What kind of ants is better to breed for a beginner. Ants are like pets: they can teach a lot to a person. Test tube with a young uterus

Introduction

Ants are the oldest creatures on Earth; They have lived on our planet for millions of years! These are the most hardworking, numerous and mysterious inhabitants of our planet.

They are the only creatures in the world whose behavior strongly resembles that of a human. Only ants live in families, build roads, build tunnels and high-rise dwellings, breed mushrooms, graze aphids, and only among them there is a “professional” division: there are builders and nannies, hunters and watchmen, porters and shepherds.

One can only envy their intelligence! We should draw many positive points from ant behavior. The main role model is caring for your family, the queen, her offspring, and each other. To some, the cares of these tiny creatures may seem unworthy of research. But there is something in these worries that makes you look at them more carefully and with respect. I admire their hard work, organization, ability to do everything together.

When psychologists recommend acquiring a pet to relieve stress, it is a priori understood that this is some kind of “mimic” four-legged dog, a cat, a decorative boar or (we now have such a fad) a raccoon. But no one ever advised to have ... ants at home. But in vain. From the point of view of science, these insects of the order Hymenoptera for us, people, are perhaps the most curious “living material” on Earth, since they are considered our biopolitical counterparts and can teach something not only ordinary breeders, but also the powers that be. For example, politicians.

Relevance This topic is due to the fact that there is almost no cyperstvo in our country. I believe that my topic is relevant, since the structure of the ant society is in many ways superior to human society.

Objective: reveal optimal conditions for growing a certain type of ants at home

Tasks :

1. To study the biological features of species: Messor Structor (reaper ant), Serviformica rufibarbis (red-cheeked miner ant)

2. Creation of optimal conditions for the development of the colony

3. The study of the characteristics of the ant society.

Hypothesis:

Is it possible to create a full-fledged ant society at home?

Methods:

1. Collection of information from various sources

2.Practical part (conducting experiments and monitoring the growth of the colony at home)

3. Consultation on the practical part with competent persons.

Object of study: Reaper ant colony (Messor Structor)

We carried out research work at home in the village of Rastopulovka during 2016-2017

Ants belong to the Hymenoptera order and are of biological interest, since their "social" life develops in complex forms.

I chose interesting species of ants as the object of research: Messor Structor (steppe reaper ant), Serviformica rufibarbis (red-cheeked miner ant)

1.Messor Structor(steppe reaper ant)

In the past, better known as M.clivorum. The largest representative of the subfamily in our climatic zone Myrmicinae. In truth, Messor giants are not only among their fellows in the subfamily, but also among other ants we meet. The sizes of workers vary from 4 to 9 mm, the uterus - 11-12 mm. These ants have very developed polymorphism. In the family there are not only soldiers and workers, but also several transitional forms. Such a diversity is caused by the specialization of these insects on a source of protein food, which is uncharacteristic for ants - plant seeds. The large head of the soldiers is a direct consequence of the strong development of the occipital muscles, which set in motion powerful jaws. They need such strong mandibles not for battles, but for cutting hard seeds. After a large seed is crushed into smaller parts, smaller workers start processing it further. Ultimately, the seed is ground into flour, moistened with saliva and fed to the larvae. A similar picture can be observed in leaf-cutting ants when cutting leaves. But despite their "vegetative" preferences, messors may well live on animal proteins, collecting and taking dead insects to the anthill.

Queen and reaper ant workers messor constructor

Families are not numerous, the population usually does not exceed 5000. Messor nests do not have elevated buildings. Usually it is a small earthen mound with a peel of seeds lying around it. Then there is a long, more or less vertical tunnel, from which cameras extend in different directions. Such a structure is called a section. In large nests, there may be two or three sections, each of which has its own outlet. Such a nest is already called polysectional.

The uterus is usually alone. As with many monogynous species, two or three queens can establish one nest, but in the end, only one queen remains. After the appearance of the first workers, the rest of the females are either expelled or eaten. At later stages of development, the colony can divide like a myrmik colony: some of the ants with a new queen and larvae remain, and some leave and establish a new anthill in another place. Reapers are ants of deserts and steppes. Such a life developed in them another interesting feature. Almost all species of ants we meet rear young males and females in the spring so that by the end of spring or summer they can fly away and give rise to new colonies. Messors have a completely different strategy: young able-bodied individuals are grown not in May, but in August. Further, the winged generation hibernates in its native anthill and flies out by the end of April. At a time when other queen ants are still in the state of larvae, Messors are already beginning to raise the first generation of new workers. It would seem, why such oddities? The answer is simple: in the steppes and semi-deserts, the most favorable conditions for the creation of new colonies appear in the spring, when the average daily temperature is not so high and soil moisture remains.

2. Serviformica rufibarbis (red-cheeked miner ant)

Pretty common look. One of the most common and frequently encountered serviformics.

Description

Uterus: 10-11 mm

Working: 6-8mm

Male: 8-9 mm

The ant is monomorphic. Usually, two forms of workers differ only in size: dark small and large red.

Colour: Uterus: dark gray belly and head, dark orange cheeks, thorax can vary from completely black-gray to red with three black spots. Workers with a dark gray head and abdomen. In the family, there are both small dark workers with a dull-colored thorax, and large ones with a bright red chest.

Distribution: It is found in Central Europe, also in the south and in central Russia. It is found mainly in the steppes, forest clearings, gardens.

Family organization: Monogyny. The queen usually builds the nest on her own. More than one queen in families of this species is very rare.

Number in the family: 3.000 - 5.000

Collects dead insects and fall on long colonies. It does not have permanent aphid colonies. There is usually no protected area.

Nesting: Nests are predominantly underground without pronounced above-ground structures. A small flat mound of soil is possible. Often they can be located under stones.

Flight: End of June - July

To carry out their research work, having studied all the available literature.

I have created optimal conditions for keeping ants at home.

Each type of ant requires its own specific conditions for keeping and breeding.

