2451 replies to this topic

[Patp3]

Camped on the west side of Joshua tree last night ran my black light ended up seeing alot of Males but think I only caught 1 female ant the whole night (pics to come) and then today on my way out I went looking by the south end, definitely alot of moisture in the ground. Didn't see any nuptial chambers (or any I could tell) but did see a few smaller red ants with winged ants at the entrance. While I was packing up my car to leave something flew in my trunk and ended up being a myrmica(I think) queen.

[dspdrew]

While I was packing up my car to leave something flew in my trunk and ended up being a myrmica(I think) queen.

 

Probably not Myrmica, but if you post an ID thread I'm sure we can ID it pretty quick. I'm gonna go out there and look around tonight.

[StopSpazzing]

https://weather.com/...n CA 92679:4:US

 

Weather is expected to be 80F this Friday. Kinda want to test my UV LED's at 100% power.

[Kalidas]

Are there any any that are still having nuptial flights at this point in the year?

[dspdrew]

A pretty good chance of rain in the mountains/foothills and the desert this weekend. If it rains anywhere east of Chiriaco Summit, we might see more flights, Acromyrmex versicolor most likely. I'll probably go out looking for more Myrmecocystus cf. mendax.

[Kalidas]

Ooooh yeah, Saturday has a high chance. Nice

Dumb question I'm sure

But do Myrmecocystus Mendax devlop repletes? I can't seem to find an answer online. All that shows up on google are Mexicanus and Navajo repletes

Edited by Kalidas, October 10 2018 - 6:59 PM.

[AntsCalifornia]

All the myrmecocystus species are supposed to have repletes, just some have more repletes than others I think.

[Kalidas]

Well hopefully I can go. How longer after rain for they start flying? The next day? Or even the same day if the rain is early in the day? Like example the rains going on in Chiriaco this weekend are supposed to happen in the morning. So would they fly later that day, that night, or Sunday morning?

Now a big thing that may stop me this weekend is I may have potentially fractures my rib. Been having pretty bad coughing fits lately(allergies and phlem in the chest) and well I pulled a muscle yesterday in my side. And it got a whole lot worse today...

[dspdrew]

Well hopefully I can go. How longer after rain for they start flying? The next day? Or even the same day if the rain is early in the day? Like example the rains going on in Chiriaco this weekend are supposed to happen in the morning. So would they fly later that day, that night, or Sunday morning?

 

It depends what time of day they normally fly. Acromyrmex versicolor for instance, will fly the next sunny morning after the rain. Sometimes they will fly again the morning after that as well if it's wet enough.

[Kalidas]

Ah okay, thanks for the info. Yeah strongly doubt I could go that night (Saturdays are kinda family days) so would be the next morning probably for me.

[StopSpazzing]

Hey Drew, what day are you going and what time? 

[Kalidas]

And showers begin!

[StopSpazzing]

And showers begin!

Yup.

 

So... Are you going and what day Drew?

[Kalidas]

And showers begin!

Yup.
 
So... Are you going and what day Drew?

Just curious were you also asking me? I know you were aksing Drew, and I don't want to answer if your only asking Drew(that would be kinda weird lol). But I also don't want to be rude and ignore your question if you are asking me.

[StopSpazzing]

 

 

And showers begin!

Yup.
 
So... Are you going and what day Drew?

Just curious were you also asking me? I know you were aksing Drew, and I don't want to answer if your only asking Drew(that would be kinda weird lol). But I also don't want to be rude and ignore your question if you are asking me.

 

Was asking drew... but don't like going alone. So guess it's an open question.

[nurbs]

If it continues to rain into Saturday, which it looks like it will, most likely Sunday. Answering for Drew.

 

But that is also when I will most likely be going. Just watch the radar and go where it rains.

[Kalidas]

I have never gone before so going at a time when others are going is something I would like to try and do also.

I was looking at maybe leaving here in Snata Ana at like 4am Sunday morning... Hope that's a good time... Not 100% honestly

Edited by Kalidas, October 12 2018 - 7:40 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Ooooh yeah, Saturday has a high chance. Nice

Dumb question I'm sure

But do Myrmecocystus Mendax devlop repletes? I can't seem to find an answer online. All that shows up on google are Mexicanus and Navajo repletes

 

There are a few species for which replete production is unknown but M. mendax does produce them.

 

http://www.antwiki.o...i/Myrmecocystus

 

Snelling, R. R. 1976. A revision of the honey ants, genus Myrmecocystus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angel. Cty. Sci. Bull. 24: 1-163 (page 1, Revision of genus)

[dspdrew]

That storm was crazy. I don't remember seeing that much thunder and lightning lasting for that long in coastal Southern California as long as I've lived here, and I've been here almost my whole life. It looks like it just blanketed the desert with rain, mostly the area along the 10 freeway, which is perfect. Should be plenty of places where Acromyrmex versicolor will fly, and maybe more honeypot ants as well. It's still sprinkling and mostly cloudy now at 6:00am, so I highly doubt any of them will fly this morning. It also looks like there might be another little wave of storms going through again later today, so I think tonight and tomorrow morning will be most likely when they fly.

 

I really was wanting to look for Cyphomyrmex, as I have never found them before, and since the timing was perfect this time, I don't have to work the next morning when everything flies. I can't remember where I got this information, but I think they flew the same time Acromyrmex flew once in the past, so I'm just going off of that. I really don't know much about them, other than I always see them in the same places I find Acromyrmex.

[Kalidas]

So what do you guys normally do? Go to Chiriaco Summit and park and then walk along the ten? Or just drive till you find a nice spot along the ten and pull off into the desert and start there?