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Digging or capturing wild colonies


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27 replies to this topic

#21 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted May 20 2019 - 4:45 PM

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On Saturday, I dug up a colony of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, and it was surprisingly easy and took only a few hours. It was a species I see very rarely, and I could not go without collecting this colony of beautiful ants. Most of the colonies I have are actually wild, but they were all fairly easy to collect. I only collect them if they are relatively easy to collect or rare.


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#22 Offline rbarreto - Posted May 20 2019 - 4:53 PM

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On Saturday, I dug up a colony of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, and it was surprisingly easy and took only a few hours. It was a species I see very rarely, and I could not go without collecting this colony of beautiful ants. Most of the colonies I have are actually wild, but they were all fairly easy to collect. I only collect them if they are relatively easy to collect or rare.


Why would you not just wait for the nuptial flight? Uprooting an established colony for your own selfish needs isn't going to help the species become less "rare".

Edited by rbarreto, May 20 2019 - 4:53 PM.

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My journal featuring most of my ants.

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#23 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 20 2019 - 5:06 PM

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This is not to support either side, but he can collect them if he wants, and I will not agree nor disagree. This thread was also created not to argue, but to simply see people's thoughts or experiences. It is also possible that he does not live anywhere near the area where these were collected, so he may not have an option to wait for a nuptial flight. I do not want to contradict either view. So I am simply trying to make sure this thread stays peaceful by trying to show that there may be reasons for actions you disagree with.
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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#24 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted May 21 2019 - 6:43 AM

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On Saturday, I dug up a colony of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, and it was surprisingly easy and took only a few hours. It was a species I see very rarely, and I could not go without collecting this colony of beautiful ants. Most of the colonies I have are actually wild, but they were all fairly easy to collect. I only collect them if they are relatively easy to collect or rare.

Why would you not just wait for the nuptial flight? Uprooting an established colony for your own selfish needs isn't going to help the species become less "rare".
These ants are not "rare" by any means. They are simply not easily found. They are slow moving, blend in with leaf litter, and are very small ants. I personally live by many nests of this species. Nuptial flights are not always an option for this species either. Sometimes the only way to go get ants going is to capture small colonies.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, May 21 2019 - 6:45 AM.

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#25 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted May 21 2019 - 6:45 AM

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On Saturday, I dug up a colony of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, and it was surprisingly easy and took only a few hours. It was a species I see very rarely, and I could not go without collecting this colony of beautiful ants. Most of the colonies I have are actually wild, but they were all fairly easy to collect. I only collect them if they are relatively easy to collect or rare.


Why would you not just wait for the nuptial flight? Uprooting an established colony for your own selfish needs isn't going to help the species become less "rare".

 

I may be away during their nuptial flights, and capturing the queens during their flights is problematic, as most of the time when you find queens walking around, they have already dug a claustral cell and spat out their fungus. They're just foraging. Also, once this colony produces alates, I will free them.


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Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipesStrumigenys brevisetosaStrumigenys clypeataStrumigenys louisianaeStrumigenys membraniferaStrumigenys reflexaStrumigenys rostrata

 

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#26 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted May 21 2019 - 6:46 AM

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On Saturday, I dug up a colony of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, and it was surprisingly easy and took only a few hours. It was a species I see very rarely, and I could not go without collecting this colony of beautiful ants. Most of the colonies I have are actually wild, but they were all fairly easy to collect. I only collect them if they are relatively easy to collect or rare.


Why would you not just wait for the nuptial flight? Uprooting an established colony for your own selfish needs isn't going to help the species become less "rare".
I may be away during their nuptial flights, and capturing the queens during their flights is problematic, as most of the time when you find queens walking around, they have already dug a claustral cell and spat out their fungus. They're just foraging. Also, once this colony produces alates, I will free them.

At that point, I would follow her back to her cell after giving her a piece of food, then dig her up.
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#27 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted May 21 2019 - 6:52 AM

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At that point, I would follow her back to her cell after giving her a piece of food, then dig her up.

 

Yeah, that would work.


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Currently Keeping:

 

Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipesStrumigenys brevisetosaStrumigenys clypeataStrumigenys louisianaeStrumigenys membraniferaStrumigenys reflexaStrumigenys rostrata

 

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#28 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted May 21 2019 - 6:56 AM

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She probably won't wander far from her nest.
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