1.MessorStructor

Temperature +23-25° С

Humidity 85%

Polymorphism Yes

Organization of the Monogynia family

Number from 5000

Wintering Not required

Founding a colony Founds independently.

2.Serviformicarufibarbis(red-cheeked reaper ant)

Temperature + 28-29°С

Humidity 94%

Polymorphism No

Organization of the Monogynia family

Number from 3000 to 5000

Wintering is obligatory

Founding a colony

Material and Method

The incubator consists of the simplest system moisturizing in the form of a dense cotton wool, I in moistened with water and dry cotton wool, easily breathable.

In this design, I placed all the queens. Which, in order to avoid unnecessary stress, was placed in a dark and quiet place. At the same time, he kept a diary of observation of test tubes. The data was entered into a table. All uterus developed almost simultaneously with an error of 1-2 days

After the first ants appeared, I fed them with poppy seeds and a dead mosquito. During the summer, I actively fed them with protein every week, this significantly affected the number of brood and the growth of the colony.

As the population of the colony increased, I connected them to an artificial environment called the arena.

Feeding

The diet of reapers consists mainly of seeds. But for the normal development of the colony, it is necessary to give insects (as protein). I specially grow a special fodder crop: medicine beetle, flour worm, maggots.

During the research work, I clearly saw the division of labor between the members of the colony. It consisted of: “nannies”, “workers”, “foragers (scouts)” and “soldiers”.

Babysitters are the most important class, according to the ants. the main role in the colony - care for pupae and larvae. They are always given special attention: during a successful hunt, they are given the most nutritious part of the prey. In nature, when enemies attack, soldiers selflessly defend them.

Workers are the most common ants. They usually sit in the nest, sorting out the seeds. Occasionally they come out to forage. The main role is to help foragers in hunting

Soldiers are the most valuable resource of the colony, comparable in importance to nannies. The main role is the processing of seeds, grinding into flour, which is used to feed the larvae. In the case of an increase in the number of soldiers in the colony, they are appointed as foragers and actively go hunting.

Foragers are ordinary workers who are constantly in the arena in search of food. If a large insect is found, workers and soldiers are “called” for help.

Wintering (December)

With the onset of winter, I noticed a change in the behavior of the ants.

First, the uterus has ceased to produce offspring.

Secondly, the ants became less mobile, they spent all the time in the nest.

According to the method, I reproduced the gradual onset of winter:

1. Changed the temperature regime. Placed the nest closer to the window, then in the refrigerator (in the vegetable box), and then completely on the balcony (street)

2. Completely excluded protein from the diet, did not feed seeds (they had a small supply from the summer)

3. Blocked access to the arena.

Conclusion from wintering (artificial spring). Since my species of ants, unlike others, does not need a long wintering, in January I began to bring them out of the state of diapause, by the reverse (gradual) method of temperature control. Due to the fact that they needed protein in large quantities, I began to remove flies from maggots. This food has replaced their entire spring diet in nature. Life in the colony continued.

Currently, I have bred 11 ant colonies, which were successfully sold with the aim of buying other ant species that do not live in our region with the proceeds. The largest colony has 50 individuals in incubator No. 5.

Serviformica rifibarbis (red-cheeked miner ant)

A year later, I started a rather interesting species of ants Serviformica rufibarbis

This species needs a high humidity gradient, the temperature is above 25 degrees.

It feeds on sugar, honey syrup, ripe fruits. The arena requires a drinker.

Not whimsical in terms of protein. Needs a long winter

Behavior

Pretty aggressive look. When an enemy is detected, it freezes, after waiting for the right moment, it attacks. Quite often, trophilaxis is observed. Active in the morning.

Comparative characteristics of the content of two types

Characteristic		Serviformica rufibarbis
	Obtain nutrients (carbohydrates) from the seeds of cereal plants	At home, it feeds on sugar, honey syrup. In nature, aphids “graze”
Brood development	The larva pupates	The larva weaves a cocoon of sand
Behavior	When threatened by an enemy attack, they raise a panic, randomly rush around the nest	When there is a threat of an enemy attack, the nannies cover the uterus with themselves, forming a “veil”, and the workers quickly line up at the entrance to the nest
	When workers find a victim, they are in no hurry to attack, “they call” more ants, surround the victim, freeze and, if possible, attack with a jerk, immediately immobilizing the victim.	When a victim is found, in a small number they rush to hide in the nest. When the ants dominate the territory, they randomly pounce on the victim, immobilize it only after 10-15 minutes.
Caring for offspring	Do not show	At the stage of the cocoon, the nannies are constantly hanging with the cocoon upside down
resettlement	When not favorable conditions, are in no hurry to move to a favorable environment. You yourself have to create artificial adverse factors (bright light, vibrations)	When it becomes necessary to move to a new nest, they quickly make decisions. They forcibly drag the uterus along with them.

Output:

As a result of my research, I came to the conclusion that the Messor Structor view is the most primitive, but also has a number of distinctive features: storage of seeds.

For a beginner, keeping ants at home, the most suitable type is Messor Structor,

Since it does not require any skills in this matter.

The species Serviformica rufibatbis is more interesting to observe, but requires special skills in breeding ants at home.

What to learn from ants

Ants are socially advanced insects. Therefore, observing their colonies is both interesting and instructive at the same time.

In the ant world, there are agrarian-oriented states, where 80% of the population are reaper ants involved in the collection and preparation of seeds from cereals; there are, on the contrary, militant tribes, hunters for territories and slaves. Scouts can conditionally be called the creative class of ants. At the same time, democratic systems can be established in some ant families, while totalitarianism and tyranny reign in others. Everything is very variable.

