Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Aphaenogaster in Milwaukee Area

aphaenogaster anting wisconsin

  • Please log in to reply
2 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted June 23 2019 - 8:26 AM

Antennal_Scrobe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 933 posts
  • LocationMilwaukee, Wisconsin

While I could probably find most ants native to my area within a day or two (Even the more uncommon ones, like Polyergus mexicanus or Temnothorax longispinosus), one genus eludes me completely: Aphaenogaster. No matter where I look, I cannot find even a single worker, despite searching multiple parks, nature centers (Though I could not collect from there anyway), and friend's backyards, just to find my favorite genus. I do not know if I am looking in the wrong places, or if I am just very unlucky, though I suspect the former, as another southeast Wisconsin antkeeper on this forum mentioned in his Aphaenogaster journal that he found so many colonies he had to limit himself to just two. Does anyone know which habitats/specific locations might be home to a similar winnow ant bonanza?


Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, June 23 2019 - 1:09 PM.

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis


#2 Online AnthonyP163 - Posted June 23 2019 - 12:57 PM

AnthonyP163

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 966 posts
  • LocationWaukesha, Wisconsin.

I'm in Waukesha and I've found them under rocks a lot. I notice that they're particularly uncommon in pine forests (at least A. rudis is). If you find a forest with small shrubs/trees, and look under/in logs, you could definitely find some. They do well in undisturbed forests, but I've found them in rural areas. If you've found P. mexicanus, this is interesting because antmaps.org doesn't have any documentation of them here. I do understand, though, because of the confusion with them and P. breviceps. I've had P. breviceps raid Formica montana here, and I am considering that they may be P. mexicanus.

 

Anyway, good luck with finding Aphaenogaster. 


  • Antennal_Scrobe likes this


Ant Keeping & Ethology Discord - 2000+ Members and growing

Statesideants.com - order live ants legally in the US

 


#3 Offline Antennal_Scrobe - Posted June 23 2019 - 1:09 PM

Antennal_Scrobe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 933 posts
  • LocationMilwaukee, Wisconsin

Thanks for the advice on finding Aphaenogaster, I will go to Waukesha within the next few days and have a look. Concerning Polyergus, I am pretty sure the ones I saw are mexicanus, since their host workers were black, like F. subsericea, and not brown as F. montana (the preferred "slave" of P. breviceps) is.


  • AnthonyP163 likes this

Currently keeping:

 

Tetramorium immigrans, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Myrmica punctiventris, Formica subsericea

Formica pallidefulva, Aphaeogaster cf. rudis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus nearcticus

Crematogaster cerasi

Temnothorax ambiguus

Prenolepis imparis






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: aphaenogaster, anting, wisconsin

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users