Finn's World of Ants
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Finn's Ant Blog
  • Shop Ants
  • YouTube Channel

9/24/2020

September 24th, 2020

0 Comments

Read Now
 
kingdom: ​ In biology, kingdom is a taxonomic rank that is composed of smaller groups called phyla (or divisions, in plants). Supplement. Historically, kingdom is the highest taxonomic rank, or the most general taxon used in classifying organisms.
phylum:  ​a major taxonomic division of living organisms that contain one or more classes. An example is the phylum Arthropoda (insects, crustaceans, arachnids, etc, and myriapods) any analogous group, such as a group of related language families or linguistic stocks.
class:​In biological classification, class (Latin: classis) is a taxonomic rank, as well as a taxonomic unit, a taxon, in that rank. Other well-known ranks in descending order of size are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order.
class:​In biological classification, the order (Latin: ordo) is. a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized by the nomenclature codes. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family.
order:​ the order (Latin: ordo) is. a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized by the nomenclature codes. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family.
family: (1) A taxonomic rank in the classification of organisms between genus and order. (2) A taxonomic group of one or more genera, especially sharing a common attribute.
subfamily:In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: subfamilia, plural subfamiliae) is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoological names with "-inae".
tribe:In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank above genus, but below family and subfamily. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes. ... Examples include the tribes Caprini (goat-antelopes), Hominini (hominins), Bombini (bumblebees), and Thunnini (tunas).
​
genus:A genus is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, as well as viruses, in biology. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. ​
subgenus:​a taxonomic category that ranks below genus and above species
species:​A biological species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring. ... Taxonomy is a scientific system that classifies organisms into categories based on their biological characteristics. Species can also be defined based on a shared evolutionary history and ancestry.

Share

0 Comments

9/21/2020

diversity of ants

0 Comments

Read Now
 
a species is a group of living organisms. that share common criteria three criteria allow us to to determine whether two living organisms are of the same species .  the  ancestors  of ants came from wasps from 200 milion years ago.
criterion 1: generally they look simaler. criterion 2: they can reproduce together-in other words they can produce viable offspring. that look like them. they give birth to fertile offspring. 

​taxonomy is the classification of living organisms.
taxonomy is the science of classifying living organisms different categories, common charastics, ansesters (fossils).

most common classification system
the system groups living organism into five kingdoms have phyla classes are divided into orders are divided into families are divided into genera and genra are divided into species. one phylum has several classes. species are the base unit of this classification
population: includes all the the individuals of the smae species that live in a given territory  
habitat: a habitat is a specific place where a species  is normally is found and provides the conditions necessary for a species survival.
some characteristics of a habitat  geographic location. climate, relief, fauna flora presence of water, closeness to humans and stucters etc.  
ecological niche: an ecological niche describes the role that a species plays in its environment.  it includes all interactions with the living and non living elements of its environment more specifically an ecological niche is described withen terms of an animals diet its sleeping patterns and its habitat.    
​ 
evolution: evolution is a slow process that leads to modifications in the living organisms. these modifications allow them to adapt to changes in their environment. theory of evolution explains why there are so many different life forms on earth.

evolution is based on natural selection, witch causes them a species to adapt to its environment which causes a species to adapt to its environment over generations individuals that have characteristics which give them an advantage are more able to  survive and reproduce.
​  

Share

0 Comments

9/16/2020

what  i like about each colony.

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Camponotus Noveboracensis:  their size and colony size. also the queens colorization,.
Picture
Camponotus pennsylvanicus: their size and colony and  also the queens colorization
Picture
Camponotus Nearticus: colony size and color sheme 
Picture
Tetramoriom Immigrims: their size and how fast their colony growth is.
Picture
Apheanogaster Occidentalis: colony size and color scheme.
Picture
lasius flavus:  Coler scheme and size
Picture
crematogaster cerasi: coler scheme and size.
Picture

Share

0 Comments

9/14/2020

aheanogaster occidentalis -  the western funnel ants

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Apheanogaster Occidentalis is a species of funnel ant. Their name is the funnel ant because their mounds are built like funnels to lure insects in. Once there in the funnel they can't get out ( except for the workers).
Picture
Apheanogaster workers with larvae.
Where do they nest? Apeanogaster Occidentalis nest under rocks, branches and will also make funnel nests as well.
Picture
Apeanogaster Occidentalis nest.
What do they eat? They tend to eat whatever falls in the funnel. For instance, crickets, praying mantises (if they got hurt while falling in the funnel), locusts, and aphids, which produce honey dew.  They also forage for honey. 
Picture
Apeanogaster Occidentalis eating a mosquito.
How do they do in captivity? They are a very good species for intermediate ant keepers. They do great in a dirt set-up, but don't expect to see them on the surface foraging.
Picture
Aphaenogaster Occidentalis in captivity.
Picture
my Apheanogaster occidentalis colony.

