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#1661 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted May 27 2020 - 9:28 AM

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That’s a new species for you, congrats! I found zippo at three different locations.

Thanks man, it is! Noebl1 sure called it with the weather forecast. Sorry you didn’t find anything.

 

I have to say she seemed much less happy about being in a test tube when compared to my C. pennsylvanicus. It probably didn’t help that I spent 35-40 minutes talking pictures of her. Those plastic AC test tubes sure hinder photography. I’ve kept her tube covered so she’s calmer today. It’s still hot and humid so there’s still a good likelihood of flights! 



#1662 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 27 2020 - 9:31 AM

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That’s a new species for you, congrats! I found zippo at three different locations.

Thanks man, it is! Noebl1 sure called it with the weather forecast. Sorry you didn’t find anything.

 

I have to say she seemed much less happy about being in a test tube when compared to my C. pennsylvanicus. It probably didn’t help that I spent 35-40 minutes talking pictures of her. Those plastic AC test tubes sure hinder photography. I’ve kept her tube covered so she’s calmer today. It’s still hot and humid so there’s still a good likelihood of flights! 

 

I hope there r flights! I'm gonna look rn


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#1663 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 27 2020 - 10:20 AM

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That’s a new species for you, congrats! I found zippo at three different locations.

Thanks man, it is! Noebl1 sure called it with the weather forecast. Sorry you didn’t find anything.

I have to say she seemed much less happy about being in a test tube when compared to my C. pennsylvanicus. It probably didn’t help that I spent 35-40 minutes talking pictures of her. Those plastic AC test tubes sure hinder photography. I’ve kept her tube covered so she’s calmer today. It’s still hot and humid so there’s still a good likelihood of flights!
My area had its main Camponotus flights back on 5/4. I was hoping for C. castaneus yesterday as they tend to fly later. I may take a lap tonight, but I think that ship may have already sailed.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#1664 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 27 2020 - 11:10 AM

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I just found some ants in an Acorn XD

I didn't even know they were in there when I cracked it open

ill make an ID request soon

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#1665 Offline Nathant2131 - Posted May 28 2020 - 3:05 AM

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Caught myself a few C. pennsylvanicus queens last night. Think they flied.


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#1666 Offline Antkid12 - Posted May 28 2020 - 3:47 AM

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That’s a new species for you, congrats! I found zippo at three different locations.

Thanks man, it is! Noebl1 sure called it with the weather forecast. Sorry you didn’t find anything.

I have to say she seemed much less happy about being in a test tube when compared to my C. pennsylvanicus. It probably didn’t help that I spent 35-40 minutes talking pictures of her. Those plastic AC test tubes sure hinder photography. I’ve kept her tube covered so she’s calmer today. It’s still hot and humid so there’s still a good likelihood of flights!
My area had its main Camponotus flights back on 5/4. I was hoping for C. castaneus yesterday as they tend to fly later. I may take a lap tonight, but I think that ship may have already sailed.

 

I lifted a few rocks a day ago, and I saw a bunch of castaneus alates, in two different colonies, so there is gonna be another flight. edit: they actually might fly today.


Edited by Antkid12, May 28 2020 - 3:52 AM.

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Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 


#1667 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 28 2020 - 4:35 AM

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Wow, Antkid. I’ve been straight up skunked the last two nights. Keep me posted if you see anything!
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#1668 Offline AntsDakota - Posted May 28 2020 - 5:45 AM

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I just found some ants in an Acorn XD
I didn't even know they were in there when I cracked it open
ill make an ID request soon

These are Temnothorax sp.
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"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#1669 Offline noebl1 - Posted May 28 2020 - 5:57 AM

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I just found some ants in an Acorn XD
I didn't even know they were in there when I cracked it open
ill make an ID request soon

These are Temnothorax sp.

 

 

AntsDakota beat me to it :D  They are an interesting species as very fluid for colony distribution and workers.  In some Temnothorax species, queens and workers can move between colonies.  They also fly here in my area in gigantic numbers in July, literally weeks of seeing them.

I didn't see much at all yesterday, I suspect lack of rain isn't helping.  I can't tell if this is another season of lots of little strange flights or not yet.  Saturday could have a potential for a big flight, as supposed to rain, then be hot and humid.  Camponotus (and I suspect other species too) tend to have both microclimate/hyperlocal flights where a thunderstorm or shower passes thru a small area, and they fly. But also if a weather pattern settles in and is just right, there can be massive flights that go over hundreds of miles at the same time, it's pretty insane when that happens.


