5 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

Seeing that DSPdrew has found Solenopsis amblychila a lot here in Orange County, and NOT Solenopsis aurea (which I did find down in San Diego)...both look very similar.

 

There are a few colonies up the road here, one or two big ones and two small colonies. They aren't S. xyloni, definitely a golden color to them. However, they might be Solenopsis aurea because I see no sign of any Solenopsis xyloni in the colony (and S. amblychila are supposed to be parasitic on Solenopsis xyloni colonies?)...in either case...both awesome and unique looking species.

 

Mostly, they'd be an unique species to take pictures of. And unlike the Pheidole megacephala colony I have (which I won't EVER sell, no thanks...not for any other reason but because they are so invasive and not found here very much (yet)...except in one neighborhood). I can probably sell the colony on here if I end up moving out of state one of these years. They'd obviously come with a larger colony (depending how long till I move and how long the queens live) and primitive substrate nests (works fine enough for me). Since I do plan to move out of California one day...I don't want to cross state lines with ants. And, releasing ants ends up them tending to die from Argentine ants or other ants in the area. Or just dying because it is a bad area.

 

In any case...I really hope to get a queen. They are very unique and awesome looking ants. I DID have a colony of Solenopsis aurea before in San Diego, and they were pretty easy to keep. Pretty much like keeping Solenopsis xyloni, except they were a bit easier as they didn't swarm out of their containers every time I opened the lid.

Edited by Vendayn, January 29 2015 - 11:00 PM.

[Vendayn]

As for how I'll get them. Since there are hordes of Argentine ants all around them and Solenopsis invicta too...I'm just gonna dig them up before they get picked off by Argentine ants or the S. invicta. Which, the Argentine ants already killed one large colony some time back within the past month or two.

Edited by Vendayn, January 29 2015 - 11:06 PM.

[dspdrew]

First of all I'm pretty sure the idea of them being parasitic I think was only a suggestion by Dr. Trager. If this is documented somewhere else someone please let me know.

 

If you really want some of these, you can catch quite a few of these queens in Trabuco Canyon most of the summer with a black light.

[Vendayn]

Ah, I see. In that case, they are probably what I thought then.

 

Yeah, I saw a lot of colonies down in Trabuco Canyon (well actually that canyon nearby (is it called the same?), not the one past the airstrip or whatever it is) when I went a second time down there.

 

Though, I'd rather get a colony near here. Mostly just because in the next couple months, there will just be Argentine ants and Solenopsis invicta where they are.

[kellakk]

Just let it play out. You never know, they might be good at fighting back against invaders.

[Vendayn]

I ended up getting Desert subterranean termites. Didn't see any secondary reproductives, but any nymphs and smaller workers can turn into them anyway after 6 or so months. And once it hits 12 months, I tend to see the first nymphs.