According to the entomologist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the IPEE RAS Anatoly Zakharov, ants are the biopolitical twins of humans. Among adults in the anthill there is a deep differentiation (separation) of functions. Insects, if we use the concepts familiar to us, have many professions: farmers, builders, constructing dwellings, roads, tunnels, hunters, coordinators, orderlies, cleaners, scouts, nannies, watchmen, observers, grooms (lizuns) who clean other ants, honeydew collectors (that is, those who breed aphids and collect the sweet liquid secreted by them - honeydew). The society of insects is similar to the human society, to the extent that noble persons - ant queens - have their own retinue. At the same time, they have a common brood, common food supplies and one roof over their heads for all. During his life, an ant can try several social roles - to be a nanny, a builder, a soldier, a scout, a forager, choosing what he likes the most. The final choice is influenced by psychological predisposition: brave individuals are more likely to become hunters, and calmer and phlegmatic ones, honeydew collectors, for example. And someone will live all his life as a dependent and a drone, lazily watching his fellow tribesmen who are heroes in labor.

Ants even fight just like humans! It became crowded in one territory - a conflict begins. Only we are trying to explain the battle for resources by ideology, religion, geopolitics. By the way, ant wars can be very cruel, when hundreds of thousands or even millions of ants can die in a few hours. But at the same time, there is always an alternative scenario, which is realized if the ants have some time to think after the first collision. In this case, they choose to unite instead of fighting, starting an intensive barter with everything they can: pupae, larvae, females, worker ants, nesting material. As a result, a federation with a common territory, with a common strategy, with a common smell, arises in place of individual nests.

Conclusion:

An analysis of the studied literature and my own results of my research on the topic under study led to the conclusion that ants can be grown at home, creating optimal conditions for them. The anthill is an advanced community in which complex relationships are clearly traced: in behavior, communication, mutual assistance. And we, the human society, have a lot to learn from these amazing, hardy, hardworking insects.

If you suddenly decide to join the Myrmickeepers, then you can either wait until the summer to catch a queen ant during the traditional ant summer, or buy a small ant colony. It will cost about 300 to 1200 rubles. Moreover, on the forums you can always find breeders who attach their ants to good hands is free. True, all these will be pets of domestic bottling. Species that are not typical for Russia, such as leaf cutters, can cost $ 1,000 for a “queen” with a small retinue. A gypsum ant farm will cost you 500-1000 rubles.

Output:

The research work I chose involved me in the amazing and mysterious world of insects, developing new human qualities in me, which is not enough modern man. I learned a lot from the little workers and will continue my work in the future.

Literature

Dlussky G.M. Ants of the genus Formica / G.M. Dlussky // M.: Nauka, 1967

Zakharov, A.A. Ant, family, colony / A.A. Zakharov // M.: Nauka, 1978

Zakharov, A.A. Ecology of ants / A.A. Zakharov // Science, 1981.

Kozlov, M.A. Not just insects / M.A. Kozlov // - 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg: Gidrometeoizdat, 1994.

Nikishov, A.I. Biology. Animals. Textbook for grades 7-8 / A.I. Nikishov // Moscow, 1998.

Dlussky, G.M., Meet: Ants! /G.M. Dlussky, A.P. Bukin // Moscow, 1986.

Kharitonov, N.P., Dunaev E.A. Study of the extra-nesting life of ants / N.P. Kharitonov, E.A. Dunaev / Methodological guide for the implementation of the educational and research topic, M .: MGDPiSh, 1992

Internet resources:

1.http://lasius.harod.ru

Before embarking on the issue of keeping ants at home, it is important to learn more about the characteristics of such insects.

They live in their own "caste" society, therefore they are of interest not as individuals, but as representatives of a social structure.

Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, their closest relatives are bees.

All ants are exclusively social insects, live in colonies and act like a big single organism.

Thanks to this, their evolutionary development has gone far ahead (compared to other insects), which allowed them to spread widely on our planet and have a dominant position among their fellows.

Ant colonies evolved through the formation of various highly specialized individuals within the same species. For example, soldier ants are larger and have proportionally large heads with powerful jaws.

In some species of ants, the soldiers have such large jaws that they cannot feed on their own! Worker ants are smaller individuals without obvious morphological changes, but with different specializations.

Some get and look for food, others equip an anthill, nurse (feed and grow larvae) future ants. There are also cook ants or individual barrel ants with a large abdomen, they play the role of storage tanks for food.

The uterus is the main ant in their entire society. This is the largest individual of the species, the main function is the laying of eggs, the reproduction of ants.

It is the ant queen that monitors the ratio of individuals.

How many soldiers and workers there will be, she decides. When males will appear for mating and more queens will scatter and form new colonies, depends on her decision.

Many ants are engaged in their own animal husbandry: they grow aphids, protect their herds from predatory insects, and distill them to more succulent parts of plants.

Ants also have their own greenhouses, some species cultivate a fungus, which they choose the most suitable conditions in an anthill and, if necessary, transferred to new places.

Most species of ants live in colonies on a permanent territory, creating large dwellings on and under the ground, there are also vagrant species. Ants are omnivorous, eat animal and vegetable food, often play an important sanitary role in the natural ecosystem.

At home, you can keep many types of ants. If the goal is to recreate a full-fledged long-lived colony, then it is better to use tropical species.

Small flat helium anthills are often on sale, they are perfect for keeping a small group of any kind of ants. You can eat gel in such anthills, the ants will eat through the winding passages in it until they swallow it all.

If you set yourself a more serious goal (to model a viable colony), then first of all you need to acquire an ant queen, it will give rise to the future ants.

Now interesting ready-made versions of anthills (formicariums) made of glass, gypsum and plastic are often offered for sale.

You can create an anthill yourself.

Before you start keeping ants, you should acquire food insects in advance or find out the possibilities for their uninterrupted acquisition, since they are the main diet of ants.

Crickets and cockroaches are suitable, which do not have to be alive, frozen ones are also quite suitable. Ants can also be fed with fresh fruits and boiled vegetables. Ants need to put food in small portions, as they are consumed.

In no case should the feed be stale, this will lead to the appearance of mold (and other undesirable organisms) and the damping of the anthill.

Ants sometimes need to be sprayed a little, it is advisable to have a drinker with a small level (no more than 1 mm) of water so that it does not dry out. You can use the foam rubber or cotton wool placed in the drinker.

