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This is my friend’s Eco-nest in china!
Oecophylla smaragdina (asian weaver ants)
Queen:Size: 15 - 17mm Colour: vigorous, often green, brown
Worker:Size: 6 - 14mm Colour: reddish brown to brown, slim with long extremities
Nutrition:Honeywater, Insects e.g. Dipterans like Flies or Mosquitos

This antspecie lives in the canopy of different Plants. There they build nests with the silk of the larvae. The worker often build long chains between the leaves and "weave" with the silk. Through the Transpiration of the leaves there is always the right condtion inside the nest. Oecophylla is very aggressive and defend there territory against any Intruder. In asia they were used as biological agent for hundreds of years. They are searching for on the tree and on the ground. Together with the leafcutter ants they show one of the most complex communication system in all social insects. It contains of pheromones, tactile and optical communication. If there a lack of food or other unsuitabel conditions they often try to escape. Large colonies with there hundreds of bites and formicacid can also defend large Intruders( Keeper).

3 months ago


Now






















Overall nest


Part nest




Eating





Queen



Feeding each other






Patrol in nest

Wow, just wow.

Is it hard to keep all plants alive?

FenixGoesEvil schreef:Is it hard to keep all plants alive?

It's all alive.

I know it is, but i meant is it hard to KEEP them alive (the plants) ?

Very impressive. I can only imagine the amount of work it requires to keep the basin clean and free of algae, mould and parasites. This is no doubt one of the most beautiful artificial ant nests I have seen.

I agree Mike! the fishes in it make it epic! Ants in a zoo aren't put in a nice terrarium as that one!

Yes, they need intensive care.

I'm curious. Are you planning to follow the example of your friend with your own Messor colonies?

Westdijk schreef:I'm curious. Are you planning to follow the example of your friend with your own Messor colonies?

Like this environment cannot be reared Messor.

antmc schreef:Like this environment cannot be reared Messor.

I am aware that this species is unsuitable for the simulated environment of Oecophylla smaragdina, but Anthousiasteling has done the same for the Messor here.

http://www.antforum.nl/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6512

Offtopic: (I've used Google translate, because my knowledge of English is only moderate.)

That set-up looks really awesome.
Aint it difficult to keep everything alive and keep the fungus and mites away?
With a moist environment you get those problems quite easy.

Do you or your friend also have experience with other asian ants like Camponotus singularis?

(my english aint that good too, sorry)

ProXi schreef:That set-up looks really awesome.
Aint it difficult to keep everything alive and keep the fungus and mites away?
With a moist environment you get those problems quite easy.

Do you or your friend also have experience with other asian ants like Camponotus singularis?

(my english aint that good too, sorry)

Thank you for your reply, my English is very poor, I was using Google translation.
Yes, they are alive and well. They need intensive care.
Camponotus about the experience in Asia, and you can ask me, most of your question I can answer. Of course, use the expression I can understand.
Camponotus singularis experience is very rich, you can always ask me.

Westdijk schreef:

antmc schreef:Like this environment cannot be reared Messor.

I am aware that this species is unsuitable for the simulated environment of Oecophylla smaragdina, but Anthousiasteling has done the same for the Messor here.

http://www.antforum.nl/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6512

Offtopic: (I've used Google translate, because my knowledge of English is only moderate.)

I have carefully read ANThousiasteling post, his creativity is great!
You need to be noted that in the hunting field, please do not put too thick mud. Because they will do not live in The gypsum nest, they will moved in soil.