38 replies to this topic

[Salmon]

While I was observing the P. pilifera today, I think I found a colony of Tetramorium tsushime... Slightly smaller than pavement ants and many of the workers have lighter brown coloration on their heads and thoraxes. Have they been recorded in Massachusetts?

[LC3]

Interesting, do you have any pictures?

[Salmon]

I'll take some this afternoon

[Salmon]

Normally it looks like about a fourth of the workers are pale and bicolored, but for some reason when I put food next to their nest the overwhelming majority that emerge out are normal dark workers. This is a bad picture but I circled some of the pale workers:

In addition to (most of) them being smaller than pavement ants, they also seem to have more variation in worker size.

[Salmon]

The Pheidole are really frustrating me! Yesterday it was rainy all day, and when it stopped I could see alates gathering around the entrance, but they changed their mind when it started raining again. And now it isn't supposed to rain for a long time.

Though I saw my first Polyergus raid this evening. That was pretty spectacular.

[WeatherAnt]

Normally it looks like about a fourth of the workers are pale and bicolored, but for some reason when I put food next to their nest the overwhelming majority that emerge out are normal dark workers. This is a bad picture but I circled some of the pale workers:

In addition to (most of) them being smaller than pavement ants, they also seem to have more variation in worker size.

 

I think these are just color-morphs in a regular T. caespitum colony / sp. E colony. I've seen them before in some of the colonies I had in my driveway. 

The Pheidole are really frustrating me! Yesterday it was rainy all day, and when it stopped I could see alates gathering around the entrance, but they changed their mind when it started raining again. And now it isn't supposed to rain for a long time.

Though I saw my first Polyergus raid this evening. That was pretty spectacular.

 

Yep! They like it when it rains once, but not twice when they're preparing for a flight! 

[noebl1]

@salmon Today may be an interesting day to watch.  People in PA/NJ on another forum have been reporting they have been flying for about 2 weeks now.  Similar thing happened with the Tetramorium flights where could watch the wave of flights as they moved across the country over a few weeks.  This afternoon we're supposed to have a band of storms go thru...  

[Salmon]

I'm out of town right now unfortunately. Hopefully there'll be more storms.

[noebl1]

I'm out of town right now unfortunately. Hopefully there'll be more storms.

 

I went out and nothing yet.  Will go out tonight with a flash light and see.  Storms rolled thru around 2-4pm today, though where we are, not much rain, but some pretty good wind damage.

[noebl1]

Went out a couple times last night looking around lights, but no sign of them.  @salmon guessing you haven't missed them yet

[Salmon]

It rained at the right time of day more than once, but no queens. I guess they all flew while I was gone.

[Saftron]

Same, I was walking around looking for Tetra queens and came upon a mini "Tetramorium war" 5 dark Tetramorium workers were fighting with two Light pale coloured Tetramorium? Didn't take any pictures because didn't have my phone on me. 

[Loops117]

How's the brood production on these guys? My queen is a month along now, and all of her eggs are still solid white. She's continually laying, and her pile grows every time i check on her.

 

Any clues?

[Chickalo]

I wish this topic was still alive, I really want to know where I can find pheidole D:

[Antcatcherpro3]

I read over this and I think that when (if) I find a colony I will try the rock and water strategy.

[Antcatcherpro3]

I've been looking at the sightings on antwiki and where pheidole pilifera were found, a sighting was pretty close to plymouth, and I'm going near there this summer anyway, so I might as well pack some test tubes with me.

[Chickalo]

I actually might try that trick to get some hosts for Lasius.  If I do that to catch a colony I'll make a ton of them to get as many workers and brood as possible.

[Temperateants]

I actually might try that trick to get some hosts for Lasius.  If I do that to catch a colony I'll make a ton of them to get as many workers and brood as possible.

Any luck? I actually did that trick with some debris and actually managed to change the "pathways" in a lasius nest. No brood unfortunately.

[Chickalo]

 

I actually might try that trick to get some hosts for Lasius.  If I do that to catch a colony I'll make a ton of them to get as many workers and brood as possible.

Any luck? I actually did that trick with some debris and actually managed to change the "pathways" in a lasius nest. No brood unfortunately.

 

Last summer:  No, but I'm going to find a secluded place in the woods this year instead of my backyard.