Share

0 Comments

9/10/2020

lasius flavus - yellow meadow ant

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Lasius flavus, the yellow meadow ant, isn't a species that you will see on land. They prefer to stay underground with their queen because it's very risky for this species to go out because of predators.  This includes other colonies and arachnids insects.
Picture
Lasius flavus workers with males
Picture
Lasius flavus nanitics with queen
What do they eat? They primarily feast on soil aphids, which produce honeydew. When they do go out to forage, they tend to feast on baby crickets and other small prey.
Picture
Lasius flavus feasting on root aphids
Where do they nest? They tend to nest in the soil, and under rocks and branches.
Picture
Lasius flavus dirt nest
How do they do in captivity? They are a very easy species to keep. But don't expect to see them wandering around in a dirt set-up because they are a subterranean species. 
Picture
Lasius flavus nest
Picture
My lasius flavus ant colony

Share

0 Comments

9/9/2020

Camponotus  Nearticus  -   The smaller black carpenter ant

0 Comments

Read Now
 
The camponotus nearcticus is commonly known as the smaller black carpenter or the smaller carpenter ant.
What do they eat? The smaller carpenter ant is not that picky with food choices. They basically eat sweets, insects and bugs.
Picture
my camponotus nearcticus colony
Where do they nest? Just like every species of carpenter ant, they like to nest in logs, hollow sticks on the ground and sometimes under logs.  At times their main nest is above ground, directly under the sun.  This is to boost their brood to make them get to the pupae stage more quickly.
Picture
camponotus neacticus queen
How do they do in captivity? They are a pretty easy species to keep. They are a beginner ant species, which means that people who want to start keeping ants should choose this species first. They are slow growers and are not picky with eating choices.  Expect them to reach the 1,000 worker mark by year 3 of keeping them. ​
Picture
camponotus nearcticus queen cleaning herself

Share

0 Comments

9/8/2020

black carpenter ants - camponotus Pennsylvanicus.

0 Comments

Read Now
 
The black carpenter ants are the biggest species of carpenter ant in Eastern Canada.   The queen measures 15-18 mm, and the workers measure 6-14 mm.  They are polymorphic, which means that they have different sets of workers, so minors and majors.
Picture
Picture
What do they eat? They mainly eat sweets like honey and raw honey.  They also eat aphid honeydew and insects, bugs and dead geckos and snakes.
Where do they nest?  They nest in raw wood, sometimes trees and hollow branches.
Picture

Share

0 Comments

9/4/2020

crematogaster cerasi - the black acrobat ant

0 Comments

Read Now
 
The black acrobat ant (Crematogaster Cerasi) is a distinct species of ant because of its heart shaped gaster.  The reason it is called the acrobat ant, they can lift their gasters up, which no one other ant can do.
Picture
Cremtogaster Cerasi moving eggs.
PictureCrematogaster Cerasi in captivity [this is not my colony]

What do they eat? The crematogaster cerasi feast on honey dew produced by aphids.  They alsofeast on other insects and bugs.
Picture
Crematogaster Cerasi worker farming aphids
Where do they nest? The black acrobat ant nests in raw hollow branches and raw wood.
​
Picture
Crematogaster Cerasi nest
They are a great species for intermediate ant keepers, which will know how to care for them.  These ants are escape artists when they reach the 1,000 workers mark.  This is when they are more willing to send out workers from the nest to explore the area.
Picture
This is one of my Crematogaster Cerasi colonies

Share

0 Comments

9/3/2020

tetramorium immigrams -the pavement ant

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Tetramoriom immigrims, the pavement ant, is a species of ant, which you can see on the sidewalk having wars. They battle to determine the size of their  territories with the other colonies.  
Picture
Tetramoriom queen with worker.
Picture
Tetramoriom war.
What do Tetramorioum eat?  They eat bugs and insects, walnuts, pastries, dead mice and seeds, and also honeydew and sap from trees.
Picture
Tetramorium eating a earthworm.
How do they do in captivity? They are a very easy species to keep.  They grow fast. which means that by their 2nd year of captivity, they're already at the 5000 workers mark.
Picture
My tetramorim colony.