If you treat the content of ants responsibly, then, undoubtedly, a home anthill (a carefully thought-out formicarium) will be not only an excellent visual aid for beginner entomologists, but also a decoration for any room.

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zverushca.ru

Who hasn't watched insects, especially ants, as a child? But keeping them at home is not for every animal lover. Many are frightened by their numbers and not knowing the conditions of life. For example, in one nest, and this is one large "family", of an ordinary black garden ant, there can be up to 10,000 individuals. But in Lately it becomes quite exciting to watch them everyday life. Many of the biology course probably remember that ants feed on dead arthropods, plant seeds, nectar, and also breed and graze aphids and spend all day arranging their homes. That's basically it. But those who decide to breed these insects will soon discover a truly amazing "world", a whole state with its own hierarchy, laws and regulations. And the construction of the kingdom begins with one female. And it is also better to start breeding ants at home from this very “future queen”.

Consider the breeding of our pets on the example of a black garden ant.

They live in our latitudes. Everyone has seen these little black insects. Their sizes hardly exceed 3-4 mm. They dig their burrows in the ground. At the same time preferring open areas. Above the entrance rises a small mound of glued pieces of "waste" land. They feed on dead invertebrates, plant nectar and aphids. All ants are sterile females that are the offspring of one queen. Among them there are two castes - workers and soldiers. On average, an ant lives 2-3 years. Uterus - up to 25 years! Ants record.

This type of ant is well suited for keeping in the home. Especially for a beginner. Does not require the creation of special climatic conditions. First you need a test tube, water, cotton wool and formicaria (this is the place for your future "family"), but more on that below. Now you need to catch a fertilized female. In black garden ants, mating takes place in May, the first half of June. You will distinguish a fertilized female by a larger size and a slightly flattened middle segment of the body, on which there will be traces of bitten off wings. And you can find it, sometimes in the most unusual places. This female must be placed in the same test tube. But first you need to pour up to 1/4 of water into it and plug this “water compartment” with cotton wool. Now that's it - it's better to leave the queen alone now.

Until the first working individuals appear, food is not needed. And then, when the female lays several eggs, she should be fed with protein-containing food - these can be the corpses of small insects, worms, better bloodworms. The first generation of worker ants also need to be fed carbohydrates (honey, syrup). Since the appearance of the second "batch" of working insects, your impromptu lullaby must be moved to a specially equipped place for keeping ants - a formicarium. For beginners, a 60 liter aquarium is best. It should be 1/2 filled with "soil" (alabaster is best suited for this purpose). From above, the formicarium should be tightly closed, but at the same time well ventilated. In it, you yourself make labyrinth moves so that some of them are visible in the section, and it is convenient to observe the family of ants, because for this the construction of the entire empire is started.

Next, you need to allocate a place for feeding. Of course, it is better to cut a small hole on one of the walls and connect it to another small aquarium (10 liters is enough). This will be the arena where the feeder should be placed. Remember that the "food" should always be fresh and in sufficient quantity - the ants themselves will figure out how much food they need. As for maintaining the temperature regime, special heating is not required for the ants of our strip. What to feed? There are all generations and castes in the colony. That's why you need a varied diet. A constant combination of protein and carbohydrate components. Honey is good, but remember that it quickly crystallizes and deteriorates, you can use sugar syrup, which should be constantly replaced with fresh one. Larvae of cockroaches, crickets, insects themselves, small invertebrates.

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zverushca.ru

Ants at home » Where to start

Stage I - getting to know

Stage II - thinking

Stage III - preparation

The plan is simple:

1. decide on the type of ants you want
2. consider where you will keep the incubator with the queen (darkness, calmness, temperature ~27°С)

The less you disturb the uterus at first, the higher the chance of a successful start of the colony. It is better to foresee such a place in advance.

3. get tweezers, a magnifying glass, a couple of test tubes, a thermometer

You will need these tools very much. The best tweezers are medical surgical. The tweezers should be chosen so long that it is 5-7 cm longer than the test tube, and at the same time, it is narrow enough to enter it. Very convenient thermometer - flat liquid crystal. Black paper with numbers and windows. Its accuracy is enough.

4. try making an incubator

This is, so to speak, "training before the fight." You may be very unexpectedly lucky, and you will find a uterus. And you ONCE - and already know how to make an incubator! :)

You can always count on our consultations - ask questions, and you will definitely get an answer.

A colony is a functional entity consisting of maternal and daughter families maintaining regular kinship relationships.

Myrmecology is the science that studies ants, part of entomology. Myrmecologists are scientists who study ants.

Insect is a class of invertebrates such as arthropods. The body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen, 3 pairs of legs, most have wings. Breathe through trachea. Development, as a rule, with metamorphosis egg, larva, nymph (or pupa), adult insect. The largest and most diverse group of animals on earth.

The family is the main form of existence of social insects. Consists of reproductive (females, males) and functionally asexual individuals (workers).

Cockroaches are a group of insects. Length 4 mm 9.5 cm. Approx. 3600 species, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. In a number of species, the wings are shortened or absent. Some (Prussian, black cockroach, etc.) live in human dwellings. The relic forest cockroach living in the south of Primorye is protected.

antclub.ru

Ants at home » Where to start

We will try to smoothly bring you up to date and roughly outline everything that you have to do in connection with this.

Most likely you will learn a lot of new and amazing things about ants. You will be surprised how little people really know about ants and how many different prejudices and misconceptions exist regarding these wonderful hard workers.

You can, of course, just catch a couple of dozen worker ants from a nearby anthill in a jar and observe their behavior, how they do something together. This is not a full-fledged keeping of ants - the ants will die pretty quickly. We will not consider such “content” options (but we believe that it can be useful for educational purposes. For example, in order to tell a child about the diversity of nature, about complex organization, even such small boogers as ants).

Our goal is to talk about the content of a full-fledged, developing colony of ants at home.

Stage I - getting to know

These wonderful books will tell you about ants in a simple and fascinating way, how they work, how and where they live. We have arranged these books in order of increasing severity of presentation. The first two books are designed for a young reader, but, nevertheless, they contain a lot of useful information for adult amateur myrmecologists.

