Atta cephalotes bicolor

Ideas, techniques, problems and issues associated with keeping Leaf Cutting Ants in Captivity
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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:49 pm

Yes, I think the subspecies name for these is isthmicola but I am finding it hard to track down anything firm just now. Watch this space.

RichardP
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by RichardP » Fri Jan 29, 2016 5:14 pm

I can already see the conversation with my wife:

Me: Darling, I'm thinking about getting another leaf cutter ant colony.
Her: But you've already got one.
Me: I know, but these are a slightly different colour. We could keep these in the bedroom.
Her: (rustling)
Me: Why are you packing that bag?

I still want some though :)

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Fri Jan 29, 2016 5:54 pm

RichardP wrote:I can already see the conversation with my wife:

Me: Darling, I'm thinking about getting another leaf cutter ant colony.
Her: But you've already got one.
Me: I know, but these are a slightly different colour. We could keep these in the bedroom.
Her: (rustling)
Me: Why are you packing that bag?

I still want some though :)
Things were going so well during that imagined conversation. You had established your affection with "Darling", you told her you were considering getting another colony, not asking her if it was OK. She had said the ridiculous comment about you already having one (when is one ever enough?). You had pointed out the reasonable fact that they were a different colour and even made a suggestion about a location for them. God, what do these women want from us!!! And then, just when we were almost at 'mission accomplished' you interrupted your wife's imminent departure as she packed her case. A better, far more sensible ending to your scenario would be to keep damn quiet as she packs and then leaves, hence clearing the necessary space in the afore mentioned bedroom for your new colony of Atta. Richard, you may be keen on these ants but I can tell you, in a similar fashion to some martial arts, that there are levels of dedication above where you are now that you must aspire to. The imagined wife leaving scenario is a classic test and you have failed, my young apprentice. You need to revisit this at some stage in the future and end your story in a bedroom so packed full of ants that all of the women who now visit you, now your wife has gone, are having to wait in the hall as you spend the evening watching your super colony of Atta from your single bed.

RichardP
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by RichardP » Fri Jan 29, 2016 6:34 pm

Acromyrmexbob wrote:
RichardP wrote:Things were going so well during that imagined conversation. You had established your affection with "Darling", you told her you were considering getting another colony, not asking her if it was OK. She had said the ridiculous comment about you already having one (when is one ever enough?). You had pointed out the reasonable fact that they were a different colour and even made a suggestion about a location for them. God, what do these women want from us!!! And then, just when we were almost at 'mission accomplished' you interrupted your wife's imminent departure as she packed her case. A better, far more sensible ending to your scenario would be to keep damn quiet as she packs and then leaves, hence clearing the necessary space in the afore mentioned bedroom for your new colony of Atta. Richard, you may be keen on these ants but I can tell you, in a similar fashion to some martial arts, that there are levels of dedication above where you are now that you must aspire to. The imagined wife leaving scenario is a classic test and you have failed, my young apprentice. You need to revisit this at some stage in the future and end your story in a bedroom so packed full of ants that all of the women who now visit you, now your wife has gone, are having to wait in the hall as you spend the evening watching your super colony of Atta from your single bed.
Ha, ha.. V.funny... :lol: The only downside of this is that I actually quite like my wife... other than that I'd go for it...

earthtiger
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by earthtiger » Sun Nov 10, 2019 7:52 pm

PierreE wrote:
Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:48 pm
Ant store sells them - i wonder how they got them?!
I know someone,who had bought one colony of Atta cephalotes bicolor from Antstore.
These are not the same bicolor ;)
My guess would be, that they got theirs from Costa Rica. The ones from Costa Rica seems to have not such a strong constrast.

Here is a photo from some with very strong constrast. According from the subtitle of the photo, these have been found in Colombia:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/140413390 ... HFqfuAGFTo

earthtiger
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by earthtiger » Sun Nov 10, 2019 8:03 pm

A while ago I got a colony of Atta cephalotes, which was labelled as "bicolor". The queen was collected in Costa Rica. In this colony, not all specimens show this "bicolor" body colouration and only few have a strong contrast. Most are more brownish to brownish-black. But, I have the impression, that this also depends on the type of light and type of flash I am using.

...I tried to upload some photos of mine, but unfortunately the files are too large (about 350 kb).

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:17 pm

Hi, dont think 350kb is too large? You have to use a third party picture storage account to do this I think. If you cant upload the pics themselves then the second best option is to post links to them but it is always best to have the pics on here to see. Makes everything neater!
Yes, the larger and smallest castes dont have this contrast. The subspecies is centred on Panama, cant say whether there is more contrast in the Panamanian ones but those Ive seen, from Panama, were quite impressive.

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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by earthtiger » Mon Nov 11, 2019 8:01 pm

Acromyrmexbob wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:17 pm
Hi, dont think 350kb is too large?

it is, unfortunately it is. Just tried to upload a photo with 311 kb and got the message:

Error
File too large: Atta cephalotes bicolor IMG_6116.JPG


Acromyrmexbob wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:17 pm
You have to use a third party picture storage account to do this I think. If you cant upload the pics themselves then the second best option is to post links to them but it is always best to have the pics on here to see. Makes everything neater!
and with third party photo hoster is the risk, that from one to the other day, the photos are not longer available! :-(

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Mon Nov 11, 2019 11:00 pm

okay, I use photobucket and I have photos on several forums, some from 10 years ago. I think with a proper account its the safest way. But everyone to their own.

earthtiger
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Re: Atta cephalotes bicolor

Post by earthtiger » Tue Nov 12, 2019 5:09 am

...just created an flickr account - let's see if this works:

Image

Image

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