Share

0 Comments

9/2/2020

tampinoma sessile - the odorous house ant

2 Comments

Read Now
 
Tampinoma sessile is a widely diverse species spanning across from Canada to Northern Mexico. They are very good  at adapting to new continents.  They have a polygynous colonies, which means that the workers accept more than one Queen.  This helps the colony to grow faster.  Also, if they get attacked by another colony, the Queen's inside the nest can hunker down.
Picture
Tampinoma sessile nest.
Picture
Tampinoma sessile queen.
What do they eat?  The tampinoma sessile ants farm aphids.  In aphid colonies, they also eat pastries like bread.  They will also eat bugs and other insects.
Picturetampinoma sessile farming ahpids.
Where do they nest? They nest in raw wood hollow branches on the ground and under smooth rocks. They need sunlight so that they can heat their eggs up to get them to the pupae stage faster.  

How do they do in captivity? They are a great species of ant to keep in captivity. Give them all they need, and they will be thriving in the thousands in their 3rd year of captivity.
Picture
tampino sessile captive colony in test tube setup.
Picture
tampinoma sessile nesting spot.
Picture
These are my tampinoma sessile in their nest.

Share

2 Comments

9/1/2020

Camponotus Noveboracensis - The red and black carpenter ant

0 Comments

Read Now
 
The red and black carpenter ant, of the species Camponotus Noveboracensis, are a highly polymorphic species.  They can have major workers (almost as big as the queen)
​ and then minor worker that are the size of the queens gaster. 
Picture
This is my Camponotus Noveboracensis colony. They are in a vial because this isjust a temporary set-up, until they have more workers.
What do they eat?  In the wild, they will search for anything. If there are dead rabbits on the side of the road,  they will eat it. In captivity, they eat pasteurized honey and raw honey. They also eat  crickets or freeze-dried crickets, which available from Petsmart,  or anything I would give them. 
Where do they nest? They nest in dry wood, hollow sticks on the ground, and houses.
Picture
A Camponotus Noveboracensis nest.
How long do queens live?  The Camponotus Noveboracensis queen can roughly live over 12 years.
Picture
This is a Camponotus Noveboracensis queen.
Picture
This Camponotus Noveboracensis queen is a dealate. She is not quite yet a queen. When she lays her first egg, she will become a queen.

Share

0 Comments

8/31/2020

my NEWEST ant colonies

1 Comment

Read Now
 
I now have eleven new colonies, including:
  • 1 red and black carpenter ant colony (Camponontus Noveboracensis), which has 30 workers and 75 larvae.
  • 1 black carpenter ant colony  (Camponotus Nearticus, small carpenter species),  which has 4 workers and 20 larvae.
  • 2 black carpenter ant colonies (Camponotus Pennsylvanics).  One colony has 5 workers and 14 larvae.  The other colony has 1 worker and 4 mature larvae.
  • 1 yellow meadow ant colony  (Laisus Flavus), which 10 workers and 25 larvae.
  • 1 invasive garden ant colony (Lasius Neglactus), which has 5 larve. 
  • 9 black or cherry acrobat ant colonies (Crematogaster), which have 3-6 workers each.  
  • 2 western funnel ant colonies (Apheanogaster), which have 3 workers each.
  • 1 odorous house ant colony (Tampinoma Sessile), which has over 150 workers and over 250 eggs.
  • 15 pavement ant colonies (Tetramoriom), which have 15-20 workers each.

​Make sure to click on the blue link to read more about my colonies.
Picture
These are not my ants  but same species.
Picture

Share

1 Comment

8/21/2018

My Ants Moved in!

0 Comments

Read Now
 
I am super excited!  I moved my ants into the Formicarium.  I attached their test tube into the nest, added a test tube with water and honey and waited for them to move in.  It took about day for them to move into their nest.

They are now a colony of 13 and there are more eggs to hatch soon.
​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Share

0 Comments

7/27/2018

Feeding my Ants

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Today, I fed my ants some honey and dried crickets.  ​I use a wooden stick to drop a bit of honey in the test tube.  Ants need both sugar and protein in their diets.  And because my Queen's now have nanitics (I like to call them worker ants), I have to make sure to feed them every second day.
Picture
Picture
Here are a couple of pics of my carpenter ants (in the test tubes).  These two Queens have 4 to 5 workers each so far.  They seem to be doing good and the eggs are getting larger.  I also have larvae, which can move its head to eat.  And then I have some in the last stage, as pupae that are getting darker, until they become black and after a day will become ants.

