13 replies to this topic

[Vern530]

Caught this queen and some workers today in northern California nesting in sand the workers were active above ground in nest foraging very small.thanks in advance https://www.formicul...721-i’d-please/

[ponerinecat]

Ouch, the famed argentine ants.

[Vern530]

Is there something bad about this ant?anythimg interesting about it?thanks for the ID

[PacificNorthWestern]

Is there something bad about this ant?anythimg interesting about it?thanks for the ID

it's an invasive species that has been outcompeting native species for food and resources. I recommend freezing it if you don't want to keep it.

Edited by PacificNorthWestern, January 13 2020 - 6:12 PM.

[Vern530]

I’m just gonna stash the queen and a few workers in a test tube and not pay much attention to them.at least in the test tube they won’t get out.feels wrong to freeze or flush them but definitely not gonna give them any chance to eecape.make them live there life in ant jail lol

[Ferox_Formicae]

Linepithema humile is nothing but a pain. I cannot stand them after what they did to one of the Camponotus nearcticus colonies in my yard. They are just insane and unforgiving, taking over every habitat, houses, under objects, inside of fences, even several meters up a tree! As for what is interesting about them, not much. They're a pretty typical, straightforward ant with the classic Dolichoderine build, small body, large eyes, a small petiole, and a triangular-ish head. They're covered in a thin layer of small, silvery hairs throughout that gives them an appearance similar to some of the black Formica species such as subsericea, argentea, and glacialis. Queens are very robust in build, but boy can they move. They stand out fairly well among the workers and can often be seen in large foraging trails, usually at night. They have a fairly small head and a tall mesosoma. Males have a similar build to queens but are much smaller, with enormous eyes and an even smaller head. The only interesting things about them are their habits. Their colonies span entire countries and can have millions of queens, they kill something like 80% of those queens every spring, they are constantly foraging, and sometimes I swear they remind me of Dorylines, they can conquer nearly every habitat, and they can take down basically any species. In my area, their population was forced back by quite a bit last year due to the rapid explosion of Brachyponera chinensis, but this year they have recovered and fought back. I'm starting to notice a lot less Brachyponera, and the Linepithema are stronger than ever before. They're even gaining the upper hand on Solenopsis invicta! There were a ton of founding colonies in my area earlier this year, but they were all discovered by the Linepithema and swiftly taken over, leaving Solenopsis virtually nonexistant in my yard. I only really see Solenopsis in areas with lots of clay or in more sandy soil, both areas where Linepithema prefer not to nest in. There are a few other exotics on the rise as well such as Brachymyrmex patagonicus, Pheidole navigans, and Cyphomyrmex rimosus (a fungus-gardening Attine that forms relations with Solenopsis invicta and other large, protective ants), but I am not too worried about them. Then again, that's what scientists said about Brachyponera chinensis only 2 decades ago, and now they're everywhere.

[Vern530]

Damn interesting.thanks for the informative reply.i have them In a test tube that will serve as a ant jail for the life with me.only opening up test tube to feed and only after I put them in freezer for a short time to eliminate there chance to escape.its weird tho I found these nested in the sand right next to the river(my favorite fishing spot lol)but they definitely sound like bad news

Edited by Vern530, January 13 2020 - 6:55 PM.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Damn interesting.thanks for the informative reply.i have them In a test tube that will serve as a ant jail for the life with me.only opening up test tube to feed and only after I put them in freezer for a short time to eliminate there chance to escape.its weird tho I found these nested in the sand right next to the river(my favorite fishing spot lol)but they definitely sound like bad news

Never put ants in the freezer if you do not intend to kill them. I've made that mistake before with my Hypoponera opaciceps and Monomorium minimum colonies. Sad days... Just stick them in the refrigerator for a few minutes. That being said, Linepithema humile (and most Dolichoderines in general) seem to be extremely cold-tolerant. I've left specimens in the freezer overnight to kill them for pinning, only to have them spring back to life a few minutes after being taken out. Nowadays, I just put ant specimens in rubbing alcohol to kill them. It takes a far shorter amount of time so they suffer less (I don't think ants actually suffer, but still), and it also preserves their bodies and keeps them pliable. Anyways, you should be fine when placing your Linepithema in the freezer as long as you're careful. Also, you won't be able to keep them in a test tube for long. They are fast grower, and more queens will certainly begin to pop up after a few months, as they mate in the nest, so freezing (for a few days) may be your best option, unless you are ready to keep a ravenous, fast-growing colony of mini monsters. However, if you want to keep them alive for a bit before freezing them (if you go for freezing), I completely understand and even encourage that. It's good to have a bit of experience under the belt before dealing with some of the more difficult ant species. You're in Cali, so you've got access to some pretty cool one further south, way further south, but still.

[Manitobant]

Although invasive, linepithema humile are a great beginner species.

[PacificNorthWestern]

Although invasive, linepithema humile are a great beginner species.

true, although they grow bait faster then a true beginner can probably handle

[Ferox_Formicae]

 

Although invasive, linepithema humile are a great beginner species.

true, although they grow bait faster then a true beginner can probably handle

 

At least they're not Solenopsis invicta... *shudders* But still yeah, not the best beginner species. If I were you, Vern530, I would be on the lookout for Prenolepis imparis queens come February and March. They're illusive and only fly for a short amount of time before they bury down deeper for estivation (the Summer version of hibernation for Prenolepis), and they don't emerge again until Fall. I'm personally gonna be on the lookout for some queens within the next few weeks, and they make great beginner species as long as you can get them past the founding stage. It'll give you something to look at during winter when your other ants are hibernation.

[Vern530]

That’s funny you mention that .that's actually how I found these was trying to identify winter ants.and yes there on my list:I already have about 17 colony’s of different species but I’m trying to thin the heard so all my personal colony’s are ones I founded my self

[ponerinecat]

Argentines suck... nothing interesting about them besides polygyny and insane growth rate.

[AntsDakota]

The species is native to South America. When it was imported to areas around the globe, some glitch occurred, causing the whole colony to have the same identity pheromone. Therefore, all individuals across the globe (except in South America where they're native) recognize each other as part of the same colony. This is one of the only things that makes them so oppressive, as native colonies simply can't compete with how many trillions of them.