16 replies to this topic

[Subverted]

A few years ago (ok, almost 5) I collected a Neivamrymex drone with a black light and sheet.

 

I know the queens arent supposed to fly so how can you locate the colony to find queens? I don't really have a clue what to look for just a general area to search in.

 

Someday I will have to see if the dried out drone can trigger a colony evacuation!

[dspdrew]

Well the colony is always moving around. I have come across them quite a few times. Two times they were in the process of raiding a Pheidole colony, dragging out all sorts of brood and alates. Here's a video I took of the last time I saw them. This was the second time I came across them in Menifee, CA. The first time was in my brother's back yard where they were raiding Pheidole.

 

[gcsnelling]

I assume you re hoping to be able to capture a colony with queen in the hope of keeping it alive. It won't work the need to move over a wide area would necessitate a very large habitat. That along with providing appropriate food makes them pretty much impossible to keep long term. The queens also tend to die very quickly after capture if conditions are not just right. The dead male will not likely provoke an evacutaion response.

[cpman]

I've seen Neviamyrmex twice here, both times while raiding Pheidole. I was just flipping over rocks both times, and found nests of Pheidole panicking and Neviamyrmex attacking. PLEASE do not try to keep these ants. I can guarantee that they will not survive in captivity. They need a HUGE range, and their diet of ant brood is likely impossible to supply in sufficient quantities.

Again, PLEASE don't try to capture a colony to keep. Capturing a few workers to try to provoke an evacuation response is fine, but it will be impossible to keep a full colony.

 

They are very fascinating ants and a very unique part of the environment. They can be difficult to find on purpose because of their subterranean habits.

[Alza]

I'm keeping them, and you cannot say its impossible if you have never tried. That being said, there are no limits to what an "anter" can do c:

[Jonathan21700]

Really? Can you post pictures Alza?

This is a video of a person keeping Labidus sp. army ants https://www.youtube....h?v=UBe5nCqKbvs.

[Alza]

I plan on it

[dspdrew]

Im keeping them, and you cannot say its impossible if you have never tried. That being said, there are no limits to what an "anter" can do c:

 

I think the key phrase here is "long term".

[gcsnelling]

Long term is indeed the key. I will be following your long term results with interest. And for the record I and others have tried with as far as I know a 100% failure rate.

[cpman]

As far as I can guess, the only way that would be even partially successful in keeping them would probably need an incredibly large foraging area and several hundred ant colonies in formicariums designed in a way where a part of it without the queen, but with lots of brood and workers, could be placed into the army ants' enclosure.

 

I'd be interested in trying to figure out how to find raids of any of the subterranean army ants...

I have no idea how I would ever find one unless I got really lucky. We've got several species here that I would love to watch another raid of.

Both the raids I've seen were just by sheer luck -- they happened to be attacking from beneath the Pheidole nests I found.

Edited by cpman, April 18 2015 - 7:07 PM.

[dspdrew]

The first raid I saw, I actually heard before I saw it. I kept hearing little rocks falling from the side of a cliff along some road I was walking on at night. Of course my first thought was oh great, theres some animal up there, and with my luck it will be something that's going to eat me. Then I noticed thousands of ants swarming on some nest to the point that dirt and rocks were falling from the entrance.

[cpman]

That sounds awesome. In both the ones I saw, I picked up a rock, and there was a Pheidole nest FREAKING OUT. Then, I saw the Neviamyrmex mixed in...

 

I still have yet to see a column though. Also, I'd love to find Labidus coecus, which does exist here. Unfortunately, it also tends to live deep underground. I read that they are found often in caves. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to survey any caves where I've been caving in the past... I would not at all be surprised if some of the ones I've been in have them.

[Gregory2455]

I'm keeping them, and you cannot say its impossible if you have never tried. That being said, there are no limits to what an "anter" can do c:

I doubt you are even keeping them...

[Alza]

Ugh, thought the way I said it was only interpreted one way, but I guess not.

[Gregory2455]

Ugh, thought the way I said it was only interpreted one way, but I guess not.

Define "I am keeping them" then.

[Alza]

I think you know what i meant 

[Gregory2455]

Trolllllllll... Anyway Alza off topic question to you but was that Pogonomyrmex alate you caught all alone? No flight?