Edited by noebl1, May 28 2020 - 5:58 AM.

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#1670 Offline Fitzysgto - Posted May 30 2020 - 5:50 AM

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I've been very lucky finding queens in the last few days/nights. So far 7. going out at night has been very succesful.


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#1671 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 31 2020 - 10:44 AM

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When do Tetramorium fly in MA?



#1672 Offline noebl1 - Posted June 3 2020 - 6:23 AM

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When do Tetramorium fly in MA?

 

I find they start on average around July 4th weekend in MA plus or minus a few days. They are early AM fliers, believed to start around sunrise.  They are usually caught in huge numbers in pools, and can be found wandering around, under things, etc for hours after they fly.

 

 

Also keep an eye out for Camponotus today and tomorrow. We had rain go thru parts of MA last night, and supposed to be hot and humid into the 80Fs today and tomorrow.  It's a bit soon to predict, however this season reminds me a bit of the last 2 seasons where instead of one gigantic Camponotus flights and a bunch of little ones tapering towards the end of June, we had tons of little ones all the way into July.  I'm curious to see how this season plays out.

 

So I collected a total of 7 C. pennsylvanicus queens on the last flight here, 4 of them died.  2 of those burst from phorid fly larvae.  I suspect with such high mortality, could be why they have so many alates.  


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#1673 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted June 3 2020 - 2:05 PM

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When do Tetramorium fly in MA?

 

I find they start on average around July 4th weekend in MA plus or minus a few days. They are early AM fliers, believed to start around sunrise.  They are usually caught in huge numbers in pools, and can be found wandering around, under things, etc for hours after they fly.

 

 

Also keep an eye out for Camponotus today and tomorrow. We had rain go thru parts of MA last night, and supposed to be hot and humid into the 80Fs today and tomorrow.  It's a bit soon to predict, however this season reminds me a bit of the last 2 seasons where instead of one gigantic Camponotus flights and a bunch of little ones tapering towards the end of June, we had tons of little ones all the way into July.  I'm curious to see how this season plays out.

 

So I collected a total of 7 C. pennsylvanicus queens on the last flight here, 4 of them died.  2 of those burst from phorid fly larvae.  I suspect with such high mortality, could be why they have so many alates.  

 

Wow thx! I really hope I get a Tetramorium queen that's mated. What time are they usually mated by?

Also, I heard that they usually fly from 5-6.

Its really nice that there are ant-keepers from the same area! :D



#1674 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 3 2020 - 3:19 PM

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They’re pretty hard to miss if you look on the right days. You just need to get out early. They should start flying in VA in two weeks or so.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#1675 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted June 3 2020 - 3:54 PM

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They’re pretty hard to miss if you look on the right days. You just need to get out early. They should start flying in VA in two weeks or so.

Isn't this thread for MA? 

Not VA...



#1676 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 4 2020 - 10:41 AM

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They’re pretty hard to miss if you look on the right days. You just need to get out early. They should start flying in VA in two weeks or so.

Isn't this thread for MA? 

Not VA...

 

No worries, it’s just a friendly observation  :yes:



#1677 Offline noebl1 - Posted June 4 2020 - 10:47 AM

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They’re pretty hard to miss if you look on the right days. You just need to get out early. They should start flying in VA in two weeks or so.

Isn't this thread for MA? 

Not VA...

 

 

The MA thread just may be more active, and we have overlapping species for sure :) 



#1678 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted June 4 2020 - 10:51 AM

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They’re pretty hard to miss if you look on the right days. You just need to get out early. They should start flying in VA in two weeks or so.

Isn't this thread for MA? 

Not VA...

 

 

The MA thread just may be more active, and we have overlapping species for sure :)

 

OK



#1679 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 4 2020 - 11:00 AM

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I like posting here for a few reasons:
1) we have similar species
2) it is far more active than the VA thread
3) more members on here are closer to my age
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#1680 Offline noebl1 - Posted June 4 2020 - 11:05 AM

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Camponotus seem to be flying in MA today, I just grabbed a C. pennsylvanicus alate, getting reports of others finding them as well as C. nearcticus on the North Shore


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