Stage II - thinking

We do not advocate keeping ants in captivity - this is a serious step that requires responsibility and patience. Ants are highly organized social insects. Basically, they don't care about you. The purpose of their life is the prosperity of their family. Therefore, do not expect that they will do what you want, rather everything will be the opposite.

Plus, the most interesting things will happen in your colony not earlier than in 6-9 months. At first, all you will see is a uterus sitting in a test tube, and slowly developing larvae / pupae. Not everyone can withstand this, the most difficult and tedious stage - the stage of colony development, from one queen to at least 50 workers.

Think thrice! Ants are not the easiest pets. Plus, it's so exotic that you will most likely be considered a great original (weirdo:).

Also, you will have to deal with accompanying insects: flies, cockroaches, crickets, etc. - These are not the most pleasant insects to keep. Not everyone can afford to keep, also forage crops - and without these sources of live protein, one cannot get a prosperous colony.

But, if you, nevertheless, are ready to go to certain inconveniences - keeping ants will give you and your family unforgettable impressions from the most interesting observation of the life of ants. And how you will rejoice at the first-born - words can not convey !!! Your personal civilization on the table!

Stage III - preparation

The plan is simple:

1. search all available pet stores for equipment and food

If you do not live in the capital, then the maximum of what you will find useful: dried gammarus and mixtures of seeds. Ask for equipment for terrariums - aquarium equipment is most often not suitable. Visit the "bird" markets as well - there you can meet amateurs who breed and sell fodder insects. Arrange with them about the "supply" of live food.

2. decide where you will take the queen ant (buy/catch)

If you decide to buy a uterus, then know that abroad will not help us! There are only isolated cases of successful purchase of ants in European stores. Most often, ants are acquired “by hand” from other amateur myrmecologists who were lucky to catch them (or rather, just pick them up) during the flight. We strongly do not recommend digging / breaking up anthills - the chances of catching a queen in this way are scanty, and irreparable damage will be done to the anthill.

In nature, there are more than 110 species of reaper ants, of which 5 species also live in Russia. This is the most popular species for breeding in domestic anthills - formicaria. Let's find out how reapers live in nature and how to care for them in a human dwelling.

The appearance of reaper ants and their habitat

The body of insects consists of three parts - this is the head, chest and abdomen. They are interconnected by movable bridges, which makes the reapers very flexible. There are three pairs of limbs on the chest. The large head has powerful jaws - mandibles, which are convenient for carrying food and grinding seeds and grains. The color of the ants is dark, reddish-brown. Their length is considered one of the largest among other families of ants: worker ants have a length of 4 to 9 mm, while the queen reaches a truly huge size - from 11 to 15 mm. The steppe ant reaper differs from other representatives of the ant family in its characteristic reddish-orange color.

Reaper ants live in steppes, semi-deserts and deserts in Asia, North and South Africa and America.

How the anthill is organized

Up to 5 thousand individuals can live in an anthill

There is a strict hierarchy in the reaper ant colony: each member of the family is busy with his own business. The family consists of a uterus - it produces offspring, a soldier - they protect the anthill from dangers and help with harvesting, worker ants - they are engaged in the extraction of food and care for the young. There are also males and females - they mate with each other, creating new colonies.

Outside, the anthill is shaped like a volcano

The ground part of the ants' dwelling is a hole in the soil, along the edges of which there is a shaft of earth and debris from the brought prey. The underground part has a vertical tunnel, from which passages with cameras depart on the sides. In these rooms, ants equip pantries for storing food and "children's rooms" in which larvae are stored.

What do reaper ants eat

Particular attention should be paid to feeding and foraging by reapers. Since they most often feed on cereals, it has long been believed that ants are pests. Agriculture. However, studies have shown that insects only harvest crops that have fallen directly to the ground.

Stocks

It is very interesting for the reapers to collect provisions. As mentioned earlier, the harvest of grain occurs when it is on the ground.
The labor force harvests about 1.5 kg of grain crops from the fields in one season

Scientists have found that harvester ants send out workers as much as there is available food. If there is a lot of it, then the workers return faster and the number of ants sent for food increases. But if they return slowly, then the number of sent ants decreases or stops altogether.

Hard-working reapers set up special rooms deep underground to store grain. In humid warm rooms, the seeds begin to germinate, and as soon as the first sprouts and roots appear, the ants immediately destroy the shoots. After that, large soldier ants grind the grain into powder with their powerful jaws and, wetting it with saliva, feed the larvae with this mixture.

Reproduction and lifespan of harvester ants

There is one queen in each nest of ants. Mating takes place in early spring in April, as reapers settle in the steppes with a warm climate. After fertilization of the uterus, the male dies, and the female goes to look for a suitable place to establish a new colony. A full-fledged workforce appears by the end of summer.

The development cycle of ants is complete: egg - larva - pupa - adult

The first three stages pass in 2-3 weeks each. Reapers reproduce in two ways - sexually and asexually. At the first, males and females are born, which are needed for further reproduction. Asexual reproduction is called parthenogenesis, that is, the female germ cell develops into an adult organism without fertilization by a male. With such reproduction, only worker ants are born.

Larval development

After fertilization, after some time, the uterus lays eggs. After that, they are moved to separate cells and monitored for favorable conditions. The division into worker castes occurs already at the time of hatching from the eggs of the larvae. Which caste the future individual will belong to depends on how much food the larva consumes.
The well-being of future worker ants is provided by breadwinners and nurses

The young generation is constantly growing, pupating in 1–2 months. The pupa has a thin shell, which allows you to monitor the development of the insect. At the last stage, a full-fledged ant appears, which lives from one to five years.

Reaper Ant Stings

Reapers are known to be peaceful insects, and for no apparent reason do not attack first. But if an external irritant appears or the anthill is in danger, the ants immediately rush to the attack. The bite causes a burning sensation, and the bite site swells up badly. Sometimes possible allergic reactions organism to poison reapers.

