2124 replies to this topic

[Aquaexploder]

I figured if my winter ants are doomed (they likely are), then I might as well get some sort of colony this year.

I thought the same thing.

[noebl1]

Dammit! I didn't bother looking for ants today and there was a Crematogaster flight!

 

I assume there'll be more... lots of ants have been having very long flight periods this year it seems.

 

This is the first time I've seen an actual Crematogaster flight here, however, also first time I happened to be at the right place at the right time.  Last year I just missed their flights as came home from work and there were dead male alates everywhere. I thought it was an unusually late season Camponotus Myrmentoma when I found the first one floating in a bucket today.  I bet the next warm/humid 80 degree day they'll be out. I saw queen alates flying and dealates from about 11:15a to 2pm or so.  

 

So far... from today:

• Crematogaster sp. 
• L. neoniger and similar sp. (still finding alates and dealates outside right now)  
• L. latipes (just let her go) 
• L. umbratus or similar sp 
• Myrmica sp. 
• Myrmecina sp. 
• Brachymyrmex sp. 
• Ponera sp.

 

I only kept a fraction of what I found today too, probably the craziest flights I've seen (guessing last year was a bit suppressed by the drought).   I may need to join GAN or at least give some away to locals in MA who weren't as lucky. I try to get a handful of each knowing a bunch end up infertile or don't survive.  I've found more ant species in the last 5 days than I think all season.

 

This is about 3 layers deep and still need to organize them:

Edited by noebl1, September 5 2017 - 5:42 PM.

[rdurham02]

Another Formica flight here today! Also, found what appears to be another Lasius umbratus queen. Neoniger look like they are getting ready to fly soon here as well in Maine.

[Connectimyrmex]

Noeb, Lasius latipes and murphyi are possibly the calmest Lasius parasites. If you put one in with some host workers, she will often try to hide. If you ever want to keep one, make sure to put a drop of honey on the queen's thorax before sending her in to her workers.

Also, my two formica queens are both doomed!
They both ate all of their brood. They haven't layed any replacement eggs.

[Aquaexploder]

Crematogaster flight right now.

[Nathant2131]

Finds yesterday in Benson's Park, Hudson NH:

 

• Several Lasius cf. neoniger dealates walking around
• One Lasius (umbratus group) female alate walking on the ground
• A few dead Myrmicine males, some being carried off by Myrmica sp. workers. Possibly Crematogaster?
• One Crematogaster sp. dealate walking around, which I collected.
• Two Formica (fusca group) sp. dealates. One was walking around, one was found under a rock.

I probably could have found a lot more since my main focuse was not ants (honestly there could have been flying going on and I didn't even know it). Mostly was trying to catch some snakes and other reptiles/amphibians. There are tons of snakes to find and rarish species there (such as Wood frogs, Spotted Salamanders and Ringneck Snaes) I managed to snag a super cute ~2 ft Ribbon. I love his smile :

 

 

Edited by Nathant2131, September 6 2017 - 3:25 PM.

[Nathant2131]

Also, my two formica queens are both doomed!

They both ate all of their brood. They haven't layed any replacement eggs.

They could have stopped laying because it's too late into the year now. I would give them a chance.

[Connectimyrmex]

Oh, okay. 
It is a shame, though.  My Formica pallidefulva queen had her brood at pupae stage (five pupae) with one dark one. She then went on an eating streak and killed them all.

Also, I saw some Lasius neoniger flying outside WHILE IT WAS RAINING. HOW

[Aquaexploder]

Myrmica rubra are flying. Really wanted to catch one, but didn't have a container on me.

[noebl1]

Looks like Myrmica may be flying here too.  Also some Lasius are considering flying too (these are interesting as quite large for Lasius):

[noebl1]

I'm starting to think the Myrmica dealate I found may be from a previous flight and not from today as haven't seen others.  She was in an odd place on our side deck, not a typical place we find ants foraging, but often find alates/dealates.  I'll keep an eye out for more.

