JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Let everyone see the story of your colony(ies) over time. Pictures, developments, success and failures, what works / what doesn't, and your plans for expansion as time goes by!
JPSMedeiros
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JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by JPSMedeiros » Mon Feb 06, 2017 3:41 am

Hello, I decided to start updating my journal in this forum also. You can check the beginning of this journey here: http://www.formiculture.com/topic/3980- ... ed-020517/

This is the only Atta sexdens colony that survived and seems to be doing well, a lot of brood and collecting plant material every day. I'll start building their permanent formicarium soon.
Here is a video update of today(Also check the other videos of this colony in my channel to see their growth):

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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal(Updated 02-05-17)

Post by JPSMedeiros » Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:37 am

Update 02-11-17
OBS: Just realized that I can't change the main post title, so if an admin could remove the date would be great.
A lot of changes.
Since I haven't updated the journal in almost a week some thinks changed. That brood chamber from the last video is now completely covered and I could spot 2 new small brood chambers on the top of the fungus.
The fungus is getting bigger as always and I'll have to move them soon before it gets too big. I plan taking first the queen and placing her in the new setup and then place a piece of paper under the whole fungus and take it to the new setup. A very risky move but they probably will not move completely by themselves.
They keep placing the corn flocks in the fungus, but they aren't taking some of the plants that I used to give them so I'm trying new ones.

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RichardP
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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal(Updated 02-05-17)

Post by RichardP » Mon Feb 13, 2017 5:01 pm

Looks great.. queens are quite something aren't they!!

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Wed Feb 15, 2017 10:01 pm

Thats what you call up close and personal!!

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Andyj
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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by Andyj » Thu Feb 16, 2017 9:27 pm

I took the lid off for you :)
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JPSMedeiros
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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by JPSMedeiros » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:07 am

Thanks for the answers! Andyj, the lid was already off hahaha but thanks, looks awesome with those vivid colors.
Here's another update.


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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:27 pm

Your colony has the size of almost a year old colony in the wild. Looks amazing. I would think you would be able to fill that container within 6 months. What are your long term plans for expansion? Once they get over a certain level, probably in around 6 months or so, their expansion is exponential. They will double numbers every couple of months. Then the fun begins!

JPSMedeiros
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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by JPSMedeiros » Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:03 pm

I have a 1,5m bookcase with 5 shelves that I plan placing the 20x20x20 boxes that will be their chambers, it will be easy to connect new chambers as they grow, but I'll have to limit their grow somehow because I don't have that much time to spend in the hobby.

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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by JPSMedeiros » Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:41 pm

Update 02-24-17

They accepted the corn flocks.
I don't know how it impacts the fungus but they don't seem to use too much of it. They keep growing and started to consume again a larger quantity.
I think I managed to record what seems to be a larger harvester or a small major(check 3:05 in the video the worker is trying to hide it), I can be wrong because it's hard to tell just looking at the pupae but it's head looks very big.


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Re: JPSMedeiros's Atta sexdens journal

Post by JPSMedeiros » Tue Feb 28, 2017 4:44 am

Update 02-27-17

New caste eclosed!
The new harvesters eclosed in the last days, some of them still have their soft exoskeleton.
I think I could see in the video a really big pupae, probably a major. I hope to see majors in the next week or a little bit later. It takes about 1 week to the pupae turn into worker, but since it's a major I imagine that It takes a little bit longer. They keep consuming a lot and seem to be doing great.


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