Visiting family in central Florida for a bit. I was desperate to find some P. barbatus back home but just couldn't find any queens despite have a spot with a dozen Colonies spread over a couple of acres. It was weird and frustrating. I only have Camponotus decipiens in captivity so far. As soon as I get to my sister's house I realize my sister and brother in law have a lot of variety of ants in their yard, lol. So I've been hunting a bit every day.
In their yard I see all these ants foraging plus one or two I couldn't identify.
Camponotus socius - OMG I want these. So different looking and huge! They are the rarest to see though. Probably only one mature colony nearby. I tried looking in some logs in the nearby pine forest but all I could find were C. floridanus colonies with hundreds of workers.
Camponotus floridanus- man, these are a lot more aggressive then my Camponotus back home. The colonies are huge and the soldiers are huge! I wouldn't mind finding a new queen of these guys, even if they superficially look very similar to my Camponotus back home. I bet these guys are more voracious and productive. There is a giant colony of probably over a 1,000 workers in the back yard at the edge of a pine forest. Saw dozen of alates in one log. I am sure they already flew last month but maybe I'll get lucky and they will fly again this week.
Odontomachus brunneus - wow, what strange little ants. I've been told new queens and new colonies are easily found under rocks and logs. Unfortunately it seems the local invasive ant, Pheidole megacephala (big headed ant) has many of these locations on lock down.
Pheidole megacephala - at least they are not invasive fire ants? I think I found a queen for these guys when I was digging founding chambers up. Wasn't looking for one and not sure I want one. Funny little guys, lots of small colonies EVERYWHERE. I keep mistaking new holes they have dug for founding chambers, such a noob move I know. I'll try post a picture of the queen in the ID forum at some point to confirm identity
Pogonomyrmex badius - wow, after reading about these guys and seeing them out here foraging I think I like these more than their cousins, P. barbatus. The polymorphism is incredible. I was put off at first because I thought they were just smaller version of P. barbatus but then one of those majors with a giant head came marching out of a nest I was looking at. I was impressed. Better yet they are flying and I found 5 new queens in new claustral chambers. The first day I found 4 right in a row within 20 feet of each other. I can't spot any more claustral chambers for the life of me now though. I was looking in a new spot that a few established colonies and stumbled upon the fifth one digging her chamber. I would have thought 5 was plenty but after reading everything I can on them they can be a challenge to raise it seems. I have them in sandy soil containers that the internet says they have the best luck starting their founding colony in. They do poorly in test tubes it seems, at least for many people. I hope I get a good healthy colony going. I will make the grandest classic sand formicarium for them if they give me a chance.
Anyways. That has been my adventure so far. Wish me luck!
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