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Digging up Veromessor pergandei queens in Palm Desert, California 2-8-2015

veromessor pergandei myrmecocystus yuma honeypot ants harvester ants dspdrew kellakk chromerust mojave desert queen ants palm desert pinyon pines founding chambers nuptial flight mating flight

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#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 9 2015 - 7:55 AM

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We shot a little video of us digging up queens in the Mojave Desert yesterday, so everybody can see exactly what it's like. A strange monsoon-like rainstorm blew through Southern California January 30th, dropping about .3 inches of rain to some parts of the desert. This obviously triggered a couple mating flights some time within the following week. We found both Veromessor pergandei and Myrmecocystus yuma. It was around 80 degrees while we were out there, yet there were almost no ants out at all--just founding chambers. If we saw any activity at all, it was just around the entrance of some of the nests. Even though the rain came through over a week ago, the ground was still very wet. In the middle of the summer, you usually have about three days before the ground dries up, but this early in the year you obviously have much more time. This spot was just off HWY 74, right up the mountain from Palm Desert, California. The elevation there was about 2500 feet, but we did also find a few queens all the way down at the base of the mountains as well, where the elevation was probably around 250 feet.

 

Anyway, here's the video. We kept the camera running until we dug up two queens, so you can see exactly how long it takes. Short of catching a mating flight when it happens, finding queens in the desert is definitely much easier than anywhere else.

 



#2 Offline Chromerust - Posted February 9 2015 - 10:56 AM

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I should get a job as a cameraman
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#3 Offline Foogoo - Posted February 9 2015 - 12:41 PM

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finding queens in the desert is definitely much easier than anywhere else.


Do you say this because of the climate, land, all of the above?

I'm planning to drive to Barstow for other business and want to stop and look for ants along the way. What are some indicators of ant habitat? Water? Vegetation?

Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta


#4 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 9 2015 - 1:21 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

In the desert it's easier because all the open dirt and sand makes it really simple to see founding chambers.

 

Any part of the desert can have ants.



#5 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted February 9 2015 - 1:21 PM

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I should get a job as a cameraman

rofl

 

 

 

finding queens in the desert is definitely much easier than anywhere else.


Do you say this because of the climate, land, all of the above?

I'm planning to drive to Barstow for other business and want to stop and look for ants along the way. What are some indicators of ant habitat? Water? Vegetation?

 

 

It is easier, not exactly cues or indicators as you may think, other than some massive mounds that some species such as Veromessor and Acromyrmex build. Founding chambers are obvious, as they are not hidden in grass or anything, they are just out in the open, and the calcium rich sand is easy to dig up without hurting the queens inside.



#6 Offline Foogoo - Posted February 9 2015 - 6:38 PM

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I just got the chance to watch the video and I gotta say thanks for posting it! It helps immensly to see exactly what the founding chambers look like and your technique of digging them up.


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Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta


#7 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 9 2015 - 9:44 PM

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I was hoping it would help some of the new people.



#8 Offline LAnt - Posted February 10 2015 - 4:37 PM

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How do you get your weather updates for the desert?

#9 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 10 2015 - 7:00 PM

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http://www.wunderground.com



#10 Offline LAnt - Posted February 10 2015 - 7:38 PM

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But how do you know when the rain is coming? Do you check it frequently?

#11 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted February 10 2015 - 7:53 PM

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Yes. I look at it whenever I get free time.
Even though you only need a glance.

#12 Offline dspdrew - Posted February 10 2015 - 8:09 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

But how do you know when the rain is coming? Do you check it frequently?

 

There's a 10 day forecast. Keep watching it, and when you see there's a chance of rain, start watching the radar. There isn't any measuring or records kept in most places in the desert, so you have to watch the radar to know whether or not it rained.







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: veromessor pergandei, myrmecocystus yuma, honeypot ants, harvester ants, dspdrew, kellakk, chromerust, mojave desert, queen ants, palm desert, pinyon pines, founding chambers, nuptial flight, mating flight

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