Here is Scar Smile with her larvae and pupae. The pupae are inside the cocoons that are shown in this frame. In 1 to 3 weeks, Nanitics should finally arrive. You may have noticed that Scar Smile’s gaster is much smaller than it was. Below is an earlier image for comparison. Scar Smile has one cocoon that is whiter than the rest, probably because it was spun more recently, like last night. She has pulled some cotton from the test tube for her larvae to use as scaffolding for building their cocoons.
Onetenna also has a smaller gaster, but this is normal for queen ants at this stage, they’re just depleting their fat reserves. The queens will be fed again when a nanitic feeds the queen via trophalaxis.
Trophalaxis is a feeding behavior that most ants, social bees and wasps, and termites do so fewer colony members leave the nest. This protects the colony’s brood, younger more vulnerable workers, and most importantly, the queen, or however many queens the colony has.
Onetenna’s larvae are curling in their heads preparing to transform into pupae. This means that they probably don’t spin cocoons.
Here is a video on Scar Smile and her brood. enjoy!
