1665 replies to this topic

[ColKurtz]

Catch any queens?

 
They will probably fly tomorrow.

What areas have you been seeing them? I’ve been looking in my usual summer areas, that is to say pavement, bordering grass, and that grass borders small wooded areas. I did a quick search today and found nothing active at all, but I’m up in northern NJ. It’s was in the 60s.

[VoidElecent]

Species: Prenolepis imparis, Lasius claviger

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date: 2-21-2018

Time: ~12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Temperature: 73°-76° F

Humidity: 60%-70%

Rain: Rain two days before, heavy snow before that.

 

L. claviger were flying; this was not an overwintered dealate. 

[Connectimyrmex]

And I thought Camponotus species were going to be hard to find.

 

Species: Camponotus pennsylvanicus (four males scattered about, one dead queen)

Location: Avon, Connecticut

Date: Unknown but recent, probably during the 70-80 degree warm front

Time: Unknown

Temperature: 70-80 degrees F

Humidity: Extremely high

Rain: Heavy snowmelt and light rain

[Bracchymyrmex]

 

And I thought Camponotus species were going to be hard to find.

 

Species: Camponotus pennsylvanicus (four males scattered about, one dead queen)

Location: Avon, Connecticut

Date: Unknown but recent, probably during the 70-80 degree warm front

Time: Unknown

Temperature: 70-80 degrees F

Humidity: Extremely high

Rain: Heavy snowmelt and light rain

 

 

Are you sure? This is extremely early for them to fly.

[Connectimyrmex]

I know, right!
I think that the warm front & humidity might have triggered an abnormal flight, or maybe the colony just ditched a small bunch of alates.

 

I fed the males to my chromaiodes colony, they ate three and accepted one into the nest for some reason.

[Penguin]

This weeks weather has been abnormal for February, but I wasn't expecting the Lasius sp. parasites to come out after a couple days of warmth

 

(Not a flight just looking for nests to infiltrate)

 

Species: ~3 Lasius sp. (Parasitic) alates

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Date: Feb 27, 2018

Time: 3:50

Tempurature: ~10-13 C (50-55 F)

Humidity: Quite Dry

Precipitation: Snow melt about 4 days prior to sighting

 

Seems like Lasius sp. wants to be the last species of queens I see AND the first I see in the year, greedy Lasius sp.   

[LC3]

This weeks weather has been abnormal for February, but I wasn't expecting the Lasius sp. parasites to come out after a couple days of warmth
 
(Not a flight just looking for nests to infiltrate)
 
Species: ~3 Lasius sp. (Parasitic) alates
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: Feb 27, 2018
Time: 3:50
Tempurature: ~10-13 C (50-55 F)
Humidity: Quite Dry
Precipitation: Snow melt about 4 days prior to sighting
 
Seems like Lasius sp. wants to be the last species of queens I see AND the first I see in the year, greedy Lasius sp.   

I think these might be last years queens. Since parasitic Lasius hibernate

 

EDIT*, Sorry missed the brackets there, my bad.

Edited by LC3, February 27 2018 - 7:25 PM.

[Penguin]

 

This weeks weather has been abnormal for February, but I wasn't expecting the Lasius sp. parasites to come out after a couple days of warmth
 
(Not a flight just looking for nests to infiltrate)
 
Species: ~3 Lasius sp. (Parasitic) alates
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: Feb 27, 2018
Time: 3:50
Tempurature: ~10-13 C (50-55 F)
Humidity: Quite Dry
Precipitation: Snow melt about 4 days prior to sighting
 
Seems like Lasius sp. wants to be the last species of queens I see AND the first I see in the year, greedy Lasius sp.   

I think these might be last years queens. Since parasitic Lasius hibernate

 

 

That's what I meant by "came out." and in the brackets I said I didn't believe it was a flight. 

[Hunter]

Species: Lasius umbratus queen

Location: Maine USA

Date: 2/28/18

Time: 11

Temperature: 55

Humidity: wet

Precipitation: heavy snow melt slight rain yesterday

[AnthonyP163]

Species: Lasius umbratus queen

Location: Maine USA

Date: 2/28/18

Time: 11

Temperature: 55

Humidity: wet

Precipitation: heavy snow melt slight rain yesterday

I doubt this is a flight either.

[Solenoqueen]

Anything around San Diego, California?

[dspdrew]

Species: Lasius umbratus queen
Location: Maine USA
Date: 2/28/18
Time: 11
Temperature: 55
Humidity: wet
Precipitation: heavy snow melt slight rain yesterday

 

Can you post a picture of this queen? Was it only one?

[Connectimyrmex]

I'm guessing that Hunter's queen was just an old umbratus queen.

[Hunter]

Yea she might have been old,and in Maine they tend to run around in late may. She was running on a paved road near me and sadly she died soon after.

[T.C.]

Yea she might have been old,and in Maine they tend to run around in late may. She was running on a paved road near me and sadly she died soon after.

 

Yes, well if you did find a Lasius umbratus queen, she is going to be from last years nuptial flight. This species has their nuptial flights in the autumn. They generally go into hibernation simply seeking shelter under a rock, or log for example until spring returns. They then search for a host colony once it warms up. So they are forced to expose themselves until they find a host colony.

[YsTheAnt]

Anyone in Cali know if myrmentoma Camponotus will fly again?

[nurbs]

Went up to the local canyons last night because it rained last week, and was a bit warmer this week. 

 

Setup a blacklight but didn't find anything except a single winged C. sansabeanus. She's not fertile, and they haven't flown yet, but it's getting close. Most of the alates are peeking their heads at nest entrances.

 

 

[YsTheAnt]

Can't wait for them to start flying in NorCal. I'm going to see if I can catch some and bringem up with me next week.

[dspdrew]

I just realized that four species on the web version of the mating chart had their names cut off due to the species column not being fully expanded to fit them before turning it into HTML. I have since fixed this, so make sure to clear your cache and refresh (Ctrl + F5 for those on Windows) the next time you view them.

 

And to think how many people helped look it over for mistakes.

[nurbs]

Species: Veromessor pergandei, Pheidole barbata, Dorymyrmex insanus, Myrmecocystus sp.

Location: Whitewater, CA

Date: 3-13-2018

Time: 3pm - 1:30 am

Temperature: 60-75

Winds: 15-25mph

Humidity: 36%

Rain: Rain day before as well as day of

 

 

This is the website I use to see history of rainfall and pinpoint locations to hit up:

 

https://water.weathe...&domain=current

 

It was extremely windy there, and intermittently rained as we were digging up queens. Stayed til around 1:30am.

 

 

Here is what a fresh chamber looks like before it is sealed up. Drew is much more patient than I am. He would wait for the queens to come out and scoop them up. I have no time for that crap, so of course Drew got two times as many pots as me. Digging them up has a lower success rate. It was harder to find them because they would freeze and not move after shoveling up the dirt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

V. pergandei. This what what we expected to mostly find, but found more honeypots instead. Only dug up four of these.

 

 

 

Myrmecocystus sp.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what the sky looked like when I arrive. Got there around 3pm, Drew arrived later in the day around 9pm.

 

 

Edited by nurbs, March 20 2018 - 12:31 AM.