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[Spamdy]

Texas Anting Thread

The purpose of this thread is just to document Nupital flights, findings, weather, etc and inform others nearby you. Feel free to post anything informative about your sightings and we will be glad to hear about it.

-Happy Anting and good luck!

 

[Spamdy]

http://imgur.com/gal...ment/1040022901 So I'll start off, this is my Pseudomyrmex gracilis on 5/19/17 on a Tennis Court at 6:32 pm. She had a twitch on one of her legs but it's gone now. I stuck a crushed water beetle for her to eat, she has not laid any eggs.

Edited by Spamdy, May 24 2017 - 5:04 PM.

[Ants Galore]

Wow! Nice! I have caught a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus

[UberDuber]

Hey are there any DFW-based ant keepers that would want to keep in touch to share nuptial flight sightings? I was thinking of starting a GroupMe chat if there's any interest.

 

I'm new to ant keeping and I've started keeping an eye on mounds nearby my house but I'm worried on my own I may miss the flights. I'm specifically going for Red Harvester Ants, but we'll see how the summer goes.

[Spamdy]

I don't know or see any DFW based members in Formiculture, I'm allin on making/ a dixcord chat or Group me chat, but i find no point if we can do it here, red harvester ants are having their nupital flights now.

[Ants_Texas]

Hey are there any DFW-based ant keepers that would want to keep in touch to share nuptial flight sightings? I was thinking of starting a GroupMe chat if there's any interest.

 

I'm new to ant keeping and I've started keeping an eye on mounds nearby my house but I'm worried on my own I may miss the flights. I'm specifically going for Red Harvester Ants, but we'll see how the summer goes.

You won't miss out on invicta flights! I've seen them flying year round, even in winter.

[cpman]

I haven't been on this forum at all recently because I stopped keeping ants when I went to college in another state...

 

Anyway, I've been back for break, and I've seen an unknown Tetramorium (my guess is T. bicarinatum -- it's introduced. I think it came in with some mulch that got put in at my house.), Crematogaster laeviuscula, Pseudomyrmex gracilis, Solenopsis invicta, and S. geminata flying recently (in the past couple weeks). I also found a Camponotus male in my house tonight -- I have no idea as to the species.

 

Lots of the Pheidole around here have alates in their nests.

 

Thought you guys might want to know.

Edited by cpman, June 22 2017 - 9:26 PM.

[Spamdy]

Welcome back! Austin is much better for ant than in Houston, I rarely even see Tetramorium, we are fire ant infested. Do you have any pictures?

[cpman]

I do have some pictures over on bugguide. This is actually the first time I've seen Tetramorium at my house -- it seems like they've completely taken over a good part of my front yard. My guess is that they came in some mulch. They're unfortunately not one of our natives -- their antennae have 12 segments. They aren't T. caespitum -- they have the wrong coloration and sculpturing on the head.

 

I usually see a lot of fire ants too -- I'm just lucky that my neighborhood hasn't suffered too badly from them, so there are still a lot of non fire ants. It depends a lot on how disturbed your area has been. Some areas under a mile from me have been overrun by fire ants, others not so much. I've found that even in super-heavy fire ant areas, there are still usually patches of natives. Mostly in less disturbed areas. A few ants also persist even in areas with lots of fire ants -- I've seen both Crematogaster laeviuscula and Pseudomyrmex gracilis in such places.

 

One thing I've noticed is that I've seen a lot less Leptogenys elongata this year. Maybe its because I wasn't here for spring, when they seem to be most active, but even in the summer I usually find a colony or two.

Edited by cpman, June 22 2017 - 9:25 PM.

[Spamdy]

Yeah,I also seen to see Pseudomyrmex gracilis and Crematogaster near Solenopisis Invicta, thought this year Crematogaster has dwindled down a bit. The neighborhood I live in for 10 miles around has almost none of any other species except S.Invicta due to my neighborhood being new.

[cpman]

That would explain it. My neighborhood is older (I think early-mid 90's), but we are getting a new wave of development. With it, I've seen a lot more RIFA than before.

Ironically, I've noticed that the areas that apply a ton of ant poison to kill fire ants have pretty much only have fire ants. My guess is that it's because fire ants produce so many alates that make colonies so fast.

[Superant33]

Spamdy, thanks for the info on the Pogonomyrmex! A good heads up. They will probably fly in San Antonio following the next rain.

[Ants_Texas]

That would explain it. My neighborhood is older (I think early-mid 90's), but we are getting a new wave of development. With it, I've seen a lot more RIFA than before.

Ironically, I've noticed that the areas that apply a ton of ant poison to kill fire ants have pretty much only have fire ants. My guess is that it's because fire ants produce so many alates that make colonies so fast.

My house was finished being built in 1996, 8 years before I was born. The area was a plain with no houses (I live in Katy). Even when I was small, I remember swimming in the pool and only seeing RIFA alates. I've had some luck recently, and found some Pheidole. 

[cpman]

Just a heads up -- lots of stuff had been flying in Austin these past few days (since it started raining at night). Just at my house, I've found queens of 3 different Pheidole, S. invicta (obviously), Crematogaster laeviuscula, and a little ponerine (looks like Hypoponera opacior) in the past two days.

I'm not keeping any because I don't go to school in TX, but that's beside the point.

Edited by cpman, June 27 2017 - 2:37 PM.

[Spamdy]

Lucky! Honestly I would have kept them, not to raise them but to sell them. Sometimes for me, it seems like I queens of a species before a much more common worker. Is there any reason why? Btw I am cluless about the situation since I am on vacation. I do know that some Lasius is flying.

[Ants Galore]

Hey guys!!!! I'm also located in Texas! I just caught a Harvester Queen on the Cinco Ranch Golf Course. I wouldn't recommend going there if you are looking for any species besides Solenopsis Invicta. Bear Creek is one of the best places to look though! Just remember to get as far away from George Bush Park as possible. George Bush Park is flooded with Solenopsis.

[Spamdy]

-_- Really. Golf courses have mowed grass, George Bush park is many times better than golf courses.

[Ants_Texas]

-_- Really. Golf courses have mowed grass, George Bush park is many times better than golf courses.

Queens have logic beyond humans, Spamdy.

[Ants_Texas]

I caught five strange queens with translucent yellow gasters, and their thorax/head is a dark red that almost looks like the color of Pogonomyrmex barbatus. I also caught 13 Pheidole sp., and about 10 unidentified harvester ant queens. Ants Galore, it's the species you have. No sightings of Crematogaster in Katy so far. 

Edited by Ants_Texas, June 29 2017 - 11:28 AM.

[cpman]

I caught five strange queens with translucent yellow gasters, and their thorax/head is a dark red that almost looks like the color of Pogonomyrmex barbatus. I also caught 13 Pheidole sp., and about 10 unidentified harvester ant queens. Ants Galore, it's the species you have. No sightings of Crematogaster in Katy so far. If anybody wants a free Pheidole queen, I'd be willing to give out alot. My pool light usually attracts about 40 a night.

You should post some photos in an ID bread of your strange queens. Do you have anything to go on other than coloration? How big are they? Do they have a postpetiole?