9 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

I was up in Los Angeles today (Southern California) and found a colony of Wasmannia auropunctata. I found them nesting near a wall, but in the sand along it near the sidewalk.

 

In the colony, I got over 500 workers and a lot of winged females and a couple non-winged females (but one died). However, no males were present and a lot of the winged females took off their wings when I put them in my ant collecting container. They had small dirt piles/mounds along the sand. It looked like kind of a new colony (maybe a year or two).

 

All around the area were Argentine ants and irrigated areas (and there was an outdoor garden nearby too that had a bunch of exotic plants you could walk around and look at). The area didn't seem much like a Solenopsis molesta kind of place to nest as they tend to live in drier areas and not so much irrigated areas. So, I had a feeling they might have been a non-native ant. Turns out with my wife's help, I was right.

Edited by Vendayn, June 8 2015 - 8:04 PM.

[Vendayn]

Also to note, they sure have a powerful sting for such a tiny ant! But, it is cool they make chains out of their body if I pick up the workers.

Edited by Vendayn, June 8 2015 - 2:55 PM.

[Vendayn]

I plan to go back to the area and get more, as I lost a few queens. Probably in the next week or two.

Edited by Vendayn, June 8 2015 - 2:56 PM.

[Vendayn]

I'll attempt to take pictures of them with my phone. Its a newer smartphone, so they should have better camera pictures by now. My last smartphone had worst quality than my flip phone. Was rather lame lol.

Edited by Vendayn, June 8 2015 - 2:57 PM.

[Vendayn]

So, my Wasmannia auropunctata is doing good. They already have small piles of eggs. They haven't nested too much in the sand, but have chosen nesting sites in (and under) the rotten, termite eaten wood I put in. When I look underneath, I can see freshly laid eggs that they didn't have before.

 

Also, the queens definitely get injured easily, which is why I lost a few in the beginning. But, overall the colony is doing really good.

[gcsnelling]

If by some strange chance these actually are Wasmannia, you need to kill them, not spread  a very harmful invasive species to new locations.

Edited by gcsnelling, June 8 2015 - 5:51 PM.

[Vendayn]

I have them covered with siran wrap, and coated the sides of the container with fluon. If they are Wasmannia (I did more looking and I WAS in the relative area they were spotted at, or at least one colony was. I was at least within 4 blocks within them. So, its possible they are), I actually plan to freeze them. There isn't really a lot of information on them, and I want to see what they do in captivity. I 100% will not release them (I don't release ANY non-native ant), and if they produce winged alates they'll go straight in the freezer. Plus, sort of cruel and I don't really ever do this. But, I want to put a few Argentine ants in and see their interaction with them.

 

I do know my colony has lots of queens (I got over 30 queens), so they'd become really invasive if they got out. I'm keeping a really close eye on them for any escapees, but the fluon works great. I just want to study them for myself, and see what they do.

[dermy]

I don't know wether or not it will help but here is a helpful PDF I found on Electric Ants [Wasmanni ]

 

http://www.ars.usda....003(M-3778).pdf

Edited by dermy, June 8 2015 - 6:44 PM.

[Myrmicinae]

W. auropunctata are interesting in that both the queens and males reproduce clonally, while the workers are always produced sexually.  A very strange system.

 

http://mbe.oxfordjou...24/11/2465.full

[Vendayn]

Thanks for the links.

They'll make a good read either later, or tomorrow.

 

But, as of now...the journal is ended. I noticed when I picked up the container, a crack had formed underneath. No ants escaped because they hadn't dug down that deep. But, I had no choice but to put them in the freezer as I didn't want an invasive ant to get loose.