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Southern California Anting

Started By dspdrew , Mar 6 2015 5:57 PM

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#1921 Offline TechAnt - Posted August 17 2020 - 11:28 AM

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Assumed S. xyloni

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My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#1922 Offline Solenoqueen - Posted August 17 2020 - 12:04 PM

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Black Camponotus sp. I also found yesterday (well I think they are Camponotus)

These are definitely not Camponotus. 

Veromessor pergandei, I think. 


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#1923 Offline TechAnt - Posted August 17 2020 - 12:12 PM

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Black Camponotus sp. I also found yesterday (well I think they are Camponotus)


These are definitely not Camponotus. Veromessor pergandei, I think.
Thanks
My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#1924 Offline Antkid12 - Posted August 17 2020 - 1:19 PM

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The solenopsis xyloni don't look like solenopsis xyloni.


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

#1925 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 17 2020 - 1:56 PM

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Looks like Forelius.
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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#1926 Offline zantezaint - Posted August 17 2020 - 5:16 PM

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https://www.inatural...&taxon_id=47336


https://www.formicul...ale-california/

 

4 x Solenopsis xyloni (Fire ant) colonies.

2 x Veromessor andrei (Seed-harvester ant) colonies.

19 x Pogonomyrmex subnitidus (Seed-harvester ant) colonies + 3 x Pogonomyrmex (ID uncertain) colonies

16 x Linepithema humile (Argentine ant) colonies.

1 x Unknown Formicidae colony.

1 x Tapinoma sessile (Odorous house ant) colony.

1 x Camponotus fragilis (Carpenter/wood ant) colony + 1 x Camponotus sansabeanus (Carpenter/wood ant) colony.

1 x Solenopsis molesta (Thief ant) colony.

#1927 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted August 17 2020 - 7:22 PM

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Went down to the desert on Saturday night and stayed till Sunday afternoon. On Saturday night I met up with a few other people, we caught a lot of Myrmecocystus mexicanus. They had just flown so they were all wandering around, later in the night I saw some digging chambers. I also found a single Camponotus cf. semitestaceus and two Pheidole cf. gilvescens here In the morning, I went out to look again and found dozens of chambers, all full of Myrmecocystus mexicanus.

 
IMG 2692

 

 

They were all so close together, and this early in the morning they were all digging, so I just waited for them to come up and caught them. After about two hours I had so many that I stopped collecting.

 

I explored a bit more and found some Myrmecocystus wheeleri workers at a spot closer to the nearby mountains. I found some purple-back queens in the area as well, so I am hoping that I got some M. wheeleri. During this exploration I left my shovel in the ground and we drove off on accident, so the poor thing was unattended for 10 minutes before I realized and we came back. 

 

IMG 2693 (2)
 
We stayed here till about 10am and left. I had still not seen any Pogonomyrmex rugosus so we decided to check out a spot by Lancaster. The area was supposed have gotten 2 inches, but there weren't any puddles, and most of the area looked bone dry. I found a place with a patch of wet dirt and looked around for a bit, and managed to find around 17 P. rugosus queens digging chambers :).
 
IMG 2694 (1)
 
Some of the roads were pretty much washes... 
 
Overall it was a great trip, I got tons of honeypots which was great, I don't think I have ever seen this many Myrmecocystus mexicanus queens in one place before. What a great start to a late monsoon season!

 

 


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#1928 Offline TechAnt - Posted August 17 2020 - 7:54 PM

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I wish I could have stayed longer to look for places like that. Awesome catches though!
My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#1929 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 18 2020 - 2:53 AM

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I explored a bit more and found some Myrmecocystus wheeleri workers at a spot closer to the nearby mountains. I found some purple-back queens in the area as well, so I am hoping that I got some M. wheeleri.

 

I don't think those would be flying this time of the year. They fly really early.


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#1930 Offline dspdrew - Posted August 18 2020 - 3:00 AM

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Currently camping for first time with family at San Gorgonio Family Campground
43064 CA-38, Angelus Oaks, CA 92305
(877) 444-6777
https://maps.app.goo...W9emwXESDNMjZA9. Wasn't expect to find anything but brought 25 small containers. It hailed the day before and poured rain when we got here for about 30 minutes. I already caught ~8 Formica franceouri at night around 8pm and 16 Pogo subniticus? (Smaller and browner than Californicus) queens right when we got here at 3ish. Still more running around.