 

The Lasius alienus I caught 7/31 and growing very quickly; one already has pupae.

 

Just inventoried what I kept, and what's still alive from the 9/5 flights:

Lasius sp. - 22

Crematogaster sp. - 7

Myrmica sp. - 6

Ponera - 2

Brachymyrmex - 1

 

If like the last Fall flights, account for 15-25% death rate (many just didn't make it the first month into hibernation), and then many will be infertile in the Spring.  Still will have plenty to give away in the Spring to other MA members who are interested.

 

 

 

I know Myrmica are not fully claustral.  However anyone have a good care sheet and know if they are polygynous?  I do not believe any of these are M. rubra.  Not sure if they start laying before hibernation or wait until the Spring like most late season fliers?  I know they need an area to forage, but trying to determine if they forage prior to hibernation, or if only sugars are enough to get them thru until they actually have brood if it's post hibernation.

 

EDIT:  Just spent the past hour or so looking at the pics I took of her and going thru the Field Guide to the Ant of New England.  I am pretty confident it's in the Myrmica Nearctic native species, but really hard to get a perfect idea.  Torn between a few different ones as haven't gotten a good shot of the postpetiole bottom which isn't very pronounced, or a good direct head on shot.  Found in a heavily forested area so that helps narrow a bit or 2 or 3 (like M. nearctica or detrinodis.)

Edited by noebl1, September 9 2017 - 2:08 PM.

[noebl1]

Just found a Crematogaster alate, so appear to be flying.

[Connectimyrmex]

Most Myrmica are polygynous.

[Aquaexploder]

Huge! I MEAN HUGE nuptial flight here at the Greek festival in Cranston. Their is a carpet of them on the road.

[ctantkeeper]

Lasius neoniger are preparing to fly again in Haddam, CT!?!? Some are expanding their nest enterances and are releasing males!!!

[noebl1]

Very large Lasius flight happening right now...

[noebl1]

Myrmica  Aphaenogaster and a *ton* of parasitic Lasius.  Appears those orange ones I took the photos of over the weekend are parasitic

 

I also need to get an ID on these Myrmica, as due to the size and coloration, they *could* be M. rubra.  Will try to ID in a bit.

Edited by noebl1, September 11 2017 - 4:56 PM.

[Nathant2131]

Very large Lasius flight happening right now...

Looks like I went out too late to see the peak... Went out an hour ago to look in my yard and there were Lasius males EVERYWHERE! They were flying and walking all over the place, especially on the car and hot tub cover, What was interesting is they all had different colors and sizes, even shape like there were a lot of different species. Couldn't see any females flying, only saw a few on the ground:

 

1x Lasius claviger dealate under a rock

2x Lasius (niger group) alates walking around

2x Lasius (flavus group) alates walking around.

1x Lasius (flavus group) dealate under a rock.

 

I also saw 2 random Solenopsis molesta dealates walking on the ground.

Edited by Nathant2131, September 11 2017 - 3:17 PM.

[zkublin]

They were even flying near the city in Somerville.  Got 2 dealates and a few alates that I am hoping are fertile.

[noebl1]

- I found 2x Myrmica sp which have me greatly intrigued.

- Found a dead Crematogaster queen alate, so looks like they flew this am.

- Dozens and dozens of parasitic Lasius sp (including L. latipes).  Only saw a couple non-parasitic Lasius.  There were areas where you couldn't step without almost stepping on alates/dealates.

 

I got an email from a family member with pics from MA near the RI border, and said pool was full of Lasius alates.  Could see "clouds" of them in the air of them mating.  From the pics he sent, they were mostly non-parasitic Lasius there.

 

They should be pretty easy to spot with a flashlight right now.

 

EDIT: Starting to second guess now, I don't think these are Myrmica now that I am looking closer as both of them have no traces of propodeal spines under magnification.  Size wise they are much larger than the Myrmica I found last week.  Starting to think these actually may instead be a Aphaenogaster sp.

Edited by noebl1, September 11 2017 - 4:10 PM.