I added a picture below with the different stages: egg to larvae to pupae.
Picture
Picture
Picture
My favourite colony is this Queen below that now has 11 workers and still a lot of eggs,  larvae and pupae.  I'm hoping to add these to my Outworld within the next month when I have 25 workers. So I'll make sure to share some pictures of the move.
Picture

Share

0 Comments

7/22/2018

​The Trap-Jaw Ant

7 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
The Trap-Jaw Ant is a really cool genus of ant because it has the fastest jaws in the insect and animal kingdom. 
 
I started studying ants when I was 7 years old.  I liked to watch them outside scavenging for insect body parts and looking for prey.  I once saw these camponatos pennsilvanacus, also known as the black carpenter ant, moving into a tree trunk in my backyard.  They were preparing for winter inside the tree trunk.  I once saw the Queen camponatos noveraboracenis, also known as the red and black carpenter ants, in the front yard hanging out in her nest and looking around to ensure the nest was secured to protect the larvae. 
 
I especially liked the Ants Canada YouTube Channel about ants.   I probably watch about 6 or 9 videos every weekend.  In the video, the host has these fire ants, the yellow crazy ants, the black crazy ants and the poliraccus ants.  The host makes videos about these ants and talks about how to take care of them and talks about their lives.
 
I don’t have any books about ants.  I am subscribed to the National Geographic and hope to get something on ants.

What are trap-jaw ants?
 
The ondoctomachas, or trap-jaw ant, is a genus of carnivorous ants that lives in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world.   It has a pair of large, straight mandibles, or jaws, that they can open to 180 degrees.  The jaws are locked-in in place by an internal mechanism and can shut on prey or objects when sensory hairs are triggered. These sensory hairs are inside the jaws. ​
Picture
Picture
The following graph includes all of the species of the genus odontomachus, also known as the trap-jaw ant.
Picture
Picture
I added this picture just to show what the male ant, or drone, looked like.   Their role in the ant world is to mate with the Queen.  The worker ants are the females in the other pictures. ​
Picture
There are different types of workers.  There are the majors and super majors (massive heads) who protect the colony from enemy ant colonies and the nursers take care of the larvae. ​
Picture
This trap-jaw larvae (white part) is eating the head of a termite.
Picture
This is a nurser cleaning the pupae.
How do their jaws work?
 
The jaws work like a trigger. Tiny muscles in the head of the trap-jaw ant pull the mandibles back, lock into place by a latch that's part of the mandible joint.  When the trigger muscle releases the latch, the jaws snap together.  The force is 300 times the ant’s own weight.
 
The trap-jaw ants have the fastest jaws in the animal kingdom. One study of ondoctomachas baury recorded speeds of 126 to 230 kilometers per hour when the jaws snap shut at just 130 micro seconds.  That’s 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye.
Picture
Picture
Head comparison of a black field ant (genus Formica Fusca) and a trap-jaw ant.
 
In new studies, scientists have discovered that the trap-jaw ant also use their jaws to catapult themselves to safety (2015).  They produce so much force that when they push off the ground, that force gets projected back on the ant and they go flying through the air.  It’s like popcorn popping!  
 
This happens faster than the eye can see.  Scientists need to use slow motion video. A snap of the jaw can launch an ant up to 8.3 centimeters (3.3 inches) in the air. That would be like my mom, who is five-foot-six, jumping 13 meters (44 feet) in the air!
What is their fiercest predator?
 
The antlion (also called the doodlebug) is a fierce predatory insect that digs pits to trap passing ants or other prey.  They also dig pits to protect their larvae.
Picture
What do trap jaw ants eat?
 
Trap-jaw ants mostly eat other insects like spiders, other ants and crickets.  Their favorite are small, soft bugs. They also love raw honey.  When they pick-up their raw honey, they also pick-up soil to make it easier to pick-up.  The Trap-jaw ant will also farm honeydew-producing insects like aphids, scale bugs and mealy bugs. 
 
Trap-jaw ants farm the aphids.  The trap-jaw ant protects the aphids from the ladybugs that eat them.  If there is a rain storm, the trap-jaw ants will move the aphids under a branch or a leaf.
Picture
This is a trap-jaw ant milking some aphids.
Picture
This a trap-jaw ant fighting another trap-jaw ant.
Picture
This is a trap-jaw ant eating a cricket.
When was the trap-jaw of the ant discovered?
 
The trap-jaw ant was first discovered in 1758.  But the discovery of the trap-jaw, or mandibles, and how the ant used them was only made in 2015 because of image and video technology that let scientists examine the extremely fast movements of the trap-jaw ant.  
 
Why are scientists studying the trap-jaw ant?
 