Video: reaper ant bite

Harm from ants

Ants bring benefits to nature by spreading the seeds of various plants. But if the reapers are found in the immediate vicinity of the grain warehouses, then they can cause damage to the future harvest. They are unlikely to steal all the grain at once, but once spotting a hot spot, they will raid with enviable constancy.

How to keep harvester ants at home

Now many people start so-called ant farms as a hobby, which are transparent boxes made of plastic or glass. Inside them is an imitation of an anthill - numerous passages and chambers.
Thanks to the transparency of the walls, you can study the life of insects in detail

Acquisition of an anthill - what anthills are, their cost

A home anthill, or formicarium, looks like an aquarium or a showcase, inside of which there is a filler. There are simple and complex systems in which a climate favorable for the life and reproduction of ants is automatically created and maintained: lighting, humidity and temperature. The sizes are different - from small desktop farms to bulky anthills for the living room or office. The filler for formicaria is used differently: gel, gypsum or a mixture of soil and sand.

The so-called "Cubus" and "Coliseum" models are in the form of a cylinder, cube or double-walled display. The space between them is filled with multi-colored sand, in which the ant colony builds passages and chambers. The cost of such structures is high - from 3 thousand rubles, but the kits include food for ants, sand and other additions.
Formicarium brand "Coliseum"

A gel-filled anthill is similar to an aquarium, but filled not with water, but with a transparent gel. Such a house for reapers does not require careful maintenance, but every 5-7 days the lid of the aquarium should be opened for a couple of minutes to ventilate. The price of such formicariums is low - from 500 rubles.
This filler is safe for people and insects - it is both a habitat and a breeding ground for ants.

A gypsum farm is affordable in price (from 700 rubles). This is the most popular type of domestic anthills. The surface of the plaster is often painted in bright colors, which makes the formicarium a stylish and unusual addition to any interior.
The plaster model is perfect for children and beginners in breeding ants.

Ant houses can be purchased at specialized online stores. There are farms in the directories various models and sizes. Pet stores, as a rule, do not sell ant farms.

Making your own formicaria

If you are not attracted by prices in stores, then there is an opportunity to make a formicarium with your own hands. For the base, you can take two jars with transparent walls - large and small, so that later you can fill the space between them with the selected material. It can be a mixture of soil and sand, gypsum or gel.
Choose a large jar with a wide mouth to make it easier to fit a smaller jar

Soil and sand farm

First, prepare a mixture of one part sand and two parts soil. Make sure that the composition is slightly damp - it will be easier for the ants to break through the passages and chambers. The mixture will need so much that the space between the banks is filled 1.5 cm from the edge of the vessels. Make small holes in the lid for air circulation.

gel farm

Making such a farm on your own will be interesting for both adults and children. To do this, you will need gelatin and a flat container with a lid and transparent walls.

Three bags of gelatin, 15 grams each, pour 0.5 liters of hot water and stir well until the gelatin dissolves. Then add another 0.5 liters of water. Cool the resulting composition, pour into the selected container and refrigerate until completely solidified. Then take out the container and wait for the mass to warm up to room temperature. Since the gel composition is also food, it is not necessary to feed the ants in such an anthill - they will get the necessary food from their house.

gypsum truss

This formicarium is attractive in that it is completely open for observation of ants.

To create an anthill, take a transparent container, then dilute the gypsum to a state of thick sour cream. Pour the composition into a plastic transparent container, placing a plastic tube at the side. This is necessary in order to then pour water into the gypsum to maintain humidity in the formicarium.

The blank dries completely in about a week. After three to four days after pouring, remove it from the mold. To make the plaster come out easily, dip it in hot (not boiling) water for thirty seconds.

Now show your creativity - draw passages and rooms on the plaster. The composition is still raw, so it will not be difficult for you to scratch out any tunnels.

Drill the entrance for future residents of the farm with a drill. Take any tool convenient for you (stationery knife, screwdriver, etc.) and start making tracks according to your drawing, choosing plaster from them. Proceed with caution so that the wet composition does not crumble.

At the bottom of the formicarium, make indentations for better distribution of water and moistening of the anthill. Do not forget about the ventilation holes in the container. Drill them with a drill (diameter 0.5 mm) in the lid and side walls.

After that, you need to thoroughly dry the gypsum base and place it back in the container. If it does not fit, hold the form again in hot water 30 seconds. Your anthill is ready to move in.

Video: do-it-yourself gypsum farm

Where to buy ants for the farm. How to choose them correctly

You can purchase harvester ants in special online stores. The price is small - about 900 rubles. Typically, a colony includes about ten workers and one queen. But some shops offer a choice of formicaria with a large number of ants - about fifty individuals.

Typically for home ant farms Reaper ants are the best. They are large in size and unpretentious in terms of food.

How to feed and water ants

At home, reapers feed on sunflower, poppy or pumpkin seeds. Canary mixture is also suitable as feed - it consists of cereals and seeds of various plants. Do not feed insects with grain that is intended for sowing. He has a special treatment that has a detrimental effect on ants - they can die.

Meal worms, cockroaches or crickets are suitable as protein foods. Food consisting of chicken meat or yolk also has a detrimental effect on ants.

To organize a drinking bowl for ants, purchase a small test tube, fill it with water and tightly plug the hole with cotton wool - wetted with water from the test tube, it will become a source of water in the anthill. The main thing is to change the plug as it becomes dirty in order to avoid the appearance of mold in the formicarium.

Video: Reaper Ant Feeding

Do ants need wintering in formicaria

Reapers do not need wintering, but for the full development of the anthill, it is necessary to turn off the heating in the formicaria for several months a year. And also stop feeding them grain so that the colony lives on its own grain reserves.

What to do if the uterus died

If your uterus suddenly died, then most likely your formicarium is doomed to extinction. It is pointless to add a new queen - the ants will not take her for their uterus. Without a queen, worker ants do not live long and will soon die too. So there is only one way out - to acquire a new queen or colony and form another formicarium.

