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Aphaenogaster

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Fort Collins, Colorado
  • Interests
    Entomology (particularly myrmecology), evolutionary biology, horticulture, etc.

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  1. Great photos! These are probably the smallest species I have ever seen in person.
  2. These will almost certainly require a period of diapause if they were collected from a northern location.
  3. No problem! Kyle actually got his F. candida stock from me, so, if you purchase from him, you will have the same strain that I use. http://www.roachcros...ite-springtail/ You could also just collect some springtails locally though. In most regions, you can find multiple species in a single small sample of soil, although not all of them will be easy to culture.
  4. That's a good idea. I'll have to get some buckets from Home Depot. Out of curiosity, what do you use for housing "display" colonies (if you happen to keep those)?
  5. Add some springtails (I use Folsomia candida) and isopods, and try to keep the substrate relatively moist.
  6. I don't know what region C. magnifica is native to, nor do I know anything of its biology. However, I can say that it is illegal to import any insect species into the United States without a permit. The USDA inspects shipments from other countries and I know a couple of people who were fined for importing exotic insects (not realizing it was illegal). Another important factor to consider is the extreme rarity (and endangered status) of many insect species. In this case, it is simply unethical, as well as difficult, to collect individuals from the wild. There is also, of course, the fact that an immense number of species are nearly impossible to raise or breed in a captive setting. For example, the vast majority of ant species will not mate in captivity (due to inbreeding avoidance, need for certain environmental stimuli, etc.) and most termites (especially the Termitidae) require very specific environmental conditions that are challenging or impossible to replicate in a captive setting. Indeed, this is no doubt the case for most insect species, and is probably true for many roach groups as well.
  7. I suspect that they are wild-harvested, as with many components of traditional Eastern medicine.
  8. I think that Periplaneta nymphs have beautiful appearance. It's strange that the genus has such a reputation for being "ugly." I suppose that, if you find a roach in your silverware drawer, it doesn't matter much what it looks like.
  9. The large numbers don't sound like Camponotus to me, but that is certainly possible. Camponotus spp. tend to keep the majority of their colony's population outside and then build small satellite nests indoors. Photos (even blurry ones) would probably be enough for at least a genus-level ID.
  10. Do you have any photos? It would be interesting to identify the species. Exceedingly few ants are persistent house pests.
  11. Currently, feeders go to Platymeris biguttata assassin bugs, leopard geckoes, and several ant colonies (Tetramorium caespitum, Myrmica cf. americana, Pheidole ceres, Tapinoma sessile). We are also anticipating the acquisition of a couple poison dart frogs.
  12. Yeah, isopods are crustaceans (not insects), meaning that they are much more closely related to lobsters than they are to beetles.
  13. Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it. Will they grow at room temperature? I'm running out of space in my heated desk drawer.
  14. Earlier today, I took a tour of the local university insect zoo. I donated a few insect species and ended up with some assassin bug nymphs in return. I assume that they are Platymeris biguttatus, given the coloration. Does anyone have experience with these? Are they difficult to maintain? Thanks!
  15. Cockroach allergies are developed over time. I have heard that they are possible to prevent, if contact is limited. In other words, I would advise you not to breath in the frass.
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