
by earthtiger
Have you tried cornflakes? Mine love it!

...and currently their also adore leafs of acacia - these are very soft and easy to cut!

Re: Acromyrmex Octospinosus (Arrowing)

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 6:31 pm
by Acromyrmexbob
Acacia is maybe not something many have access to. Cornflakes are interesting. Ive mentioned this elsewhere. So if you offer something with a low water content like cornflakes and something with a high water content like grapes, it is revealing which one the ants collect. If they take the grapes and ignore the cornflakes then the humidity in the nest chamber is likely too low and they are trying to raise it. Vice versa, if they take the cornflakes and ignore the grapes then the opposite may be true.. The ideal situation is when they take both in equal measure.