10 replies to this topic

[Jelly]

I went for a short walk through Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area and i found several colonies of Pogonomyrmex Sp.

There were also tiny holes which i thought might be founding chambers so i dug them up, but they were empty.

I found some abandoned nests, there were black ants that seemed to be attacking the Pogonomyrmex and raiding their nests.

I'm hoping to find some founding chambers this weekend after Friday's rain.

 

Does anyone have tips of identifying a founding chamber? 

http://imgur.com/a/3ZkwE<---- Took several photos on my walk

[thosaka]

I love those pictures you took. I remember seeing those ants hanging off those tiny plants like a group of ants hanging out at a table talking of politics. I think looking for founding chambers is straight forward: look for single isolated holes that have no other holes near it, and has a small amount of dirt around it, and has little to no ants coming out of it. A lot of times, it can still be a miss, but that is why it is important to dig all of them that fits this profile. Nice pictures again Jelly!

[Jelly]

I love those pictures you took. I remember seeing those ants hanging off those tiny plants like a group of ants hanging out at a table talking of politics. I think looking for founding chambers is straight forward: look for single isolated holes that have no other holes near it, and has a small amount of dirt around it, and has little to no ants coming out of it. A lot of times, it can still be a miss, but that is why it is important to dig all of them that fits this profile. Nice pictures again Jelly!

 

Thanks Tagassi!

Hopefully i can find some founding chambers this weekend so i can add my findings to this thread.

[gcsnelling]

Pogonomyrmex californicus most likely. The black ants attacking them were almost certainly Linepithema humile.

[SoySauce]

Good luck! Those are the next ants on my must find list.

[Jelly]

Pogonomyrmex californicus most likely. The black ants attacking them were almost certainly Linepithema humile.

That was my guess, but the ants i saw were a brighter red color than the pictures of  P. Californicus i saw online. 

However i can't find any Pogonomyrmex Sp. that is more similar than P. Californicus.

 

Happy to know the black ants I guessed right, just didn't know the scientific name. Thank you!!

 

 

 

 

Good luck! Those are the next ants on my must find list.

Thanks!!

Ill grab extras, we live close, maybe we can trade or something

Edited by Jelly, April 6 2017 - 2:41 PM.

[nurbs]

Nice shots. I embedded some of the pics for you, makes it easier for everyone to see instead of navigating outside of the page. Just right click on the imgur image and "copy image address" and just paste it onto the reply.

 

And yes, these are most likely P. californicus. Very common around these parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jelly]

Nice shots. I embedded some of the pics for you, makes it easier for everyone to see instead of navigating outside of the page. Just right click on the imgur image and "copy image address" and just paste it onto the reply.

 

And yes, these are most likely P. californicus. Very common around these parts.

Thanks, yeah i think they're the same ants that were in my elementary schoolyard lol

 

yeah there were alot of pictures so i didn't want to flood the post with all of them -

in hindsight i should have embedded a few and left a link for the rest.

[Jelly]

I just realized the first picture the ants are some sort of formica sp. Not pogonomyrmex.

[gcsnelling]

Formica in that location would be Formica francoeuri.

[nurbs]

Can F. francoeuri be that red? The ones I have seen bias towards a much darker hue, like black or dark brown.