9 replies to this topic

[WeatherAnt]

Hey everyone, 

 

I've been absent from the ant-keeping community for some time now, and I'm hoping to get back into things here. I've been raising two colonies of my own, a Tetramorium colony, and a Camponotus colony. So far so good. 

 

Anyway, this video is a YEAR OLD ... that's how bad I've been at doing ant-related things online. I was visiting Mount St. Helens, Washington (you know, the one that blew up in 1980) and as I was being a tourist, I stumbled into a massive nuptial flight / lek of Formica sp. I haven't identified the species yet, but there were TONS of them!  Maybe someone here can help me figure out what they are? There was also a tiny species of ant also flying and you may see a few of those little ones in the video. This flight occurred in the end of July, so anyone near the St. Helens area be on the look out this time of year! It's coming up! 

 

Here's the footage that I compiled from that day: 

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=wa-jb_O7t-M

 

I've got more videos that I've accumulated over the past year, and I'll be working on those ones when I have time. I've got footage of Pogonomyrmex, Pheidole, and others stored up in my hard drive somewhere. 

 

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoyed watching those Formica do their thing. 

 

WeatherAnt

Edited by WeatherAnt, July 15 2017 - 2:56 PM.

[ace2184]

Very cool video. Didn't realize there were so many during a nuptial flight. There must've been thousands.

[Martialis]

Wow, don't think you've been around recently. I'm one of the newer members to here, but welcome back!

Edited by Martialis, July 15 2017 - 7:50 PM.

[MrWeather]

Hey! Are the pheidole and pogonomyrmex footage taken in Washington? Cause I'm very interested in keeping pheidole and pogonomyrmex queens but I haven't find any yet. And for the Formica video there are quite a few species of Formica with the reddish orange thorax and head so I'm not sure maybe Formica obscuripes?

Edited by MrWeather, July 15 2017 - 6:37 PM.

[Canadian anter]

damn. I wish flights of that size happened here

[WeatherAnt]

Hey! Are the pheidole and pogonomyrmex footage taken in Washington? Cause I'm very interested in keeping pheidole and pogonomyrmex queens but I haven't find any yet. And for the Formica video there are quite a few species of Formica with the reddish orange thorax and head so I'm not sure maybe Formica obscuripes?

 

Pheidole and Pogonomyrmex are both common in Eastern Washington! 

Wow, don't think you've been around recently. I'm one of the newer members to here, but welcome back!

 

Thanks! And welcome also! 

[Shareallicu]

I'm in Lynnwood, way too far to fly for them   But Cool!  I want formica and camponotus!  

[MrWeather]

I'm in Lynnwood, way too far to fly for them   But Cool!  I want formica and camponotus!

It's a 3 hr drive to WeatherAnt place from where I live but yea it's kind of far

[Cameron C. Thomas]

Very cool! Mt. St. Helens is a neat place for biological study; the blast in 1980 essentially created a massive, sterile canvas which has been gradually colonized by surrounding plants and animals. Those are Formica obscuripes, the most common ant you'll find up there. I'm down at Washington State University Vancouver, and several of my colleagues do work on Mt. St. Helens.

[WeatherAnt]

Very cool! Mt. St. Helens is a neat place for biological study; the blast in 1980 essentially created a massive, sterile canvas which has been gradually colonized by surrounding plants and animals. Those are Formica obscuripes, the most common ant you'll find up there. I'm down at Washington State University Vancouver, and several of my colleagues do work on Mt. St. Helens.

 

Awesome, thanks for the information. That area is so fascinating, I need to go back and actually explore it. I was injured at the time and didn't really get to hike or anything beyond the visitor center.