8 replies to this topic

[nurbs]

I am creating this just as a placeholder. I don't know how much time I will have to keep this updated on a consistent basis, but wanted to just put it out there and let others know what I have.

 

I found this C. sansabeanus queen along with her colony two summers ago up in the San Gabriel Mountains at Crystal Lake (all the way up highway 39). They are similar to C. vicinus which I also have, except their coloration is more yellow/orange and the C. vicinus is more red. The base of their scapes are also not completely flattened like C. vicinus (according to Drew and antweb).

 

I like calling them salsa beans.

 

I just dumped them into a new bin with fresh test tubes and they have settled in nicely. I unfortunately neglected them over the winter break and did not hibernate them. But they seem OK.

 

Edited by nurbs, June 20 2015 - 10:55 AM.

[dspdrew]

Like C. vicinus, I don't think these NEED to be hibernated since I think they are sometimes found at lower elevations where it's not as cold. Species like C. laevigatus or Lasius spp. are a different story. It has been suggested though, that hibernating some ants for a short period of time when not absolutely necessary can be beneficial.

[nurbs]

I remember sometime last year I dropped a C. vicinus cocooned pupae into a C. salsabeans outworld, but forgot to check if they accepted it.

 

Looks like they did.

 

[cpman]

Like C. vicinus, I don't think these NEED to be hibernated since I think they are sometimes found at lower elevations where it's not as cold.

I'd agree with this, but I'd say it is heavily population dependent. Here in Texas, they are a really side spread ant from at least as far south as Bexar County (San Antonio) to the Oklahoma border. In the more southern and eastern parts of the range (like here in Austin), the winters are much more mild than in the northern and western parts of the range. Here in the southern part, the winters are short and mild (weather is consistently cold from mid-November to mid-February) with only 15-20 nights that dip below freezing (the average low is in the 40s and the average high is in the low 60s in the winter). There is very rarely any snow accumulation in this part of the range. Any storms just bring flurries. In the northwestern parts like the southern panhandle, it gets much much colder than here (the average low is below 45 from October to April) and there is consistently snow in the winter.
Considering that this species inhabits everything between these two extremes and more, I imagine some populations are very tolerant of no hibernation and others are very intolerant of it.

Anyway, this colony looks great! This is an awesome species.

Edited by cpman, June 22 2015 - 9:44 AM.

[Kwitzats]

what does Sansabeanus mean? without a bean?

[Kwitzats]

what does Sansabeanus mean? without a bean?

Found in San Saba co. Texas originally as Formica,

 

http://biodiversityl...ge/178/mode/1up

 

don't ask why this bugged me so.

[dspdrew]

Nurbs likes to just refer to them as Camponotus salsabeans.

[Foogoo]

what does Sansabeanus mean? without a bean?

I like this interpretation better.

[nurbs]

Nurbs likes to just refer to them as Camponotus salsabeans.