We learned about the amazing and complex life of ants, their habits and reproduction. Also received useful information about making formicaria and caring for a colony at home. And how your small farm will develop further depends only on the insects themselves.

So let's take a look together how to collect formicaria, and also how to care for ants.

Formicaria of our company are designed for long-term maintenance of ant colonies. The designs are light, easy to assemble, transparent - this, of course, gives the convenience of observing the life of your little pets, the ability to photograph and shoot them on video. In the manufacture of ant dwellings, only reliable acrylic (3 mm thick) is used, which will not bend under the influence of temperature differences.

Acrylic is multi-layered, so moisture will never be a problem. For the convenience of moistening, a sponge is included in the design - it absorbs water. Moisture entering the formicarium through special windows protected by a stainless mesh is evenly distributed between the layers of acrylic under the action of the capillary effect. But some farms have gypsum, which serves to increase humidity (for example, with gypsum, the humidity in the farm reaches 100%, without it - up to 80%), which can be useful when keeping demanding tropical species ants. Farms hold moisture very well, therefore, having thoroughly moistened the formicarium, you can leave it without care for up to 10 days, and nothing will happen to the ants! More precisely, they definitely will not die from dehydration. Combined structures (acrylic + gypsum) can be recommended for keeping ants of the Ponerinae subfamily, which are more accustomed to living in a gypsum nest. In the manufacture of such structures, we use only high-quality gypsum (G16 - G19), which does not collapse during long-term operation.

Any formicarium is inconceivable without an arena, because if it imitates the anthill itself, then the arena is a space outside the nest. Ants take out garbage to the arena, where you can place a drinking bowl and decorations, as well as throw food there. Like all living chambers, the arena is made of transparent acrylic, allowing you to watch the ants work, explore the space and search for food.

Settlement of ants

Formicarium is already there, so it's time to breathe life into it! We sell starter colonies that travel in incubators. In fact, there is nothing better than an incubator tube for a small ant colony, because it maintains the ideal set of conditions for a good start. In a test tube, ants feel the same as in the first initial chamber of their native anthill, unless, of course, you provide them with darkness (this is not necessary, but desirable) and peace. In such a simple dwelling, a colony can develop for a long time without relocation, but the trouble is that it is difficult to feed ants in a test tube when there are already about twenty of them. After all, ants are trying to protect their nest from invasion, run out and do not let them feed! Then you need to connect the arena. Fortunately, our farms have the ability to connect incubators directly to the formicaria arena, so you simply insert a test tube into a special hole on the side, and the ants get the opportunity to go out for food and take out the garbage. But these are such suspicious insects that they constantly expect an invasion from the outside, so it is very important to make sure that they are not afraid that the neck of the test tube is constantly open. For this, a very simple technique is used: small pebbles are placed in the arena near the entrance, sand or coconut substrate is poured. You will be able to see how, after a while, your wary pets will start building a barricade of the suggested materials to narrow the entrance. So they do in nature, because the young colony is very vulnerable.

Ants love to protect the incubator house from imaginary enemies.

We strongly recommend to fully populate the colony in formicaria with a population of 30 ants or more (and in large farms, such as Crystal - from 50). Because, firstly, the ants will be afraid of open space with a small number, and secondly, they may not take out the garbage into the arena, but send one of the chambers for this purpose, which will be completely unaesthetic and unhygienic. In principle, even 50 ants are too few for a large formicarium, but we have a little trick: all farms are equipped with partitions. Thus, when settling in, one floor is opened, and ants cannot get to other chambers. With the growth of the ant family, you can remove the partitions, and then the formicarium will be populated gradually and harmoniously.

After settling (and indeed after arrival), one problem often arises: the ants are passive, and the queen does not lay eggs. Why is this happening? Just by nature, our pets are very attached to the place where the nest is located. Under natural conditions, ants even mark the way to it and remember landmarks that help find a home. That is why a change of residence for a colony is stressful. To cope with it, the ants need to organize a permanent place where they will not be disturbed and moved. An important point in overcoming stress will be the choice of the optimal diet for your pets - the faster they start eating (and for this you need to offer the most delicious and tender food, like soft, freshly shed cockroaches, for example), the sooner the colony will recover, and the uterus will begin to multiply.

Feeding

For a good development of the colony, it is not enough to populate the ants in the formicarium - they still need to be properly fed. Only with a balanced diet will ants develop quickly and stably.

In nature, all the food absorbed by ants can be divided into two components: protein and carbohydrates. Protein is used to form tissues, therefore, growing larvae and the uterus should receive a lot of it, and carbohydrates (sugars) are a source of energy for tireless workers. Protein food - insects obtained by hunting. The source of carbohydrates in natural conditions is most often the nectar of flowers, the juice of sweet fruits and the excretion of aphids - "ant cows".

Proper nutrition is the key to good colony development

Before deciding on the frequency of feeding and the composition of food, you need to know exactly the type of your pets, because not all ants eat the same way. For example, the most commercially available harvester ants (Messor strictor and other members of the genus Messor) eat mainly the seeds of various plants, so the basis of their diet will be a grain mixture, and the messora should receive killed insects as protein. Other ants (Lasius, Camponotus, etc.) get carbohydrates from honey or sugar syrup at a concentration of 1:2 (sugar / honey: water) and fruits, and insects play an even greater role in their diet than reapers. There are also ants that are quite difficult to keep, which beginners should not start - the Ponerinae subfamily: these professional hunters live on almost the same insect meat, ignoring carbohydrate feed.

The frequency of feeding depends largely on the size of the colony. It is enough to feed the initial small families once every two days, but large developed colonies require feeding every day for good health. However, the frequency of feeding also depends on your free time and desire: there is an opportunity - feed at least every day, because the ants will not suffer from overfeeding. The only thing is that you need to control the amount of food and not give the queen and a couple of workers a huge adult cockroach, which they simply cannot eat.

Cleaning the arena is your task, and the ants will help.

