28 replies to this topic

[Manitobant]

As the weather gets colder and the 2019 anting season comes to a close, I wanted to make a thread detailing our biggest discoveries, catches, and overall highlights of this season. I will start:

This season has been my best season so far. I've caught over 200 queens of assorted species including many rare ones, such as polyergus mexicanus and dolichoderus pustulatus. The most exciting thing though was discovering exotic ants in the rainforest exhibit at our local zoo, which means I will have ants awake all winter. The ants in question are tapinoma melanocephalum and tetramorium bicarinatum.

[DDD101DDD]

Well, some people's Camponoutus have mysteriously died.

[NickAnter]

Tetramorium immigrans live in Huntingon Beach, and I have caught Lasius,Temnothorax, Leptothorax, Myrmica, Camponotus,  Solenopsis, and Formica, in the Eastern Sierras.  At home I have caught Solenopsis, Pheidole, Hypoponera, Cardiocondyla,Nylanderia, Pognomyrmex and Strumigenys.   I have also found an unknown Formica species in Huntington Beach.  Oh yeah, and Pheidole navigans tend root aphids.

Edited by NickAnter, September 30 2019 - 6:15 PM.

[DDD101DDD]

Also, caught my first queen ant this year. 

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I found Aphaenogaster tenesseensis in Pumpkin_Loves_Ants's backyard. I also caught a male Aphaenogaster in my yard today.

[TennesseeAnts]

I got Stigmatomma pallipes, Strumigenys louisianae, Crematogaster minutissima, Formica pallidefullva, Solenopsis invicta x rchrti, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis xyloni, Solenopsis molesta, Camponotus americanus, Camponotus nearcticus, Camponotus castaneus, Colobopsis impressa, obliqua and mississippiensis, Psuedomyrmex pallidus, Ponera exotica, Hypoponera opacior, Neivamyrmex nigrescens, carolinensis, opacithorax and Lasius neoniger.

[camponotuskeeper]

Caught my first queen ant and joined this forum

[Manitobant]

I got Stigmatomma pallipes, Strumigenys louisianae, Crematogaster minutissima, Formica pallidefullva, Solenopsis invicta x rchrti, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis xyloni, Solenopsis molesta, Camponotus americanus, Camponotus nearcticus, Camponotus castaneus, Colobopsis impressa, obliqua and mississippiensis, Psuedomyrmex pallidus, Ponera exotica, Hypoponera opacior, Neivamyrmex nigrescens, carolinensis, opacithorax and Lasius neoniger.

do you have pics or a journal on the neivamyrmex?

[TennesseeAnts]

I got Stigmatomma pallipes, Strumigenys louisianae, Crematogaster minutissima, Formica pallidefullva, Solenopsis invicta x rchrti, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis xyloni, Solenopsis molesta, Camponotus americanus, Camponotus nearcticus, Camponotus castaneus, Colobopsis impressa, obliqua and mississippiensis, Psuedomyrmex pallidus, Ponera exotica, Hypoponera opacior, Neivamyrmex nigrescens, carolinensis, opacithorax and Lasius neoniger.

do you have pics or a journal on the neivamyrmex?

They died.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I found Camponotus sexgutattus in the Florida Keys, Pheidole carrolli in Georgia, Strumigenys silvestrii in South Carolina, and Hypoponera punctatissima in North Carolina. I also found many colonies of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis and Strumigenys spp.

[Manitobant]

I got Stigmatomma pallipes, Strumigenys louisianae, Crematogaster minutissima, Formica pallidefullva, Solenopsis invicta x rchrti, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis xyloni, Solenopsis molesta, Camponotus americanus, Camponotus nearcticus, Camponotus castaneus, Colobopsis impressa, obliqua and mississippiensis, Psuedomyrmex pallidus, Ponera exotica, Hypoponera opacior, Neivamyrmex nigrescens, carolinensis, opacithorax and Lasius neoniger.

do you have pics or a journal on the neivamyrmex?

They died.

oh nooo. They are extremely hard to care for though, and need a setup with multiple nests as they're nomadic.

[Guy_Fieri]

First time getting past nanitics.

[ANTdrew]

Two highlights stand out for me:

1) Witnessing a Camponotus chromaiodes flight in my yard and catching four queens.

2) Witnessing a Crematogaster flight in my yard and seeing dozens of queens everywhere at the Washington Sailing Marina.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I got Stigmatomma pallipes, Strumigenys louisianae, Crematogaster minutissima, Formica pallidefullva, Solenopsis invicta x rchrti, Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis xyloni, Solenopsis molesta, Camponotus americanus, Camponotus nearcticus, Camponotus castaneus, Colobopsis impressa, obliqua and mississippiensis, Psuedomyrmex pallidus, Ponera exotica, Hypoponera opacior, Neivamyrmex nigrescens, carolinensis, opacithorax and Lasius neoniger.

I LOVE CASTANEUS!!!! Also, first time i got past 20 workers

[Wa.Va]

My myrmica rubra had a nuptial flight inside the outworld. This also means the colony is matured. And finally my Messor Barbarus is growing in size. I hope i will see the first mayor in a couple of months.

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

I got to witness a worker eclose from a pupae. I also got to watch my Lasius colony make use of the wet sand in their outworld. Some water from the nest seeped into the outworld and around 10 minutes later I found workers taking the wet sand and constructing a smaller entrance to their nest with it. It was so cool to watch!

[Canadant]

I got to see a queen drop her wings.

I did a massive 300 brood brood-boost on a crematogastor queen with success.

I found a claustral chamber with a camponotus novaeboracensis queen peering out at me. So cool.

I attempted a lasius subumbratus parasitic brood takeover. It failed but was awesome.

I have a formica sp. prepared for the long winter. She made it to her second set of workers so far.

I ordered and received two tetramorium queens and both colonies have been slowly growing. These guys look awesome.

I have super majors in my three year old camponotus colony.

Finally I anted everyday with my two precious daughters.

[Kaelwizard]

Witnessed a huge multi Lasius species flight. Parasitic and non parasitic. Caught a few queens but they were released and/or died.

[ANTdrew]

Hightlyze of the 2019 Season

[AntPhycho]

You see young grasshopper, Hightlyze was the highlight of the 2019 season