2121 replies to this topic

[mallonje]

I'm still sitting on my P. Imparis. How long did it take for you to get the 1st batch? 

[noebl1]

I'm still sitting on my P. Imparis. How long did it take for you to get the 1st batch? 

 

It took a few weeks last year for my P. imparis to lay.  This year I took her out of hibernation in Feb, and just laid, so took a long time.  I seem to recall she was the last to lay of the queens I had last year too.  The queen I caught this year hasn't laid, and still aggressively pulls at the cotton, so guessing she's unmated. 

[akaant]

The 2 queens i cought this spring have larvae now. don't know why its taking so long to develop.

[noebl1]

The 2 queens i cought this spring have larvae now. don't know why its taking so long to develop.

Mine took a very very long time last year too for the larvae to develop.  I think if I search thru this thread I posted about it with Nathan as couldn't believe how long it took.  If these eggs hatch and grow, I'm curious to see the size difference from last season's workers.

 

I wonder, do the workers feed the larvae from the repletes or fresh protein? 

[noebl1]

Someone in NYC last night caught a bunch of Pheidole alates black lighting, and that air mass is moving our way.  Heavy rain today, leads to a long stretch of 80F-90F days that will be hot and humid.  Maybe it will actually be for real this time for flights   We're already 2-3" short of rain in a good portion of MA (let alone New England), so this rain fail is needed for more than just the flights.

 

Historically Temnothorax start flying early July, and they are night flyers so will only catch them after dark around 9-10pm when hot/muggy.   They will be attracted to lights, so a white sheet with a flashlight is all that's usually needed (until some people will get sick of catching them as so many...)  Obviously keep an eye out for Tetramorium flights tomorrow or especially Sat AM; don't panic if you don't find any as they will be flying for several weeks.  Formica and Aphaenogaster will start flying soon too.   Lasius alienus is going to start flying in July too, you will see the indicators as they will widen the nest, and the alates will pour out, and maybe fly, or maybe be herded back in (I usually see several false starts until they finally fly.)  So even if the big Camponotus flight doesn't happen this year, still plenty of stuff coming!

 

My Fall caught Brachymyrmex depilis finally eclosed, and holy cow these are the smallest ants I have ever seen.  They make my Temnothorax look big. I think one of these nanitics could ride on the back of a Lasius workers and she'd have no idea...  I heard they were small, but just now grasping just how tiny they are and regretting a bit keeping her as looks like a big challenge.

[akaant]

I caught a Tapinoma sessile queen at 2:40 pm today. With the heavy rains today I wouldn't be surprised if major flights arrive tomorrow.

[noebl1]

Lasius interjectus looking to fly in the rain.

(@mallonje I think these are the parasitic queens you want, they are HUGE for Lasius and bright orange)

 

[noebl1]

Whelp, looks like the rain forced them to abort here as they are all gone and I didn't see any.  However other people in MA are reporting parasitic Lasius and Camponotus flying, so there may be a flight tonight in some areas.

[noebl1]

Well I went out until about 10:30pm last night, and caught one random Lasius interjectus, though not sure if mated or not.  The colony I saw prepping early had workers at the entrance like they were considering flying, but I didn't see any alates, and with the need to get up for work, I went to bed so unsure.  Tetramorium and Lasius interjectus are being reported by people in Discord in MA however.

 

@mallonje these Lasius interjectus *may* be the parasitic Lasius you have been looking for.  They are very larger workers (about 4-5mm; significantly larger than most Lasius), and an amazing orange-yellow color.  They almost look like caricatures of Lasius as they are so large and really more bulbous/round than most Lasius.  I think they fly twice a year, as I've seen these fly in September as well during the large Lasius flights.

 

I tried black lighting for the first time (which is how I got this Lasius), but there were SO many beetles, so so so many beetles...

[noebl1]

Also getting reports from IL thru MA of Formica pallidefulva starting to fly today

[fleetingyouth]

I found 2 Tetramorium queens this morning thanks to the ID of noebl1

 

I also checked under a rock near a tetramorium colony I've been watching and it was swarming with alates. Hoping to see a flight tonight. 

[noebl1]

L. interjectus finally flew, watched them for a good hour launching hundreds of alates, and found 1...  I found a couple Camponotus pennsylvanicus alates as well.

 

[mallonje]

That is awesome! 

I went out around 2pm today, I found a field loaded with dead male C. Pennsylvanicus but not much else. 

 

I think I'm going to head out in a bit for a flashlight find. 

[mallonje]

Oddly enough - speaking of microclimates the Weather channels says it's 73, Accuweather says 79, my weather station says 82.  

[akaant]

I found many  Tetramorium queens and 1 C. Pennsylvanicus male.

[mallonje]

Akaant - I can't find any Tetramorium queens. Where have you been having luck? (under rocks, pools, etc?) 

All I found was a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus male.   

[zkublin]

Just got back from my 4 month old puppy’s 5am bathroom run. I am down at the cape at a place with a pool. I just fished at least 20-30 tetramoriim aliates out of the pool!!! I have 2 questions....

1. How do I know if they are males or queens (I have always struggled with telling the sexes apart with their wings still attached)?

2. Assuming I have at least 1 queen in the bunch, anyone know a good way to try to help them get the pool chemicals off them, or do I just leave them all be in the ziplock bags I currently have them in until I can get them home on Sunday and sort them all out with testubes?

[akaant]

Akaant - I can't find any Tetramorium queens. Where have you been having luck? (under rocks, pools, etc?) 

All I found was a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus male.   

I found most of mine along a road with forest on one side. I seen many freshly dug nests at the park. 

[noebl1]

@mallonje  I noticed the same, except I was on the cold end of it, when you sent that I was 72F, and not too far away, crazy.

 

@zkublin Congrats on the new puppy!  Drones of Tetramorium have much smaller gasters and look more wasp like than the queens.   I'd rinse them off briefly (they can take water for a bit), maybe put some paper towels in the zip log bags as well.

 

I was out for a couple hours black lighting and didn't get anything other than many june beetles as temp dropped pretty quick to 70F after the sun went down.  This is when I stopped seeing the Camponotus, so guessing it was too cool (betting today may be better.)

 

I have one shot to try to get this L. interjectus to try to found which stinks, was hoping for more.  Her jaws look brutal compared to the L. umbratus queens.

[noebl1]

Finding Tetramorium flew here too, found a bunch of them driveway hiding under leaves and such.

Edited by noebl1, June 30 2018 - 8:09 AM.