18 replies to this topic

[Antking117]

Hello All!

I have been here a while reading and watching, but I feel a proper Introduction is in order. I am James from Nebraska, USA. I love ants, but have failed at keeping my own, probably from operator error. Joining this community to get all the support I can get being that I can use all the help I can get! Anyways, I am glad to be here and glad to have so many informative experts at my fingertips to receive pointers along my journey!

Ant Species I want to keep

You may have expected a long list here, but not really. I love many ant species, but not many interest me here in Nebraska.

• Camponotus pennsylvanicus

I want this species because it is a night worker, is large, are polymorphic, and seems to be pretty hardy! I have attempted and failed many times to retrieve and make these ants thrive! So any assistance as to where to look, how to keep, and what to feed would be welcomed even though I have a good idea, and have done a lot of research more will not hurt! I wish I could have trap jaw or Solenopsis, but neither are found in my city.

Ant Species in my Area

• Aphaenogaster fulva
• Aphaenogaster rudis
• Aphaenogaster tennesseensis
• Aphaenogaster treatae
• Brachymyrmex depilis
• Camponotus americanus
• Camponotus caryae
• Camponotus chromaiodes
• Camponotus decipiens
• Camponotus discolor
• Camponotus nearcticus
• Camponotus novaeboracensis
• Camponotus pennsylvanicus
• Camponotus sayi
• Camponotus vicinus
• Crematogaster cerasi
• Crematogaster lineolata
• Crematogaster missouriensis
• Dorymyrmex flavus
• Dorymyrmex insanus
• Dorymyrmex pyramicus
• Dorymyrmex smithi
• Forelius pruinosus
• Formica argentea
• Formica bradleyi
• Formica comata
• Formica dakotensis
• Formica densiventris
• Formica dolosa
• Formica fossaceps
• Formica fusca
• Formica incerta
• Formica integra
• Formica integroides
• Formica lasioides
• Formica limata
• Formica montana
• Formica neoclara
• Formica neogagates
• Formica neorufibarbis
• Formica obscuripes
• Formica obtusopilosa
• Formica oreas
• Formica pallidefulva
• Formica pergandei
• Formica podzolica
• Formica puberula
• Formica ravida
• Formica rubicunda
• Formica subaenescens
• Formica subsericea
• Formica vinculans
• Hypoponera opacior
• Lasius alienus
• Lasius claviger
• Lasius flavus
• Lasius interjectus
• Lasius latipes
• Lasius murphyi
• Lasius nearcticus
• Lasius neoniger
• Lasius niger
• Lasius occidentalis
• Lasius umbratus
• Monomorium minimum
• Myrmecina americana
• Myrmica americana
• Myrmica brevispinosa
• Myrmica fracticornis
• Myrmica punctiventris
• Neivamyrmex kiowapache
• Neivamyrmex nigrescens
• Nylanderia arenivaga
• Nylanderia parvula
• Nylanderia terricola
• Pheidole bicarinata
• Pheidole inquilina
• Pheidole pilifera
• Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
• Polyergus bicolor
• Polyergus breviceps
• Polyergus montivagus
• Ponera pennsylvanica
• Prenolepis imparis
• Solenopsis molesta
• Stenamma brevicorne
• Stenamma diecki
• Tapinoma sessile
• Temnothorax ambiguus
• Temnothorax curvispinosus
• Temnothorax pergandei
• Temnothorax schaumii
• Temnothorax tricarinatus
• More or Less * THANKS CANADIAN ANTER*

Edited by antking117, March 23 2017 - 10:19 PM.

[Antking117]

I just saw an AC video watching about polymorphic ants, and there is a size larger than a major called super major, anyone know the sizes of a Camponotus pennsylvanicus worker, major, super major, and queen?

[Serafine]

 
A Camponotus pennsylvanicus queen is 15 - 18mm, workers are 6 - 14mm (there may be rare individuals that grow as large as the queen though).

Usually there aren't really hard borders between worker castes, they often just simply range from smallest to largest with all sizes in between.

 

Here's a nice example of this with Solenopsis invicta:

 

 

 

There are a few exceptions though, like Asian marauder ants which only have super tiny minors and colossal majors that even let the smaller minors ride on their bodies.

Edited by Serafine, February 19 2017 - 3:09 AM.

[Antking117]

Small amount of words, a lot of information! Thank you a bunch Serafine!

[LC3]

I would just like to point out that species within the former Pheidologeton are polymorphic and have an extremely wide array of worker sizes.

