4 replies to this topic

[BoulderAnt]

Location - Colfax, Louisiana, USA || Found crawling on our gravel driveway looking for a place to settle under rocks. Caught another around the same area and a final one not far away on a patch of dirt.

 

Collection Date - May, 1, 2024 || Caught at around 4:10pm, by this time though they had fully shed their wings and I didn't see any flying. 

 

Length - Unknown

 

Physical Characteristics - They have two petiole and club antenna. Their colors are a dark red/brown that gets lighter at the tips of their legs, head, and the beginning of their gasters. I can see hairs on their gasters but am unable to confirm or dismiss hairs in other locations.

 

Behavior - All three queens were quick to start laying eggs.

 

 

My guess is they are solenopsis invicta, but I am far from an expert. I also hope I am proved wrong since I don't think I can handle rearing the fast-growing and aggressive genus.

 

 

[Mettcollsuss]

Solenopsis invicta

[ZTYguy]

Solenopsis invicta

[BoulderAnt]

That's what I figured, but still unfortunate to hear. I don't have much of a desire to keep this genus, especially as my first experience. For now I'll keep them warm and settled in their tubes until I figure out what to do with them.

 

A question. What time of day would one typically go out scouting for queens? Particularly camponotus, tapinoma, or crematogaster. I've tried 1pm-4pm and sometimes after 8pm with a flashlight but no luck aside from many of these invicta.

[The_Gaming-gate]

I've had my best luck finding Camponotus at night around 9 PM, with the help of a light I've gotten over 100 alates to swarm in one location. (I didn't keep any of them, I just wanted to see that flight.)