This doesn't really belong in my journal, feels like while its the same species and colony, to me it kinda deserves its own thread. I'd rather keep questions that I personally have( I don't mind if others ask questions on my journal) outside the journal.
So, I thought maybe it was because we were having warmer days. But subverted said it feels like its a little bit colder than usual. And to be honest, I don't remember the temperature of each season every year, they all get jumbled up in my memory.
The thing I've observed is that the Pheidole megacephala are acting like they do in early Spring. It isn't even close to Spring. They are continually expanding (slowly, it isn't like their Summer expansions) and actually having full on conflict with the Argentine ants. This is actually interesting, because as I pointed out in my journal. The Argentine ants are not putting up a defense, an offensive or much of anything. If an Argentine ant worker encounters a Pheidole, they'll fight each other in a ball of death. Otherwise, the Argentine ants seem like they are letting the Pheidole colonize their area and letting the Pheidole keep building up numbers and nests.
I have never seen this with Pheidole around here in the Winter. They've been here 4 years (this is the 5th year, which I first encountered them in the Summer). Maybe they haven't been here long enough. But it isn't one area they are expanding, they are actually producing queens (seen winged alates) and expanding to new areas.
Now keep in mind, I do know Pheidole megacephala can reproduce and spread year round, however I have not seen the local species here do that in the winter. And they tend to do that in warmer tropical climates. So unless this Winter is actually warmer than usual, and sub is remembering wrong, I have no idea why such a sudden change in how they are behaving at this time of year. Not even the argentine ants are expanding and going out causing full on wars like the Pheidole are right now. In fact, the argentine ants seem to be fighting each other in some areas and not really doing much of anything (which is what I see them do every Winter locally here).
Anyone with better knowledge on Pheidole megacephala have any information on this? Cause what I see is they are being vastly more aggressive than the Argentine ants are, which to me, is a first at this time of year.
