Title:
1. Location of collection - Firestone, CO. Outside of the library - rained down off of their flag from the flagpole.
2. Todays Date - 7/26/16
Body:
1. Location of collection - While walking into the library, they were RIGHT THERE out in the open.
2. Date of collection - 7/25/16 ~3:40 p.m.
3. Habitat of collection - Want to say prairie-desert hybrid?
4. Length - Calipers showed 12 mm
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture - Black face/brown gaster.
6. Distinguishing characteristics - Pointy gaster - long legs and antennae
7. Anything else distinctive - They have a lot of energy. Seem quite upset..don't blame em... Constantly moving. Trying to scale the walls of the tubes and falling over on their backs. They are quite large.
8. Nest description - N/A
9 . Post the clearest pictures possible of the top, side, and face of the ant in question, and if possible, their nest and the habitat they were collected in.
Pictures are hard of these as my phone camera is having problems focusing before they move, which is constantly. Tried to take a bunch of pictures and put them all into one file - http://i.imgur.com/pGbKI42
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Somehow I think I captured a Pogonomyrmex in the mix of all of this. Have no idea if its a queen though... http://i.imgur.com/F3r8HPc
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The Story:
Went directly to the library from after work to return the copy of the book on CD version of "Xenocide - Orson Scott Card". As I was walking into the library four kids were sitting on a bench, nun-doubtedly playin' that pokemon go I figured.... when a bug caught my spidey sense. I did a 180 and got a closer look at the insect that sure enough, it was a winged ant *plop*. Bout that time the kids speak up and say, "mumble mumble raining bugs..." *plop* while pointing at the flag pole. .... Like a horror film... *plop plop* its literally raining....clump balls of these ants. *plop....plop.....* One...another...four at a time... I can only *plop* identify it as a perfect bait balls. Anywhere from 4 to 6 ants were on the queen so hard that they lost grip *...............plop* on the flag and fell to the ground. It was honestly terrifying. If I got landed on, I would have lost it. These....orange...creepy..insectoid... I couldn't take a picture because I was too excited at the fact that I stumbled onto what was clearly a nuptial flight OF NOT TETRAMORIUMS. The kids began to come around me as I was scavenging for containers. *plop*
I ran inside the library and asked for cups. Containers. SOMETHING. ...had to ask why...needed an explanation...there wasn't time! I ran back to my car and grabbed my lunch box. Luckily I had some straws handy so I used tissue as plugs to funnel some in. By the time I got back to the flag pole.... To say there were 7 "balls" of ants before. Now there was one. It was ridiculous. They were JUST there.. Luckily they still were. Ants would land, roll over, and fly off. I tried to dodge them there were all over the place.
Actually looking at them - They look like tetras scary cousin. I did NOT want to have them land on me. So much energy in the containers. I had 6 captured before I realized that was enough, and I ran out of things (didn't realize I had more straws to get more till later). No idea what my plan is going to be for them. Probably give half to Zero if he is wanting a different species. For now they are in new containers/tubes with water. Based on their...movement and energy, I'm thinking I should "box-set up" for foraging space though I will await everyones ID to research living conditions.
Edited by sgheaton, July 26 2016 - 5:46 AM.
. They definitely looked really cool though. I'll research them more now so I can learn the difference between the rugosus and the P. Occ. ones I actually do have. ....I haven't decided if I want to go back to the spot to see if I can find the actual queen.