Studying these ants helps scientists understand and think of new solutions for real-world issues.  Trap-jaw ants store energy in their tiny jaw (latch holds mandibles open and stores power)- so how can we store lots of energy (batteries, wind power, solar panels).   Trap-jaw ants have ultrafast jaws (they spring closed or “pop” closed)- how can we create high-speed systems? (sports cars, high-speed trains, fighter jets). 
 
he trap-jaw ant has opened many windows into physics (study of movement), evolution (study of how animals adapt and evolve), engineering (study of the design of engines, machines, structures and electrical systems) and ecology (study of animals in nature).
 
Bibliography:
http://antark.net/ant-life/ant-life-cycle
http://www.digitaljournal.com/science/in-a-pinch-trap-jaw-ants-use-powerful-jaws-to-escape-death-traps/article/433462
http://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Taxonomic-List-of-Ant-Genera/Odontomachus/
http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Classification_of_Ants
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/nature/fastest-jaw-on-the-draw/#trap-jaw-ant.jpg
http://antark.net/ant-species/trap-jaw-ant-odontomachus-sp/
http://antark.net/ant-life/ant-feeding/
https://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/antlions.shtml
http://www.digitaljournal.com/science/in-a-pinch-trap-jaw-ants-use-powerful-jaws-to-escape-death-traps/article/433462
http://www.combatbugs.com/en/home/pest-identification/bug-files/ant-facts.cky.html
http://www.antscanada.com/

Some of the video I watched:
Bull Ants | The Giants of the UndergrowthAnts Australia
Live Stream: FEEDING ALL MY ANT COLONIESAntsCanada
Ant Room Tour | Bull AntsAnts Australia
ANT WAR: BATTLE OF THE THREE ARMIES!
CREATING AN ISLAND FOR ANTS! (PALUDARIUM)AntsCanada
OH NO! ALL ANTS DEAD?!
MY NEW ANT COLONY - AWESOME!AntsCanada
OMG! My Fire Ants Are Planning an EscapeAntsCanada
MY DREAM ANT FARM: LEAFCUTTER ANTS!AntsCanada
STUNG by a BULLET ANT!Brave Wilderness
National Geographic Wild City Of AntsBernardo Segura
FIRE ANTS vs FLOOD! | What Happens to Ants When It Rains?
WOW! FIRE ANTS BUILD GIANT ANT HILLS in a BIN!
COMING BACK HOME TO ANT DISASTER! PLEASE HELP!
FIRE ANTS VS. MY HAND
ANTS vs. SNAKEAntsCanada
CRAZY ANT BITE!Brave Wilderness
SILVER WEAVER ANTS!! - Making their nest in my vivarium update (polyrhachis)
​
Nordic Ants
WHY I RELEASED MY PET ANTS BACK INTO THE WILD - VERY SAD DAY!
New ROOM-SIZED Ant Farm | Pharaoh AntsAntsCanada

​And the list goes on…..

Share

7 Comments

7/22/2018

Ant Keeping

2 Comments

Read Now
 
History
Keeping ants as pets has been a popular hobby since the creation of the Uncle Milton Ant Farm in the late 1950’s. These are ant farms that you can buy at toy stores.  These farms do not include a Queen ant because it is illegal to ship live Queen ants. If the Queen escapes and it is an exotica species that is not native to your area, it can destroy and take the resources away from native ant species.

Now today, there are millions and millions of ant keepers. There are also ant keepers who have Formicariums that include Queen ants and her colony.  These ants can be bought from other ant keepers or they can be found outside.

What is Ant Keeping
Ant keeping involves the capture, care and observation of ants.  Ant keeping is a hobby that is fun because you get to learn about the ants.  Once my Formicarium is set-up and I have added my Queen and her workers, I’ll get to see them forage, eat their food, drink their water and place their dead.  And I get to feed them and clean-out the Outworld.

Locating a Queen Ant
The first step in ant keeping is capturing a fertilized Queen ant that took part in a Nuptial Flight during the Spring and Summer.  After the Flight, the fertilized Queen ant will land and remove her wings. She will then find a spot to found her colony. If you find a Queen ant with wings, she is unfertilized.
Picture

Share

2 Comments
Details

    Author

    I am 13 years old and in Grade 7 and have always loved bugs.  One day, I will be an entomologist. ​My favourite insect is the ant, and I will spend hours just watching them work.  Join me for some fun ant exploration!

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    August 2018
    July 2018

    Categories

    All
    Black Acrobat Ant
    The Odorous House Ant
    The Pavement Ant
    The Red And Black Carpenter Ant

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Finn's Ant Blog
  • Shop Ants
  • YouTube Channel