2450 replies to this topic

[KBant]

love the pics drew. oh the places you go, for ants, for us.

 

cute girls in goffs tho?

[Enderz]

Drew and his casual mocking of the lonely desert towns

[StopSpazzing]

Going to be HOT HOT HOT in trabuco canyon 91F@7pm: https://weather.com/...l/USCA1154:1:US would be a good time to go blacklighting. Also good for tomorrow and wednesday.

Edited by StopSpazzing, July 23 2018 - 2:14 PM.

[dspdrew]

I ran my black light in Trabuco Canyon this morning hoping to find some Pheidole. At first just before it got light, there was absolutely nothing on my light. But then, as soon as it was fairly light out, there was a little burst of Pheidole that lasted about 10 minutes. I collected about 14 queens. After looking through my journals, it appears to be a species I have never found before.

[anttics]

How big are those pheidole queens. Our species here are tiny.

[nurbs]

How big are those pheidole queens. Our species here are tiny.

 

No such thing as a "big" Pheidole queen. At least not in CA.

[LC3]

How big are those pheidole queens. Our species here are tiny.

Pheidole in general is a genus of rather small ants. I think the largest species P. sinica has 10mm majors and 12mm queens. In contrast the largest species in the US is P. rhea in the southwest with super majors measuring 7-8mm, and 10mm queens.

[dspdrew]

So anyone have pics of this camponotus ocreatus

 
http://www.formicult...st-ca-7-8-2013/

[Theused1]

Thundershowers forecast for this wednesday night around Joshua Tree. Does anyone have quick tips for finding areas that contain Myrmecocystus sp.? Or just follow heavy rainfall?

Edited by Theused1, August 5 2018 - 11:09 PM.

[nurbs]

That one time Drew and I went anting but found cow.

 

[dspdrew]

They make frowny faces when they moo.

[StopSpazzing]

Thundershowers forecast for this wednesday night around Joshua Tree. Does anyone have quick tips for finding areas that contain Myrmecocystus sp.? Or just follow heavy rainfall?

ANyone going wednesday? worth going for honey pots?

[Theused1]

Thundershowers forecast for this wednesday night around Joshua Tree. Does anyone have quick tips for finding areas that contain Myrmecocystus sp.? Or just follow heavy rainfall?

ANyone going wednesday? worth going for honey pots?

Seems like weather is pushing towards the weekend, so I'm hoping on going saturday if it rains somewhere new.

[StopSpazzing]

I went to go with kids to Trabuco Canyon Rd last night. Was all blocked off, all the trails in that area and the park is closed due to the 'holy' fire that is burning close to that area. Tons of fire trucks and emergency services in that area, you will get stuck there for an hour trying to get out cause they are driving slow.

 

TRABUCO CANYON RD CLOSE DUE TO 'holy' FIRE

[dspdrew]

A spot near Desert Center got about 2.5 inches of rain yesterday, so there's a good chance Acromyrmex flew there today. I'll be going out there tonight, in hopes that I can still catch some queens before they drop their fungus. Some spots near Phelan got about 2 inches of rain yesterday as well, so Myrmecocystus mexicanus among other honeypot ants should probably be flying today and tonight.

[AntsCalifornia]

Cool, I live 40min away from phelan, just gotta know where to look now...

[StopSpazzing]

2 h 1 min (65.1 miles) hmm... really want more honey pots

[dspdrew]

I was waiting for a storm to go through an Acromyrmex area, and finally, on August 16th a pretty decent storm went through the area near Desert Center, California.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I couldn't drive out Friday morning because of work, but I went Friday night expecting to find Acromyrmex queens, I just didn't know whether they would still be carrying their fungus or not. There should have been about 3 inches of rain directly between Red Cloud Road and Eagle Mountain Road, with about an inch right at each road. I could see there was a dirt road running along the south side of the freeway, so I was hoping I could use that to get access to the spot.

 

At first when I got to Red Cloud Road, it was completely dry, so I drove to Eagle Mountain Road, where it was dry as a bone as well. I was a little confused after seeing the rainfall map, but once I finally found the tiny dirt road that runs between them, I managed to make it to the red area where I finally started seeing some mud puddles. I stopped and looked around for a while, but couldn't find a single thing, not even a queen of any species. I looked around for a couple hours until finally giving up and heading to Chiriaco Summit to get some sleep.

 

I woke up around 6:00 am the next morning and figured I would go take another look in the daylight before heading home. My first walk all the way up the most promising wash turned up nothing but two Pogonomyrmex rugosus queens. Just as I was about to get in my truck and go home in a fit of ant rage, I figured I would check the first few trees in the same wash on the other side of the road. Amazingly, under the first tree were tons of founding chambers I somehow missed the night before! I knew they were obviously Acromyrmex, since that's the way they dig their nests--all bunched together under the Ironwood Trees.

 

I ended up collecting quite a few queens that day from the road all the way under the freeway. I was so lazy by this time, I just drove my truck down the sandy wash from tree to tree. I checked some of the other washes near by, and couldn't really find anything else. The queens in that one wash were pretty much the only ones out there, and I found them, just as I expected to.

[Zeiss]

Eagle Mountain Road is the road that leads to that abandoned mining facility along with the town, school, etc., right?

[dspdrew]

Eagle Mountain Road is the road that leads to that abandoned mining facility along with the town, school, etc., right?

 

Yes. It's a modern-day ghost town up there.