143 replies to this topic

[Mdrogun]

I pretty much never get Camponotus queens at my black light, just males like it seems you've found. I find that primarily small myrmecinae ants are attracted to blacklights up here. I catch a lot of Solenopsis molesta with my black light and things like that. I know things are entirely different down south though, and I usually stop blacklighting after 10 or 11 O'clock, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

[CatsnAnts]

Ladies and gentlemen, BLACKLIGHTING HAS FINALLY PAID OFF! After all of those times, I have finally found queens on my blacklight! Specifically, 2 Pheidole bicarinata queens (which is exactly what I was going for! )! Also, while I was typing this, I found another queen (I think it is solenopsis molesta, but it seems way too small)!

[CatsnAnts]

Actually, I think that solenopsis queen might be a temnothorax queen because I’ve seen a lot of temnothorax males flying around!

[CatsnAnts]

WHOO WHOO, just found a temnothorax cf. curvispinosus queen! Dang, tonight is the night!


EDIT: just found like 2 more. I think all the small queens are actually temnothorax curvinspinosus!


DOUBLE EDIT: I found another one, expect a lot when morning comes!

Okay, definitely no solenopsis molesta, these are wayyy to small. It seems half of them are temnothorax curvispinosus, while the other half might be temnothorax minutissimus? I’ve no idea.

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 25 2019 - 7:31 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

Alright, I’m heading up for the night because I got really freaked out by a group of coyotes. I saw them about an acre away and they were “laughing”. Ohhh it made me shiver. Good news though, I’m comin’ back with 2 Pheidole queens and like 7 or 8 Temnohorax queens!

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 26 2019 - 3:47 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Last night I blacklighted and got 2 Solenopsis sp. queens, 18 or so Temnothorax queens, 12 Pheidole tysoni and bicarinata queens, and about 15 Colobopsis impressa, obliqua and mississippiensis queens!

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, June 26 2019 - 4:41 AM.

[Martialis]

Try hanging the sheet instead of letting it sit on the ground.

Not too much flew around me last night. I only got one S. Molesta queen.

But yours were at 11, too? I find that fairly interesting... I had seen only one hynenopteran up until that time, and it was only at about 10:50-11 when the Hymenoptera decided to show up!

Edited by Martialis, June 26 2019 - 4:48 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

I agree with Marti. It is more effective and you don't need to be bent over all the time.

[CatsnAnts]

Try hanging the sheet instead of letting it sit on the ground.

Not too much flew around me last night. I only got one S. Molesta queen.

But yours were at 11, too? I find that fairly interesting... I had seen only one hynenopteran up until that time, and it was only at about 10:50-11 when the Hymenoptera decided to show up!

Ya, I probably should hang it up. I’ve got two piece lights, and my blacklight sits on the ground in between them. I could just hang it up on the wall. I’ll be sure to try that next time!

[TennesseeAnts]

Tonight should be good for flights.

[CatsnAnts]

Tonight should be good for flights.

I was actually planning on heading out! Feel free to post about what you guys find here tonight (or any night)!

[TennesseeAnts]

Oh! I forgot. I found two Solenopsis queens while at a swim meet at 7:30 last night.

[NickAnter]

As in theif ants?

[TennesseeAnts]

I believe these are Solenopsis carolinensis, so yes.

[CatsnAnts]

Well, I went out for about an hour right before it started to thunderstorm. I found lots of temnothorax curvispinosus queens, and what appears to be a Colobopsis queen (she’s all black)! I found another Pheidole bicarinata, but she was missing her gaster, .~.

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 26 2019 - 6:24 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

It’s confirmed, I found a COLOBOPSIS queen! Does this species get majors and minors (are they dimorphic)? I didn’t even think we had this genus, but I guess we do!

[kounelus]

So where are you guys going to try to black light? And how do you avoid breathing the bugs constantly, haha.

[CatsnAnts]

So where are you guys going to try to black light? And how do you avoid breathing the bugs constantly, haha.

I live in an area that is surrounded by woods, so I simply sit on my patio, turn on my porch lights, place the blacklight beneath the porch lights, and wait. For some reason, when I have the porch lights on right next to the blacklight, it seems like all of the bad bugs are steered towards the porch light, while all the queens swarm the blacklight.

EDIT: also, that Colobopsis queen has been roughly identified as C. mississippiensis (or however the heck you spell it ). I’ve also done a rough count, and totaled 5 temnothorax curvispinosus queens.

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 26 2019 - 6:55 PM.

[Martialis]

I'm blacklighting, too! Three Camponotus (including C. pennsylvanicus and C. castraeneus), Solenopsis molesta, and what seems to be Lasius interjectus are all flying up north in central Indy!

[CatsnAnts]

I'm blacklighting, too! Three Camponotus (including C. pennsylvanicus and C. castraeneus), Solenopsis molesta, and what seems to be Lasius interjectus are all flying up north in central Indy!

That’s great! I think antdude is also out blacklighting tonight! I would still be out there if it wasn’t storming . Congrats on those queens though !

Edited by CatsnAnts, June 26 2019 - 7:45 PM.