Leafcutter's Oecophylla smaragdina (Australian)

[Leafcutter]

[Leafcutter]

[Acromyrmexbob]

Raj, they look great. Have you been bitten yet. I remember in Africa when I was collecting them I used the Acro approach to collecting, no gloves. It was an amazing feeling. Not cutting the skin but very nearly. At the point where the pain was just bearable and no more. Worse than an Acro, not as bad as a soldier atta. The green ones are identical. Should be a gas with colonies of a few thousand!

[RichardP]

Great looking ant.. really interesting.... Hmmm... next project..?

[Leafcutter]

Raj, they look great. Have you been bitten yet. I remember in Africa when I was collecting them I used the Acro approach to collecting, no gloves. It was an amazing feeling. Not cutting the skin but very nearly. At the point where the pain was just bearable and no more. Worse than an Acro, not as bad as a soldier atta. The green ones are identical. Should be a gas with colonies of a few thousand!

No, I haven't been bitten. I try to put my finger near the workers but they just run away scared! You were collecting O. longinoda, fantastic looking species, more akin to the Asian Oecophylla smaragdina in size, dark brown in colour.

[Andyj]

In another life i would try these again, great fun whilst the colony is small enough but my god to they grow fast even with one queen. Feeding was a nightmare i remember, the slightest disturbance and out they all came....gnashing... They love hot spots right under a heat lamp for their larvae. Sadly for me they had to go after about 4 months together with all my ants due to a personal crisis. Never did find out how they did.

Here's a small vid i made of my boring brown ones

[Leafcutter]

My observations so far

• The older generation workers have darker green abdomens, as opposed to the light, emerald green abdomens of the new workers. This possibly suggests the workers change colour over time.
  
  The Queen has a relatively light emerald green abdomen and lighter body suggesting she is a fairly new Queen. I have heard of maturing Queens having darker bodies but have yet to verify that claim with personal experience.
  
  When I mist the tank, the ants try to go back to the test tubes, suggesting that in both captivity and nature, they are aware of the rainy seasons and quickly retreat to safety from the rain
  
  The growth rate is very high! New workers are eclosing from their pupae form everyday and the time from egg-to-larva is quite short.

[Leafcutter]

Spotted two newly eclosed media workers today. Slightly larger ants and a lot more aggressive, can't wait for the majors... .

[Deansie26]

If you start a non leafcutter section thread I'll move the posts for you Raj, be a good journal

[Leafcutter]

If you start a non leafcutter section thread I'll move the posts for you Raj, be a good journal

I'd move them myself but since you're here, I'll let you do it Jamie .