36 replies to this topic

[NickAnter]

I found plenty of cool ants in Central California, near Merced. Like Camponotus sayi, Camponotus vicinus, and Formica francoueri. that's not that far from the bay area.

[ZTYguy]

My favorite place to hunt is mnt baldy. You find almost everything there.

[antsandmore]

man this Colobopsis yogi is so interesting. if the care isn't advanced, I would definitely get some myself...

[nurbs]

I have a thriving colony of them. Probably the only antkeeper here in CA that has one. They grow slow.

 

It was the one and only queen I've ever found in tens years of doing this crazy hobby. Would say they are rare. The only paper on them from Snelling suggests they fly in October, but I found my queen in late January. Queens look near identical to C. clarithorax (it's even more frustrating because they are both found in similar environments) except for their face, which looks like someone punched it flat on the nose and poured acid all over it.

 

 

 

 

[M_Ants]

So jelly of these. Are those recent photos of them?

Edited by M_Ants, December 22 2020 - 6:16 PM.

[ANTdrew]

“Punched it flat on the nose and poured acid all over it.”
ROFLOL That just made my night!

[Aaron567]

I find it weird that Mackay & Mackay assigned this species to Colobopsis. It lacks some basic features that traditionally define Colobopsis such as the antennal insertions being placed at the midway point of the frontal carinae; yogi's insertions are at the bottom like Camponotus. Strangely enough they also have cocooned pupae. In the same revision it is also apparent that they described a few new Colobopsis from the southwestern US, but there are no pictures of these species publicly available and I wonder if they resemble C. yogi. Unfortunately all these mysteries are locked in a $60 book that you have to buy.

[TennesseeAnts]

I find it weird that Mackay & Mackay assigned this species to Colobopsis. It lacks some basic features that traditionally define Colobopsis such as the antennal insertions being placed at the midway point of the frontal carinae; yogi's insertions are at the bottom like Camponotus. Strangely enough they also have cocooned pupae. In the same revision it is also apparent that they described a few new Colobopsis from the southwestern US, but there are no pictures of these species publicly available and I wonder if they resemble C. yogi. Unfortunately all these mysteries are locked in a $60 book that you have to buy.

Yeah the cocooned pupae threw me off.

[gcsnelling]

I would not put too much stock in the Mackay book, they have been known to be a little sloppy in their work. Like describing new species that aren't really new species. That is not to say that the work is not useful because it is, but just should be taken with a somewhat careful outlook.

[wardkad2]

Wheeler himself actually spent a significant portion of his type description of C. yogi comparing the species to Colobopsis, and argued that they must be closely related due to the many similarities he noted.

Later myrmecologists criticized him for it heavily, but seems he’s had the last laugh in the end.

Edited by wardkad2, December 23 2020 - 6:33 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Wheeler himself actually spent a significant portion of his type description of C. yogi comparing the species to Colobopsis, and argued that they must be closely related due to the many similarities he noted.

Later myrmecologists criticized him for it heavily, but seems he’s had the last laugh in the end.

I would not say last laugh, brief chuckle perhaps. Due to the ever changing taxonomic understanding, these relationships are likely to change again and again and again. As I mentioned before I would take the Mackay work with a grain of salt.

Edited by gcsnelling, December 24 2020 - 4:43 AM.

[gcsnelling]

Wheeler himself actually spent a significant portion of his type description of C. yogi comparing the species to Colobopsis, and argued that they must be closely related due to the many similarities he noted.

Later myrmecologists criticized him for it heavily, but seems he’s had the last laugh in the end.

Later examination of type material was able to show that a number of features used to associate C.yogi with Colobopsis were a result of "sloppy" technique on Wheelers part.

[M_Ants]

Recently caught a yogi. 

[M_Ants]

[PetsNotPests]

 

No way, that's awesome! U gonna make a journal???

[M_Ants]

 

 

No way, that's awesome! U gonna make a journal???

 

Probably not. She's probably infertile. If she gets a larvae I'll start one for sure. 

[PetsNotPests]

 

 

 

No way, that's awesome! U gonna make a journal???

 

Probably not. She's probably infertile. If she gets a larvae I'll start one for sure. 

 

Aww, bummer. Still cool nonetheless.