5 replies to this topic

[Hightlyze]

Usually nuptial flights happen outside but can it happen in your ant farm?

[dermy]

Not usually, the conditions for a Nuptial flight for most species are very specific. Humidity, Temperature, other Environmental Conditions etc.

[Lisberg]

if you can get them in a glass cylinder, and reduce the pressure - then it can be done

[Canadian anter]

I've had a few colonies and seen a few other antkeepers have flights in captive colonies

[TennesseeAnts]

My Formica pacifica colony has nuptial flights weekly.

[123LordOfAnts123]

If you’re referring to the actual mating and resultant fertile queens rather than just alates frenzied and attempting dispersal, then it depends entirely on species and associated life history. Some must mate in the air, while others can mate on the ground. Certain species might require specific, hard to replicate conditions in order to trigger nuptial behavior. Having alates in a colony is half the battle; they must also experience stimuli that induces mating behavior in males as well as the acceptance of their advances in females. In general, polygynous species are far easier to induce flight (or in-nest mating, as occurs in several species) behavior in, and subsequent mating.

A few examples of species that can easily be bred in captivity:

Monomorium pharaonis
Paratrechina longicornis
Pheidole megacephala
Tapinoma melanocephalum
Tetramorium bicarinatum
Crematogaster minutissima

Edited by 123LordOfAnts123, August 19 2019 - 7:48 AM.