50 replies to this topic

[ANTdrew]

You know, I was really just asking if I could keep Tetramorium here in New York. I thought I saw a queen a few months ago (I could be mistaken) so I thought I should ask.

I picked that up from your original post. Tetras are the ideal beginner species, plus keeping captive colonies means less colonies competing with native ants. I think it’s a win-win. Tetras fly early in the summer, though, so I doubt you saw one a few months ago.

[camponotuskeeper]

 

You know, I was really just asking if I could keep Tetramorium here in New York. I thought I saw a queen a few months ago (I could be mistaken) so I thought I should ask.

I picked that up from your original post. Tetras are the ideal beginner species, plus keeping captive colonies means less colonies competing with native ants. I think it’s a win-win. Tetras fly early in the summer, though, so I doubt you saw one a few months ago.

 

my pool is the ultimate tetramorium trap, I could probably catch and raise a 100+ colonies just from the queens i could catch in my pool, and they were not early in the summer. probably from about mid-july to the end of September was when they were flying for me, i don't know about new york. I had a colony of these that made it to workers then they all died in condensation, it sucked. 

Edited by camponotuskeeper, December 29 2019 - 9:02 PM.

[TheMicroPlanet]

 

You know, I was really just asking if I could keep Tetramorium here in New York. I thought I saw a queen a few months ago (I could be mistaken) so I thought I should ask.

I picked that up from your original post. Tetras are the ideal beginner species, plus keeping captive colonies means less colonies competing with native ants. I think it’s a win-win. Tetras fly early in the summer, though, so I doubt you saw one a few months ago.

 

Now that I think of it, it was probably Lasius neoniger or Lasius claviger. Both were having their nuptial flights when I saw the queen (according to Antkeeping.info), and she did look a bit like the two aformentioned species. And it was more like a few weeks or a month ago, actually. It was a fairly cold day, and the queen was a dealate.

Edited by TheMicroPlanet, December 30 2019 - 7:17 AM.

[TheMicroPlanet]

In fact, i'm almost certain it was L. neoniger. One of the colonies in my yard were having their nuptial flight around Labor Day, and of course, L. neoniger is literally the Labor Day Ant for that reason. I'm kind of mad at myself for not taking closer observation concerning the flight and the dealate, but the ants at the flight were definitely black/blackish (I was very inexperienced in myrmecology at the time). So yeah, it was probably L. neoniger.

Edited by TheMicroPlanet, December 30 2019 - 7:20 AM.

[TheMicroPlanet]

Antkeeping.wiki doesn't even work anymore... it keeps telling me there's an error.

[PurdueEntomology]

 

I think it’s unfair to compare Solenopsis invicta and Tetramorium immigrans. Both are invasive, but there’s really no comparison in terms of environmental destruction.
Keeping a non-native ant *in your house* is really no different than keeping a non-native house plant. It may actually be preferable to catch and remove non-native queens from the local breeding pool. The caveat is that you should not release or move around any invasive species by any means.
For example, I despise English Ivy because it chokes and kills the native trees in my region leaving behind a barren monoculture. I adore the pretty white and green ivy that I have growing in my office, though.

I think it would be fair to compare the two. Solenopsis invicta is a far worse invader than Tetramorium immigrans, and there are some invasive ants out there that have little to no impact on the environment. Take Strumigenys membranifera for example, or Gnamptogenys triangularis, or even Platythyrea punctata. None of those species are common enough to pose a real threat to the environment, and Strumigenys membranifera are to small to worry about at all. They eat springtails, and can easily be forced out by native ant species, and actually live symbiotically with some species. So yeah, it is fair to say that some exotics are worse than others.

 

Unless there is some research that has demonstrated any of the aforementioned exotics have ZERO to LIMITED impacts on endemic ecosystems the prudent default would be they ARE having an effect. Neil J. Reiner in his research of exotic ants of Hawaii (all ants in Hawaii are exotics) has demonstrated multiple effects on various arthropod classes.  He wrote, "Experimental and observational evidence has shown that the Hawaiin ant fauna, composed entirely of alien species, has had a devastating effect on the native terrestrial fauna"(pg. 19). Similarly  Harold G. Fowler, Marcelo N. Schlindwein and Maria Alice de Medeiros in looking at exotic ants  and their effect on native ant assemblages noted, "...it is apparent from documented cases in island systems that exotic ants generally displace other endemic ants..." (pg. 157)  Though continental ant fauna have revealed few significant population reductions it was noted "this is NOT an unbiased sample"(pg. 157) (my emphasis). Meaning, more research must be done and implying effects may be occurring but not being researched and demonstrated. The upshot is more research needs to be done on even the aforementioned less publicized and studied exotics.  We should consider any exotic as a potential displacer and threat to endemic species of not only ants but arthropods and all the connected relations they have with plants and the wider biomes and biotic communities they encounter.  CITATION:  Exotic Ants: Biology, Impact and Control of Introduced Species (1994) David. F Williams, Westview Press, Boulder CO

 

The following "high local abundance of N(ylanderia) flavipes may give it a competitive advantage and affect native ants through exploitative competition." is from https://engagedschol...text=etdarchive.  You are free to read it and also review its literature list.