[Leo]

yep

[Antking117]

Where to find that species? Are all ants night dwellers, or just a select amount? I work over night, and would like to see ants that are active while I am awake and that is another reason I love the Camponotus pennsylvanicus.

[Antking117]

I am the least handy person at creating anything, where would you recommend I get a good Camponotus formicarium and outworld? I like the hybrids for AC, but the outworlds are iffy.. 

Edit : "... creating anything for ants,". to "creating anything."

Edited by antking117, February 19 2017 - 4:36 AM.

[Nathant2131]

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

[ctantkeeper]

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

Agreed, they are extremely common here in CT. Try looking for newly mated queens under the bark of rotten logs.

Edited by ctantkeeper, February 19 2017 - 8:04 AM.

[Nathant2131]

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

Agreed, they are extremely common here in CT. Try looking for newly mated queens under the bark of rotten logs.

They are so abundant here that i can definitely pick up my load for the year within a single flight. I can probably catch thousands if I really want to.

[Antking117]

Ouch, well I am just unlucky then! Takes me forever to find even 10 of them! Then again being in the middle of a large city, have to travel pretty far to find any sort of woods, being in a plains state of Nebraska.. Maybe I am just not looking in the right places...

[Antking117]

 

 

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

Agreed, they are extremely common here in CT. Try looking for newly mated queens under the bark of rotten logs.

They are so abundant here that i can definitely pick up my load for the year within a single flight. I can probably catch thousands if I really want to.

 

Tell me your secret, I will be going to a local forest and hopefully that will help. What would be the best time to get them during the day? I always search about 8 AM to 10 AM.

[Nathant2131]

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

Agreed, they are extremely common here in CT. Try looking for newly mated queens under the bark of rotten logs.

They are so abundant here that i can definitely pick up my load for the year within a single flight. I can probably catch thousands if I really want to.

Tell me your secret, I will be going to a local forest and hopefully that will help. What would be the best time to get them during the day? I always search about 8 AM to 10 AM.

They fly in evening and night, so that may have been your problem. For me, I don't really have a secret because of how big and abundant they are.

[Antking117]

 

 

 

 

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

Agreed, they are extremely common here in CT. Try looking for newly mated queens under the bark of rotten logs.

They are so abundant here that i can definitely pick up my load for the year within a single flight. I can probably catch thousands if I really want to.

Tell me your secret, I will be going to a local forest and hopefully that will help. What would be the best time to get them during the day? I always search about 8 AM to 10 AM.

They fly in evening and night, so that may have been your problem. For me, I don't really have a secret because of how big and abundant they are.

 

Do you maybe what time approx in evening? 

[Nathant2131]

Welcome! C. Pennsylvanicus is a species I'll be looking out for too. Won't be hard as they are so common.

Agreed, they are extremely common here in CT. Try looking for newly mated queens under the bark of rotten logs.

They are so abundant here that i can definitely pick up my load for the year within a single flight. I can probably catch thousands if I really want to.

Tell me your secret, I will be going to a local forest and hopefully that will help. What would be the best time to get them during the day? I always search about 8 AM to 10 AM.

They fly in evening and night, so that may have been your problem. For me, I don't really have a secret because of how big and abundant they are.

Do you maybe what time approx in evening?

A very wide time range. They can fly at 2:00 but they have really long flights here that last until near midnight. That being said, it is possible we have long flights because of the sheer abundance of them here, but I'm not sure if that drives how long they fly.

[Nathant2131]

I suggest giving the beginning of this ACAF topic a read. All of us New England anters have some good Camponotus data.


http://forum.antscan....php?f=27&t=900

[Antking117]

I suggest giving the beginning of this ACAF topic a read. All of us New England anters have some good Camponotus data.


http://forum.antscan....php?f=27&t=900

Thanks a ton!

[noebl1]

I found Camponotus flew almost entirely late afternoon into the night after dark (I went in around 10pm and they were still going) on warm-humid days (often 1-2 days after rain.)  Not sure I've ever seen any in the in the morning unless dealates looking for places to hide. For New England, expect the Camponotus Myrmentoma to start flying in mid-May, then by the end of May the larger ones start flying as well, in epic proportions for their major flights.  Last year from watching the AC forum posts, they flew from PA thru at least MA/NH on the same evening, so yes, pretty large flights  They had several flights last year I observed, but really only one huge one (@Nathant2131 is not exaggerating by catching a thousands of them...)

Edited by noebl1, February 22 2017 - 4:47 AM.