So a few hours ago I went to my neighborhood park just to see what I could find, and I found so many ants!!! So first there were the Pheidole crassicornis and other Pheidole species. There were quite a few of those. I then saw a single Aphaenogaster species, still yet to be identified. I then saw the biggest colony of Monomorium minimum I have ever seen! It was an absolutely massive colony! Alongside them were some Prenolepis imparis, and a foraging Crematogaster lineolata. A log I looked under harbored a Hypoponera sp. worker and some more Prenolepis imparis And I thought that Prenolepis imparis didn't live in my area, and yet here they are everywhere! I found several nests from them. Continuing my search, I flipped over a rock and was greeted with a colony of Camponotus castaneus, with the queen right there! There were around 20 or so workers, one of which was a major! I collected them and moved on to another rock. I was greeted with a large colony of either Brachymyrmex depilis or some kind of tiny, and I mean tiny Lasius. I flipped over another rock and was greeted by a colony of Crematogaster lineolata, with alates and the queen visible! I needed to have a colony of these after loosing my beloved Crematogaster ashmeadi queen, Fortuna. I had to put them in my aspirator with my Camponotus castaneus colony because I had nowhere else to put them. Another rock harbored a large Camponotus castaneus colony, but I didn't see the queen, probably for the best. And yet another rock harbored a massive Crematogaster lineolata colony. On the walk back I saw a Dorymyrmex bureni colony and several Pheidole colonies. I am back home and I have two new, awesome ant colonies, and they are safe, thank goodness. And the lesson from this trip, bring more than one aspirator with you on anting trips! It could cost you! I am happy with my two new ant colonies and i hope they live through hibernation.
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