 

​And the following short pdf: http://issg.org/data...eantimpacts.pdf

 

 

Edited by PurdueEntomology, April 27 2020 - 5:58 AM.

[ForestDragon]

well people forget that there are a crapload not non native species all over the place, most don't pose much harm to the ecosystem, exotic vs invasive

[PurdueEntomology]

well people forget that there are a crapload not non native species all over the place, most don't pose much harm to the ecosystem, exotic vs invasive

In our department we do not differentiate between exotic and invasive, the term exotic is preferred. Again, "don't pose much harm" is highly speculative and subjective.  You would be correct though in asserting that the majority of people are unmindful if not unaware of the numbers of exotics, insect or otherwise.  

[BugFinder]

 

Keeping Solenopsis Invicta is lillegal here in the US for obvious reasons. But apparently, Tetramorium spp. are non-native, but have established colonies here anyway. I know keeping non-native ants is generally discouraged, but what about ants that have found their own niche in the ecosystem (like Tetramorium)? Is it safe to keep them?

Wait, it's illegal to keep Solenopsis invicta...

 

only in certain places.

[BugFinder]

There should be no problem any species that can be collected in your local area, exotic/invasive or not.  But they should never be released or allowed to escape.

Edited by BugFinder, April 27 2020 - 8:15 AM.

[gcsnelling]

 

 

I think it’s unfair to compare Solenopsis invicta and Tetramorium immigrans. Both are invasive, but there’s really no comparison in terms of environmental destruction.
Keeping a non-native ant *in your house* is really no different than keeping a non-native house plant. It may actually be preferable to catch and remove non-native queens from the local breeding pool. The caveat is that you should not release or move around any invasive species by any means.
For example, I despise English Ivy because it chokes and kills the native trees in my region leaving behind a barren monoculture. I adore the pretty white and green ivy that I have growing in my office, though.

I think it would be fair to compare the two. Solenopsis invicta is a far worse invader than Tetramorium immigrans, and there are some invasive ants out there that have little to no impact on the environment. Take Strumigenys membranifera for example, or Gnamptogenys triangularis, or even Platythyrea punctata. None of those species are common enough to pose a real threat to the environment, and Strumigenys membranifera are to small to worry about at all. They eat springtails, and can easily be forced out by native ant species, and actually live symbiotically with some species. So yeah, it is fair to say that some exotics are worse than others.

 

Unless there is some research that has demonstrated any of the aforementioned exotics have ZERO to LIMITED impacts on endemic ecosystems the prudent default would be they ARE having an effect. Neil J. Reiner in his research of exotic ants of Hawaii (all ants in Hawaii are exotics) has demonstrated multiple effects on various arthropod classes.  He wrote, "Experimental and observational evidence has shown that the Hawaiin ant fauna, composed entirely of alien species, has had a devastating effect on the native terrestrial fauna"(pg. 19). Similarly  Harold G. Fowler, Marcelo N. Schlindwein and Maria Alice de Medeiros in looking at exotic ants  and their effect on native ant assemblages noted, "...it is apparent from documented cases in island systems that exotic ants generally displace other endemic ants..." (pg. 157)  Though continental ant fauna have revealed few significant population reductions it was noted "this is NOT an unbiased sample"(pg. 157) (my emphasis). Meaning, more research must be done and implying effects may be occurring but not being researched and demonstrated. The upshot is more research needs to be done on even the aforementioned less publicized and studied exotics.  We should consider any exotic as a potential displacer and threat to endemic species of not only ants but arthropods and all the connected relations they have with plants and the wider biomes and biotic communities they encounter.  CITATION:  Exotic Ants: Biology, Impact and Control of Introduced Species (1994) David. F Williams, Westview Press, Boulder CO

 

The following "high local abundance of N(ylanderia) flavipes may give it a competitive advantage and affect native ants through exploitative competition." is from https://engagedschol...text=etdarchive.  You are free to read it and also review its literature list.

 

​And the following short pdf: http://issg.org/data...eantimpacts.pdf

 

 

 

 

I wish I could like this post multiple times.

Edited by gcsnelling, April 27 2020 - 3:37 PM.