 

I wonder if you actually got F. moki. F. francoeuri fly in the spring. The Pogonomyrmex sounds like P. montanus. I don't think I have seen them in Angelus Oaks, but I find them a lot a little higher up in elevation. I was looking for them in Big Bear, but never found any. I usually see them fly around September, so I think they could have flown now. Are they more of a dark brick red?


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#1931 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted August 18 2020 - 6:30 AM

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I explored a bit more and found some Myrmecocystus wheeleri workers at a spot closer to the nearby mountains. I found some purple-back queens in the area as well, so I am hoping that I got some M. wheeleri.

 

I don't think those would be flying this time of the year. They fly really early.

 

 

Ah ok, must be one of the other purple-back species then.


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#1932 Offline Kalidas - Posted August 18 2020 - 10:18 AM

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So how was everyone's Anting trips? Super sad I couldn't go this time around

#1933 Offline TechAnt - Posted August 18 2020 - 10:41 AM

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I saw a bunch of M. mimicus, unidentified Mymercoystus sp. , Veromessor pergandei, and Pogomyrmex colonies. 


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My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#1934 Offline StopSpazzing - Posted August 18 2020 - 10:57 AM

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Currently camping for first time with family at San Gorgonio Family Campground
43064 CA-38, Angelus Oaks, CA 92305
(877) 444-6777
https://maps.app.goo...W9emwXESDNMjZA9. Wasn't expect to find anything but brought 25 small containers. It hailed the day before and poured rain when we got here for about 30 minutes. I already caught ~8 Formica franceouri at night around 8pm and 16 Pogonomyrmex subniticus? (Smaller and browner than Californicus) queens right when we got here at 3ish. Still more running around.


I wonder if you actually got F. moki. F. francoeuri fly in the spring. The Pogonomyrmex sounds like P. montanus. I don't think I have seen them in Angelus Oaks, but I find them a lot a little higher up in elevation. I was looking for them in Big Bear, but never found any. I usually see them fly around September, so I think they could have flown now. Are they more of a dark brick red?

I think you are right, looking closer at the Formica they don't look exactly like the Frank's I got last year. Some even have light brownish legs.

Yeah they are brick redish brown. I will take some pics. There are still plenty digging and foraging after 2pm.
> Ant Keeping Wiki is back up! Currently being migrated from old wiki. :)Looking to adopt out: Crematogaster sp. (Acrobat Ants) colonies

#1935 Offline TechAnt - Posted August 18 2020 - 1:56 PM

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Oh crap guys, you know how we got a bit of rain a while ago and got super hyped. Well the rain just got serious, very crazy indeed:

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My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#1936 Offline Arthroverts - Posted August 18 2020 - 2:12 PM

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I just saw...

I need to try some new spots.

 

Thanks,

 

Arthroverts


My blog devoted to invertebrates of all shapes and sizes

 

Invertebrate Club of Southern California

 

"And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so." Genesis 1:24

#1937 Offline YsTheAnt - Posted August 18 2020 - 2:44 PM

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As a general rule of thumb, ants will only fly once in a spot. If it rained in the summer in a location, and stuff flew, then chances are you won't find any summer fliers after rain. Maybe some smaller species but not honeypots or anything of the sort. Good luck!


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#1938 Offline StopSpazzing - Posted August 20 2020 - 6:47 PM

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As promised, here are the images and quantities.

25x Pogonomyrmex

13x Lasius sp

 

And wasn't expecting to find anything since went for camping with family. lol


Edited by StopSpazzing, August 20 2020 - 8:26 PM.

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> Ant Keeping Wiki is back up! Currently being migrated from old wiki. :)Looking to adopt out: Crematogaster sp. (Acrobat Ants) colonies

#1939 Offline NickAnter - Posted August 20 2020 - 8:15 PM

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That "Formica" is a Lasius sp. in the niger group.


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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#1940 Offline ghoguma - Posted August 21 2020 - 5:56 AM

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damn would have love to join the crews next time :)


Colony
Camponotus Querciocola 
Camponotus Modoc
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Novomessor cockerelli
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