9 replies to this topic

[TheMicroPlanet]

Ants typically have their nuptial flights after rainstorms (and other environmental ques) because it softens the soil, right? Well what if you sprayed a few colonies (of the same species) with water  (along with all the other conditions)? Could you fool them into thinking it's time for their nuptial flights? (I know this is a pretty dumb idea coming from an inexperienced antkeeper, but I had to ask anyway)

[ponerinecat]

Yes. You can. You just need to micromanage all the variables and hope you get lucky.

and waters not the only thing. temp, sun coverage, humidity, wind speed, all play in and the ants may just chooses not to fly for random reasons.

[TheMicroPlanet]

Oh I knew it wasn't just water  (which is why I said stuff like "and other environmental ques" and "long with all the other conditions"). Followup question: You can't really get alates to mate in captivity, right?

[ponerinecat]

Oh I knew it wasn't just water  (which is why I said stuff like "and other environmental ques" and "long with all the other conditions"). Followup question: You can't really get alates to mate in captivity, right?

You can, just really hard

[CampoKing]

I researched the heck out of this because it's been a goal of mine too.

In short, a mature colony will raise alates, which will overwinter with the colony. On the first warm day after a rainstorm (usually), alates will start their mating flights depending on species: some in the morning, some at sunset, some at night. At least in Camponotus, the males fly first at sunset, and the females are triggered to fly when they detect the male pheromones. There is speculation that ants are sensitive to barometric pressure, in addition to humidity. To be successful with an indoor mating flight, it might actually have to be rainy outside as well humid in their habitats. To say nothing of stable indoor day/night photoperiod to synchronize everything.

Last, the females need to smell the males, in the species where the men fly first.

But yeah, all that said, I don't know if I've heard of success in this. Researchers seem pretty convinced that the mating must occur in the air (for Camponotus), because it's part of mate fitness selection. I *think* if they can't fly freely, they just might not mate at all

Edited by CampoKing, December 20 2019 - 7:22 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I saw a guy breed Aphaenogaster rudis once in a video. Pseudomyrmex pallidus actually will have nuptial flights in captivity, and alates will mate with their nestmates and then return to the colony, increasing the number of queens in the already highly polygynous colony.

[zantezaint]

Can a species classified as non-interbreeding defy the classification? Has it ever happened? I always thought interbreeding or in human terms, incest, correlates to decision making rather than chemical triggers.

[CampoKing]

Simplest solution is a mosquito net gazebo in the backyard: open up the habitats on a warm week, let the alates swarm, collect the mated Queens. I might do it this way someday.

[TheMicroPlanet]

Can a species classified as non-interbreeding defy the classification? Has it ever happened? I always thought interbreeding or in human terms, incest, correlates to decision making rather than chemical triggers.

I believe species like Paratrechina longicornis can produce male alates genetically different from the queen alates, and then the two mate within the colony (this species is polygynous). So this isn't decision making as we humans do it; it's still chemical ques.

[ponerinecat]

Can a species classified as non-interbreeding defy the classification? Has it ever happened? I always thought interbreeding or in human terms, incest, correlates to decision making rather than chemical triggers.

No. Only certain species can interbreed. Animals are different. They have to rely on instinct, and if found mating with siblings, will cut off the mating process or avoid mating in the first place.