All food that has not been eaten in a couple of days must be removed. The "trash" in the arena also needs to be cleaned sometimes so that pathogenic organisms do not develop there. In general, ants are very clean creatures, and they will always try to throw the leftovers from their table as far away from their homes as possible.

Formicarium Care

Our acrylic trusses can serve as an interesting and unusual room decoration if you figure out how best to arrange them. Due to its light weight, any shelf will withstand this design.

Ants should have a permanent place, because they do not like to have their home moved.

But be careful when placing - ants cannot stand direct sunlight, which is why we categorically do not recommend placing formicarium on the windowsill. But in places with diffused light - easily. Subdued lighting Your pets are not afraid, so you can watch them without disturbing.

Dust collecting on the surface of acrylic, wipe with a dry soft cloth. Can not use detergents, alcohol-based liquids, and hard sponges can all crack or scratch the acrylic.

It is necessary to moisten the formicarium to such a state that the sponge is completely saturated, but the water does not flow out. In some designs, there is autonomous humidification - in this case, it will only be necessary to occasionally replace the tube filled with water. These farms, by the way, can be left unattended for a long time, especially if you keep reapers in them. Need to go away for a couple of weeks? No problem! Fully pour water into a moisturizing test tube, pour seeds into messors, put a drinker and go - nothing will happen to the pets. It would not be superfluous to put one or more incubators on the arena (test tubes with clean water) so that in case of unforeseen circumstances (for example, if you are late), the colony in full force could move there and wait for the owner to return.

Water is very important for ants

By the way, about the drinker: moisturizing the formicarium is not able to fully satisfy the needs of ants for water, so the drinker is necessary in the arena.

And one more important point. Someday the colony will outgrow its first formicarium, and it will be necessary to relocate to a new spacious house. But what to do with the old one? Not a problem! After the ants are evicted, it can be easily disassembled and washed, and then used again to populate other ants.

But what if... You haven't bought any ants yet, just a farm? In this case, use the catalog on our website and select any type of ants of interest, from the simplest to the most complex. We guarantee that the ants will come to you safe and sound! And if you want them right now, but it's cold outside? Our company also delivers parcels in winter, but to speed up, you need to use the express delivery of SDEK when ordering and purchase a special insulation kit.

Ants will easily reach even in the cold

4ants team.

Responsible for the production of new individuals in the anthill is mother or queen. She never leaves the nest, and ants-workers are engaged in caring for her and getting food.

reproduction

How do ants reproduce? Once a year, ants can breed, resulting in a large number of winged individuals - are females and males ready to mate. The process occurs in these insects during the "flight". After mating, males usually die immediately. Those males that did not find or could not fertilize the female are either expelled from the anthill or killed by the worker ants themselves.

Fertilized females do not return in their anthill, but are looking for a place to create their own separate nest. There they lay their first eggs. which pupate after 2-3 weeks, and after 4-6 weeks the first workers appear from them. After that, the females gnaw off their wings.

Before the appearance of worker ants, the female does not feed, but uses the contents of special fatty glands to provide for herself and the larvae.

With the advent of ordinary insects, they are already engaged in the search and delivery of food for the uterus and larvae. Since then, the female ant has been carrying out an almost continuous laying of eggs, and under favorable conditions environment can do it all year round and during too.

Types of development

The types of development of ants are very numerous. Ants are insects with a complete transformation cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

The first stage of development of each ant is the egg. After the queen has laid eggs, they are not kept individually, but in small groups.

At the end of the incubation period, the eggs hatch into larvae that look like small worms. Only at this stage of development the insect is constantly increasing in size. Small-sized larvae are kept in groups, like eggs. Large - separately.

The next step in the formation of the ant is pupation. Before this, the larva completely stops absorbing food, and also releases a ball of waste products, which can be seen at the end of the pupa in the form of a small black dot. There are, the larvae of which at this stage weave a cocoon for themselves.

The ant has a chrysalis, at the end of its stay in which, mature adult appears. It cannot break through the walls and leave the cocoon on its own, therefore, its relatives actively help the young insect in this. At first, such an ant has a colorless color, but after a few days its body takes on the correct shades for the species. From that moment on, the ant no longer grows.

The whole cycle from an ant egg to an adult takes about a month.

Structure and brain

The structure and brain of an ant is quite complex. Despite the huge variety of ant species in the world, they all have a similar structure. In addition, worker ants always do not have wings, females and males.

Gender of ants

The mechanism of sex determination in ants is constructed in such a way that females and worker insects grow from fertilized eggs, and males from unfertilized ones.

It's all about what the female does in her life in nature only one flight during which it is fertilized and stored with seminal fluid for the entire period of existence. She later uses it to fertilize the eggs during their passage through the genital tract.

However, not all eggs are fertilized. Of those that did not receive their portion of the seed, in the future, males are obtained that have only one set of chromosomes- his mother. From fertilized eggs, either females or soldiers are obtained - it depends on the care of the larva and its nutrition.

Lifespan

The lifespan of an ant usually depends on its role in the nest.

Worker ants are usually live about 3-5 years, while smaller individuals live slightly longer than large ones. Besides, life span depends from their employment in the anthill. So, the individuals who care for the queen and ant larvae live the least of all, and most of all, they perform internal work in the nest.

The lifespan of males is short, and usually is 2-3 weeks. They are called upon to fulfill main function- to fertilize the female, after which the males either die immediately or are killed by their counterparts when returning to the anthill.

REFERENCE! The uterus has the longest life span, which can exist up to 20 years, but was fixed maximum life expectancy at 28 years.

Ants live in an anthill and have a clearly defined hierarchy. The uterus is the main one in the nest, it is the former fertilized female, which after that gnawed off its wings. Their life span is up to 20 years. Males live for about 2 weeks, during which they must find and fertilize a female.

Workers make up the bulk of the population of the anthill, and live, depending on the type of occupation, from 3 to 5 years. In addition, ants have, which can significantly reduce their lifespan.

So ants are insects with a full development cycle, from egg to adult, they have enough complex structure brain and perform a certain.

A photo

Next you will see a photo of a female ant: