42 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

--

Edited by Vendayn, January 1 2021 - 10:58 PM.

[11.11.00]

In norcal suburbs - SO MANY LIZARDS, harder to find insects. 

Still plenty of formica even in suburban areas. 

Decline of tetramorium

Argentines and Prenolepis still going strong

I've seen an increased number of monomorium both ergoytyna and phaoroanis. 

Still finding liompetum veromessor Pogonomyrmex camponotus and crematogaster in isolated pockets. I've been finding them more often, maybe because I've been home more 

Edited by 11.11.00, August 31 2020 - 6:36 PM.

[TechAnt]

Playa Del Ray Beach and areas closeby - 

Small Camponotus colonies I usually see out foraging, seem to be non existant. 

Argentine Ants: Much less, last year and they years before that, they had huge worker trails everywhere. Now there are significantly less workers out and about. 

SO MANY LIZARDS, is also true for me. 

Seeing less birds then I usually do outside.

Less spiders hanging around, I am finding more and more empty webs.

Less of anything in the trees really.

Edited by TechAnt, August 31 2020 - 6:41 PM.

[NickAnter]

Last year the big Incisitermes flight where I am in HB was in late September-October.

 

I have seen very few Hypoponera this year, as it has overall been less humid than last year, and hence just not a very good anting year. I also havent been seeing many lizards. Not many songbirds, thanks to the hummingbirds and various raptors.

[Vendayn]

--

Edited by Vendayn, January 1 2021 - 10:58 PM.

[NickAnter]

 

Last year the big Incisitermes flight where I am in HB was in late September-October.

 

I have seen very few Hypoponera this year, as it has overall been less humid than last year, and hence just not a very good anting year. I also havent been seeing many lizards. Not many songbirds, thanks to the hummingbirds and various raptors.

Ah, maybe they'll be late locally. I hope to see Incisitermes this year, the past few years they had already started.

 

Though speaking of lizards. I also barely see any bluebellies, and the whiptails I haven't even seen a hint of this Summer.

 

Yeah, last time I was at school when it happened, it was so funny with people freaking out about them.

[11.11.00]

Oh I'm seeing a lot of spiders. Mostly steatoda nobilis (giant false widows), they are pushing out pretty much every native spider. Adults are strong enough to beat black widows and cellar spiders on 1v1 fights so they pretty much just eat everybody else. They breed like crazy so they are everywhere. 

[NickAnter]

Here brown widows and some native orbweavers dominate. We have pretty much no more black widows left.

[11.11.00]

Here brown widows and some native orbweavers dominate. We have pretty much no more black widows left.

We had brown widows start to push out the black widows until the false widows arrived. I'm surprised they haven't arrived in socal yet 

[ponerinecat]

Actually seeing a little boost in local diversity, although the dryness has caused some normally common species to withdraw.

[Vendayn]

--

Edited by Vendayn, January 1 2021 - 10:58 PM.

[Vendayn]

--

Edited by Vendayn, January 1 2021 - 10:58 PM.

[11.11.00]

Actually, I have seen a rather large increase in spiders.That's the only insect-like thing (yeah spiders aren't insects, hence insect-like) that has actually had a noticeable increase. This year been seeing a new spider species never saw before, and quite a lot of them. These spiders are really aggressive too and rather big. Keep meaning to take a picture of them so I can get an ID. They'll go up to Pheidole workers+soldiers and also Argentine ants, pick them up, dart off and drop them. The ants seem fine when they do this, but its a little weird. And the spiders keep doing it over and over, but the ant never dies or acts like it got bit or poisoned.

Steatoda nobiilis most likely, I've seen them attack widows and cellar spiders in their own web. Very big and aggressive guys. Cool pets too

[ANTdrew]

Did read this recently: https://www.google.c...?outputType=amp

I haven’t seen a decline in my area other than slightly less butterflies. I haven’t seen a Hemaris moth either this year, which is odd.

[TheMicroPlanet]

Have you tried looking around at night?

[NickAnter]

Lots of bees this year. I think we have a hive in our neighborhood somewhere. It was like a bee air highway our our house, getting banana pollen, clover pollen, and berry pollen, and some from our neighbors trees.

[ArmyAntz]

Same here, big decline of wildlife

[TheAntGuy]

I've not really seen a noticeable decline, there are definitely more spiders though. Its likely due to the weird complete lack of rain in socal that plagued us from like late april until mid august.

[Martialis]

Seems to be a common theme everywhere, unfortuantely.

[Ants_Dakota]

Basically a decline of all ants except tetramorium around here. We need to do something about that invasive species.