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Dspdrew's Camponotus us-ca02 Journal [055] (Updated 11-12-2023)

camponotus us-ca02 dspdrew santa ana mountains carpenter ants

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#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 6 2019 - 11:22 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA
4-6-2019

1. Location (on a map) of collection:  San Juan Loop Trail, Cleveland National Forest, California
2. Date of collection:  4-1-2019
3. Habitat of collection:  Chaparral
4. Length (from head to gaster): 18 mm (queen)
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Queen: Black head and thorax, dark orange gaster, some with slightly striped black and orange gasters
6. Distinguishing characteristics:  Fairly matte
7. Distinguishing behavior:
8. Nest description:
9. Nuptial flight time and date:  8:30 PM 4-1-2019

Original ID Thread: http://www.formicult...st-ca-7-8-2013/
 
I collected these queens at the San Juan Loop Trail parking lot across the road from the candy store on Ortega Highway, in the Santa Ana Mountains. They started flying just after dark, at about 8:30 PM on 4-1-2019, and in large numbers. Unlike what I have found the last two years, these are not just the rejects that got flushed from the nest months after their flight time during a major heatwave, and should be perfectly fertile.
 
I put them all in test tube setups, and by the next day they had ripped up the cotton plugs so badly that some almost made it all the way through. These are definitely the strongest ants I've ever kept. Most had actually calmed down already and even laid some eggs. I waited one more day and then pulled all the cotton shreds out and replaced all the cotton plugs. I'm pretty sure they'll leave the new ones alone now that they have laid eggs chilled out.
 
gallery_2_64_299329.jpg
 
gallery_2_64_902178.jpg
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#2 Offline Rstheant - Posted April 6 2019 - 11:36 AM

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Wow, that was quick! Thanks for making this, for I am also getting these queens shipped and I thought it would be interesting to share experiences. This is a first for the forum, and I’ll keep up with this journal!

(y)
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#3 Offline B_rad0806 - Posted April 6 2019 - 1:11 PM

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Nice! Can't wait for workers


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#4 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted April 6 2019 - 5:18 PM

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Yes! Now, I expect these to grow to maturity! (Don't dehydrate them lol.)
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#5 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 7 2019 - 10:37 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Update 4-7-2019

So far the queens are still calm and not bothering the new cotton plugs. Almost all of them have laid eggs by now, and some even have as many as eight.


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#6 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 7 2019 - 11:01 AM

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What a stunning ant! I still can’t believe this isn’t an April fool, but it seems legit. Lol.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#7 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 7 2019 - 11:15 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

What a stunning ant! I still can’t believe this isn’t an April fool, but it seems legit. Lol.

 

Yeah I know, someone's probably screwing with me. :lol:



#8 Offline Rstheant - Posted April 7 2019 - 2:54 PM

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:lol: The moment you realize.....

#9 Offline anttics - Posted April 7 2019 - 10:10 PM

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Pictures drew. 1 of my queens has eggs. But i took a 2 sec peek. Maybe you are like me, and do not want to take pics of then at this stage. Lolol. No pressure on the pics

#10 Offline Leo - Posted April 8 2019 - 5:00 AM

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What a stunning ant! I still can’t believe this isn’t an April fool, but it seems legit. Lol.

 

Yeah I know, someone's probably screwing with me. :lol:

 

Still think they look like dinomyrmex gigas



#11 Offline EthanNgo678 - Posted April 8 2019 - 5:56 AM

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What a stunning ant! I still can’t believe this isn’t an April fool, but it seems legit. Lol.

 

Yeah I know, someone's probably screwing with me. :lol:

 

Still think they look like dinomyrmex gigas

 

My theory is someone took Dinomyrmex gigas to America.

 

Edit: Then they evolved to the environment.


Edited by EthanNgo678, April 8 2019 - 5:57 AM.

Plants r cool


#12 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted April 8 2019 - 7:13 AM

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They aren't anywhere close to D. gigas in size. They are only about the size of a Camponotus quercicola queen, which are big, but not D. gigas size.

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#13 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 9 2019 - 11:42 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

They are about 1 to 2 mm larger on average than all the other largest Camponotus around here.



#14 Offline anttics - Posted April 11 2019 - 9:08 PM

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https://images.app.g...e6bb8AsWD97jci6

They have the same colors. But i think d. Gigas are around 40mm twice the lenght of these queens. These queens are around 20mm. If they fill up on mectar aroind 21mm

Edited by anttics, April 11 2019 - 9:14 PM.


#15 Offline Manitobant - Posted April 13 2019 - 2:01 PM

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If this is US-ca02 then what is us-ca01?
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#16 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 13 2019 - 4:56 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

If this is US-ca02 then what is us-ca01?

 

https://www.antweb.o...us&rank=species



#17 Offline nurbs - Posted April 13 2019 - 5:09 PM

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If this is US-ca02 then what is us-ca01?

 

https://www.antweb.o...us&rank=species

 

 

This is as shiny as those black "anthrax" we found. Same location, size fits. 


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Unidentified Myrmecocystus

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Camponotus or Colobopsis yogi:

https://www.formicul...a-ca-1-28-2018/

 
Camponotus us-ca02
https://www.formicul...onotus-us-ca02/

 

Unidentified Formica

https://www.formicul...l-ca-6-27-2020/

 
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#18 Offline Mdrogun - Posted April 13 2019 - 9:18 PM

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What a stunning ant! I still can’t believe this isn’t an April fool, but it seems legit. Lol.

 

Yeah I know, someone's probably screwing with me. :lol:

 

Still think they look like dinomyrmex gigas

 

My theory is someone took Dinomyrmex gigas to America.

 

Edit: Then they evolved to the environment.

 

I'm sorry, but this just isn't possible.


Currently Keeping:
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

Pheidole pilifera

Forelius sp. (Monogynous, bicolored) "Midwestern Forelius"
Crematogaster cerasi

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Camponotus chromaiodes

Formica sp. (microgena species)

Nylanderia cf. arenivega


#19 Offline KBant - Posted April 16 2019 - 6:34 PM

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All my queens have between 5-8 eggs

#20 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 17 2019 - 12:53 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

All my queens have between 5-8 eggs

 

All of mine have about 10-15 eggs.







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