2450 replies to this topic

[kellakk]

The area we go to most is a designated camping spot just outside the gate of Joshua Tree National Park on BLM land. The Pinyon Pines area is a good anting area, and I think there are some camp grounds around there. Also, Box Canyon near Mecca, CA is an awesome camping spot, but probably not a place you want to be during the monsoon thunderstorms. I got stuck in a flash flood there. The road washes away every summer.

 

I can confirm to everything here besides the monsoon experience. I camped at Painted Canyon in the same canyonlands near Mecca recently.  There's plenty of Veromessor pergandei, Myrmecocystus sp., Pheidole sp., and other ants out there.

[Foogoo]

Looks like rain possibly forecasted for the coming week, and of course, right before the weekend I'm not free.

[dspdrew]

Well the problem is it's going to be cold. Maybe day time temps will be decent, but night time temps will be really low for the next 10 days.

[PTAntFan]

I was planning to go out anting today until I woke up and felt the temps.  It's warming up a bit now, but can't imagine much will be happening up here.

[dspdrew]

It's not looking too bad. There's even another chance of rain coming up next weekend, with slightly warmer temperatures right after. I'll definitely be going out if that happens. The first storm probably won't do much for nocturnal fliers, but possibly diurnal. Only thing is I can't think of much that would fly during the day right now but Myrmecocystus. This will be perfect though, because they make founding chambers in spots that would be noticeable, so I'll also be able to check for them too when I go out. That would be two warm days after rain, so that increases the chance of finding them. I just try to plan my trips in a way that gives me the highest probability that I won't be coming home with empty test tubes.

[PTAntFan]

I don't have any ants right now, so I am eager to get my hands on anything that's available.  If i had my druthers I'd get some kind of polymorphic species because I just find that aspect of ant biology completely amazing.  Pheidole is pretty good for that and beginners, right?

[dspdrew]

Pheidole would be good.

[Foogoo]

I don't have any ants right now, so I am eager to get my hands on anything that's available.  If i had my druthers I'd get some kind of polymorphic species because I just find that aspect of ant biology completely amazing.  Pheidole is pretty good for that and beginners, right?

 

You're welcome to have one of my Dorymyrmex insanus queens since you're not too far away, though you'd probably want to wait until the first nanitics develop. I really want a Myrmecocystus and I've seen them up by JPL so if you find one, we can trade.

 

I have a Pheidole and they are very interesting, but a bit of a pain since they're escape artists.

[PTAntFan]

I am completely down for that, Foogoo and I will look for Myrms this week in that area.  My mom lives over there in my rental so I am there a lot.  Do you know when they fly offhand?  Day/Night and is there a specific specied you're looking for?

Edited by PTAntFan, April 5 2015 - 12:36 PM.

[PTAntFan]

Drew, I was thinking about something like this attached flyer.  Thoughts?  Feedback?  The phone is just a Google Voice number.

Attached this time. Duh.

Attached Files

•  SocalMyrm Flyer.pdf   211.49KB   80 downloads

[dspdrew]

Haha I like that. Tweeting it might actually be easy enough that you might get some feedback.

[Foogoo]

I haven't caught Myrmecocystus myself but some of the folks here have caught them after rains.

 

Love the flyer! It might help to add something that appeals to the public, i.e. something about the drought, water, or helping rid invasive species ("The little black ants in your house").

[Foogoo]

Has anyone been to Saddleback Butte near Lake Los Angeles? One of the Google reviews say "No view, boring" which to me means "Not crowded, perfect."!

[Gregory2455]

Has anyone been to Saddleback Butte near Lake Los Angeles? One of the Google reviews say "No view, boring" which to me means "Not crowded, perfect."!

Drove by it today. Its cool, I imagine the ants there include Myrmecocystus mexicanus, Veromessor pergandei, Pogonomyrmex spp, etc.

[Gregory2455]

One of the Google reviews say "No view, boring" 

Do not trust Google reviews haha. Never actually been there, but it looks cool from a few miles away.

[Foogoo]

Did anyone find anything from the recent storm? Has anyone encountered Veromessor locally? Or are they all out in the desert?

[dspdrew]

It's just way too cold right now. Maybe not the daytime temperatures, but nighttime temps have been around five degrees below average. Trabuco Canyon got down into the 30's earlier this week.

 

Veromessor andrei can be found in the hills all around the Greater Los Angeles area, and V. pergandei I know can be found in many places around Riverside County.

[PTAntFan]

Man, it looks a LOT like the ants I found up in Placerita Cyn last week.

[dspdrew]

Man, it looks a LOT like the ants I found up in Placerita Cyn last week.

 

What's "it"?

[PTAntFan]

Sorry, Veromessor Andrei.  Let me try to take those stacked shots now.  With profile.