4 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

Just "dug" up a colony that was nesting in the dirt and bark of a tree right outside the front door. They were pretty shallow, so wasn't really any digging to do. They also had actually made tunnels IN the bark and had made shallow tunnels inside the tree itself but not far in as probably too hard of wood. In the end, I found over 50 queens (no wings) and a bunch of winged female alates, and some males. 

 

The colony was pretty big (I got about 500 workers and soldiers) and I was surprised there were so many queens.

Edited by Vendayn, August 19 2018 - 6:38 PM.

[Aaron567]

You're sure they're navigans?

[Vendayn]

Well, when I asked for an ID a long time back it was landed on Pheidole moerens. But they got re-classified as Pheidole navigans. However, it is possible the species we have here locally is completely different and look very much the same. But, Pheidole navigans have been found in costa mesa and other areas of Orange County.

 

http://www.formicult...0-discontinued/

 

I remember his journal he said all the queens killed each other. So, its very likely what I got aren't Pheidole navigans. Since the ones here had lots of queens all right in the same chambers and they were outside in the wild so there wasn't any captive colony weirdness with multiple queens. 

 

In any case, I added a (?) after the species. If not Pheidole navigans...wonder what they could be then.

Edited by Vendayn, August 17 2018 - 3:33 PM.

[Vendayn]

Looking into it more...it seems there is a list of very similar species to Pheidole navigans that others get confused with. For example Pheidole flavens and Pheidole exigua are both one. However, Pheidole flavens don't have multiple queens either in a mature colony. So it isn't that either.

 

(edit:

http://www.formicult...-orange-county/

 

I made an ID thread. Maybe by chance it'll be enough for a vague idea of a species. My dad won't send any samples to anyone for me as he hates doing that, and last time I got ant IDed Subverted was the one who came to get the ants to send. So hopefully what I posted was enough...if not guess it'll be an unknown species.

 

Definitely pretty unique though in the fact they had over 100 wingless females (queens I believe) in the colony. And I didn't even find their main brood chamber where most of the ants probably are. Think too deep in the bark/tree.

Edited by Vendayn, August 17 2018 - 4:26 PM.

[Vendayn]

Changed the title to Pheidole sp. and reworded the opening post

 

I'll also make a journal at some point. And I put the bottom info in the ID thread too.

 

Despite getting only a little brood (I know I got some, but definitely not as much as I see now)...they already have a giant pile of eggs in their main chamber. And they have other smaller to medium sized piles of eggs in other parts of the ant farm. So, there is definitely multiple queens laying eggs for it to be that many eggs already 

 

In fact...they are laying far more eggs than my Pheidole megacephala are (which are much bigger, but not nearly as many queens).

 

And as for number of queens. I did estimate, but I got a whole bunch. The colony is/was a lot bigger but I can't get to it since its deep in the bark and people would complain if I take apart the bark of a tree. I know when I was taking a little of it off, I kept seeing lots of queens crawling all over. I'd say easily over 100 queens in just one colony, but I only got about half (maybe a bit more). It was about as many as I see in a huge Monomorium ergatogyna colony. 

Edited by Vendayn, August 19 2018 - 7:01 PM.