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California colony, 4 month old

Started By Jefw1f , Nov 6 2020 10:23 PM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Jefw1f - Posted November 6 2020 - 10:23 PM

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Found this queen June 2nd 2020 in Sacramento CA USA.

Workers have a similar in size to Tetramorium but complete different body shape and seem to prefer to be nocturnal. Hardly any workers in the outworld during the day and at night are very photophobic.

Queen is drastically different and almost twice as large as my tetramorium queen. Has golden looking hairs around her gaster. Black body with slightly red legs.

Workers have a slightly redish body and black gaster. There are have atleast 100?? Workers and a massive brood piles. All workers appear to be the same size but there are plenty of works around the brood and queen with swollen gasters (repletes?)

Any ideas on what these are before they go into hibernation?

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AnthonyP163 and Boog like this

#2 Offline Manitobant - Posted November 6 2020 - 10:30 PM

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Liometopum occidentale. Very fast growing species.

Edited by Manitobant, November 6 2020 - 10:31 PM.

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Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#3 Offline B_rad0806 - Posted November 6 2020 - 10:37 PM

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I'm pretty sure these do not hibernate being Liometopum occidentale. Be in for a treat because these will grow very fast

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#4 Offline Jefw1f - Posted November 6 2020 - 11:57 PM

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I'm pretty sure these do not hibernate being Liometopum occidentale. Be in for a treat because these will grow very fast

Seriously! I was hoping that this winter I would have time to set up a space for them!

If the don't hibernate does anyone know temperature minimums? It gets into the 40'sF over winter. How will that affect brood growth?

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#5 Offline Manitobant - Posted November 7 2020 - 10:15 AM

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They may slow down brood production but they won't stop completely and won't stop foraging.

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#6 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted November 7 2020 - 6:04 PM

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L. occidentale for sure.

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#7 Offline Jefw1f - Posted November 7 2020 - 6:16 PM

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I did a little research and saw their common name. "Velvet tree ants", often confused for carpenter ants and they like to nest in oak and sycamores.

My house has 2 large sycamore trees and 3 large oaks on the property. Also early on I thought the queen was from camponotus modoc but after workers came it didn't seem right.

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#8 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted November 19 2020 - 5:17 PM

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Also, thankfully the workers definitely get LARGER than Tetramorium.

I don't think I could deal with two colonies Tetra-sized. :facepalm:

Formiculture Journals::

Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus (inactive), vicinus, laevigatus/quercicola

Liometopum occidentale; Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus (inactive)

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and californicus (inactive)

Tetramorium sp.

Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

Isopods: A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus

Spoods: Phidippus sp.

#9 Offline NickAnter - Posted November 19 2020 - 5:27 PM

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Tetras are large compared to many of my ants. :facepalm: :lol:

ANTdrew likes this

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies.

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant).

#10 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 19 2020 - 5:43 PM

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I did a little research and saw their common name. "Velvet tree ants", often confused for carpenter ants and they like to nest in oak and sycamores.

My house has 2 large sycamore trees and 3 large oaks on the property. Also early on I thought the queen was from camponotus modoc but after workers came it didn't seem right.

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They can nest in pine as well. I've also seen founding colonies in rotting wood on the ground, not especially picky.