Yes these fly very late in the year for Camponotus. C. fragilis are strictly nocturnal, and I think it's the same for C. festinatus and probably that whole subgenus.
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Dspdrew's Camponotus fragilis Journal [200] (Discontinued 12-13-2021)
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dspdrew
, Sep 7 2014 4:21 PM
dspdrew journal camponotus fragilis carpenter ant
114 replies to this topic
#21
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Posted June 14 2015 - 2:08 PM
#22
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Posted July 11 2015 - 1:02 AM
Update 7-11-2015
I found another one of these queens on 7-7-2015, in the desert town of Goffs, California, where a big storm dropped over an inch of rain two days before. I was busy digging up a honeypot ant founding chamber while this queen just came wandering by.
#23
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Posted July 18 2015 - 5:55 PM
Update 7-11-2015
The original colony hasn't gone up too much in workers since the last update, but they do have plenty brood. Right now they are up to 85 workers, with six majors. It's interesting how the majors have dark colored heads, unlike the minors.
The newly caught queen is still alive and has developing brood.
#24
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Posted July 18 2015 - 8:48 PM
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Great photos! I'd love to know what kind of microscope you're using to get those great photos!
Edited by BugFinder, July 18 2015 - 11:44 PM.
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#26
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Posted July 18 2015 - 11:43 PM
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Wow. great job!
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#27
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Posted July 18 2015 - 11:57 PM
Thanks. It does a pretty good job for an old point-n-shoot.
#28
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Posted July 19 2015 - 12:33 PM
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So you didn't use a telescope? I wonder what happens if you try to take a photo of ants using a telescope, maybe get Hubble to point at your ants? haha
#29
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Posted July 23 2015 - 10:14 AM
Yeah, a telescope would only be good for when I want to get pictures of the colony from across the room; I don't do that very often.
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#30
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Posted July 24 2015 - 10:08 AM
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Yeah, a telescope would only be good for when I want to get pictures of the colony from across the room; I don't do that very often.
rofl
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#31
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Posted August 12 2015 - 6:44 AM
Update 8-12-2015
The big colony is growing fast. They are now up to about 110 workers, including seven majors. This is definitely the most successful Camponotus colony I've ever had.
The new queen is still alive and well, and should be getting workers any day now.
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#32
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Posted August 12 2015 - 7:32 AM
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http://www.container...::::Y&ps=60&p=0
Are they in this one?
What's the red stuff that they have been eating?
#33
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Posted August 12 2015 - 7:45 AM
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Do you remember if the one you got at Trabuco and Joshua Tree was after a rain event? I'm pretty excited, I had thought Camponotus were done flying.
Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta
#34
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Posted August 12 2015 - 11:10 AM
No. This one (http://www.container...ductId=10032168).
What's the red stuff that they have been eating?
Hummingbird nectar.
Do you remember if the one you got at Trabuco and Joshua Tree was after a rain event? I'm pretty excited, I had thought Camponotus were done flying.
The one in Joshua Tree was after heavy rain, as well as the one I got this year in Goffs. The one I found in Trabuco Canyon was just on a hot night. No recent rain.
#35
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Posted January 23 2016 - 9:35 PM
Update 1-23-2016
Unfortunately this colony has been losing workers faster than it's been gaining them for the last few months. Lately they haven't been producing much at all. I counted about 65 or so workers--almost half of what they had at the last update.
The new colony got up to around ten workers, and then I accidentally dehydrated them, killing all but one of the workers. Now it's just the queen and one worker. Hopefully they recover from this.
#36
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Posted January 23 2016 - 11:29 PM
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Hopefully just related to cooler weather. Mine did that one year and I thought they were doomed, but they bounced back in warmer weather and show no sign of hibernating this year.
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#37
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Posted February 2 2016 - 6:41 PM
Update 2-2-2016
I just noticed a fresh pile of eggs in the large colony, so that is a good sign. The small colony made up of just the queen and one worker, after most of the colony dehydrated, is doing pretty good. Today I just noticed that queen laid a new pile of eggs too. 
The queen and only remaining worker of the small colony both feeding on a cricket.
#38
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Posted February 2 2016 - 7:09 PM
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I wonder if they needed hibernating.
#39
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Posted February 2 2016 - 7:41 PM
They should not need hibernating because this species of Camponotus comes from the desert.
#40
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Posted February 2 2016 - 7:53 PM
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It is nteresting that they went a while without producing anything.
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