2467 replies to this topic

[YsTheAnt]

Haha yeah well I know your secret...

??????

[anttics]

How many queens did you catch NURBS?

[AntsCalifornia]

What do you have to do to get that many queens, assuming ur at the right place at the right time?

 

Also, how do you even carry that many jars around, a backpack?

Edited by AntsCalifornia, April 26 2018 - 3:42 PM.

[nurbs]

How many queens did you catch NURBS?

 

 

Haven't counted yet, will set it up tonight. Grabbed a lot of red Camponotus vicinus because the ones in that area are special - they are polygynous. The C. vicinus down here are not polygynous. They kill each other after a day or two together in the test tube.

 

Grabbed a ton of black C. vicinus, which will put up for sale, maybe $20 for four, $5 each. Spent $250 in gas just for that trip alone and need to make up for it, but was so worth it! 

 

Also found C. laevigatus and C. modocs, but don't think I was able to find any of those aberrant undescribed C. modoc. 

 

 

 

What do you have to do to get that many queens, assuming ur at the right place at the right time?

 

 

That's pretty much it. You have to go right when they fly, then it is crazy easy. There were so many that I didn't even grab a tenth of what I saw.

[LC3]

Aw no shiny C. modoc. If only you can breed ants like Pokemon. 

 

That being said what if you combined every single red C. vicinus together and create the most ambitious supercolony in the history of SoCal anting?

[nurbs]

Aw no shiny C. modoc. If only you can breed ants like Pokemon. 

 

That being said what if you combined every single red C. vicinus together and create the most ambitious supercolony in the history of SoCal anting?

 

Was so disappointed with not finding any of those shiny modocs!!!

 

Three seems to be the magic number with poly C. vicinus. Any more and they fight club each other off. I tried last year with up to 6, and it always went down to three queens by the time there were workers.

[nurbs]

Good chance I’ll head up north again in May to look for the undescribed modocs in the higher elevations. Somewhere in the Eastern Sierras.

[AntsCalifornia]

So I live in Rancho and I have a lot of what I think is P. californicus and V. pergandi around where I live. It is supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday it will be 70 degrees and Friday is going to be 80 degrees. Is this a good time to look for P. californicus? Also, if it is, should I go Thursday or Friday to look for them, and what time of day do they fly?

[Solenoqueen]

Hm... caught what seems to be two queens together and a nanitic. Both camponotus. I live in San Diego, anyone tell me what could it possibly be? All red, with black thoraxes. Also, I didn't catch any brood, but what are the odds of getting any eggs out of two queens residing together and a nanitic? No fights yet.

[nurbs]

Hm... caught what seems to be two queens together and a nanitic. Both camponotus. I live in San Diego, anyone tell me what could it possibly be? All red, with black thoraxes. Also, I didn't catch any brood, but what are the odds of getting any eggs out of two queens residing together and a nanitic? No fights yet.

 

You should put up a proper ID thread with images, this doesn't tell us much, if anything.

[Solenoqueen]

Alright. Give me a sec.

[StopSpazzing]

May rain in next few days. Then expected to be hot. Anyone see any possible flights?

[dspdrew]

May rain in next few days. Then expected to be hot. Anyone see any possible flights?

 

Yeah, if this holds true, it will be some pretty uncommon weather conditions, and definitely a good chance for some mating flights. I'm seeing a decent chance of rain for Wednesday, with a 25 degree jump in temperatures in just two days after. That does not happen often this time of the year.

 

Edit: Well, now it looks like the forecast temps have dropped a bit. It looks like it's not even going to be 70 degrees after dark in the low elevation canyons, so it might still be too cold for anything. This just isn't enough of a heatwave. I can't remember the last time we went this long without a real heatwave this time of the year.

Edited by dspdrew, April 30 2018 - 5:53 PM.

[dspdrew]

So I live in Rancho and I have a lot of what I think is P. californicus and V. pergandi around where I live. It is supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday it will be 70 degrees and Friday is going to be 80 degrees. Is this a good time to look for P. californicus? Also, if it is, should I go Thursday or Friday to look for them, and what time of day do they fly?

 

It's possible, but it might be a little early for P. californicus. Heatwaves seem to be the main trigger for their flights, at least that's true for the all-red coastal variety.

 

I think Liometopum occidentale should probably fly this weekend around here.

[AntsCalifornia]

 

So I live in Rancho and I have a lot of what I think is P. californicus and V. pergandi around where I live. It is supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday it will be 70 degrees and Friday is going to be 80 degrees. Is this a good time to look for P. californicus? Also, if it is, should I go Thursday or Friday to look for them, and what time of day do they fly?

 

It's possible, but it might be a little early for P. californicus. Heatwaves seem to be the main trigger for their flights, at least that's true for the all-red coastal variety.

 

I think Liometopum occidentale should probably fly this weekend around here.

 

If it makes any difference, most of the Pogonomyrmex around here have black gasters. One more thing, sorry for asking so many questions, but when you say Liometopum occidentale should fly, would it be enough to be worth it to go out 30min away? Would I be able to find more than 3-8 in 1 hr?

Edited by AntsCalifornia, April 30 2018 - 8:47 PM.

[dspdrew]

Where you are, if they have black gasters, I think they're probably mixed. I see them like that a lot in areas between where the two different varieties are found. Places like Phelan, closer to the foothills. I would still focus on heatwaves more than rain. There's even been reports of the black and red desert variety flying without rain.

 

Usually the first time Liometopum occidentale fly in the canyons around here, they fly by the thousands.

[AntsCalifornia]

Where you are, if they have black gasters, I think they're probably mixed. I see them like that a lot in areas between where the two different varieties are found. Places like Phelan, closer to the foothills. I would still focus on heatwaves more than rain. There's even been reports of the black and red desert variety flying without rain.

 

Usually the first time Liometopum occidentale fly in the canyons around here, they fly by the thousands.

Thanks. Nice to know that Liometopum occidentales will fly, they're one of my top 5 favorites.

[Enderz]

It looks as though Barstow, CA is getting pretty rainy, AntsCalifornia said it stated 0.8 inches. The predictions say 59F on Friday and 65F on Saturday at night. But on Thursday it would be 54, and I'm wondering if that would be enough for them to fly.

[dspdrew]

 

Where you are, if they have black gasters, I think they're probably mixed. I see them like that a lot in areas between where the two different varieties are found. Places like Phelan, closer to the foothills. I would still focus on heatwaves more than rain. There's even been reports of the black and red desert variety flying without rain.

 

Usually the first time Liometopum occidentale fly in the canyons around here, they fly by the thousands.

Thanks. Nice to know that Liometopum occidentales will fly, they're one of my top 5 favorites.

 

 

Might fly.

[SirAnticus]

So does anyone think they'll be any good flights anywhere in SoCal, I want to go anting sometime this weekend. Did victorville get some good rain?

Edited by SirAnticus, May 2 2018 - 3:51 PM.