17 replies to this topic

[Tfisupe]

I'm moving to texas this spring due to covid. I would like to find a place where there are atta flights. Could anyone help me?

[mmcguffi]

If you have a facebook, I recommend joining the Texas Ant Keepers group -- some members are incredibly dedicated and will post when they think the major flights are going to happen around various spots in Texas. There is usually ~1 major flight per nest per year, so it is kind of a high stakes gamble in trying to find them

 

I actually complied the dates (+ weather / moon phase) of the major Atta flights around Austin, TX via pictures from various social media posts on Twitter and Facebook for the past number of years:

 

2014-05-28 morning, 

2015-04-30 15:35:37, nearly full, 46 F

2016-05-17 21:36:02, nearly full , 66 F

2017-05-22 morning,

2018-05-05 07:55:03, 2/3 moon, 59 F

2018-06-22 dubious, 1/2 moon, 76 F

2019-04-~2 dubious, new moon-ish, 35 F

2019-05-05 morning, new moon, 59 F

2019-05-13 morning, 3/4 moon, 55 F

2019-06-01 morning, 

2020-03-23 morning (big flight), new moon, 66 F

2020-05-23 morning, new moon, 78 F

 

I haven't found any super reliable patterns in that data between temp/moon phase/rain, but the general thought is that the big flights happen between mid-March -> late-May after decent rainfalls and warm (enough) weather. You can scout out nests the night before and see the alates come out and prepare for their flights around ~4-5 AM (if the proper environmental conditions are met, otherwise they go back into the nest and try a different night)

 

To find Atta nests themselves, I have found iNaturalist to be very helpful -- just make sure wherever you go it is legal to collect them there!

 

Hope that helps!

[antsandmore]

I'm moving to texas this spring due to covid. I would like to find a place where there are atta flights. Could anyone help me?

it would be cool moving to a place where there are atta flights... You can just walk outside, catch them, and come back in. 

[mmcguffi]

 

it would be cool moving to a place where there are atta flights... You can just walk outside, catch them, and come back in. 

 

I wish it was that easy for Atta texana... since they typically only have 1 major flight a year, I've actually missed them for the past 3 seasons! Some of the South American Atta sp. seem to fly pretty regularly though

[CheetoLord02]

Can confirm, in the United States catching Atta is no easy feat. Here in Arizona A. mexicana only has two populations, both of which are relatively small, isolated, and hugging the Mexican border. Thankfully both locations are safe to visit, but it's still a bit concerning. Not to mention at said locations colonies are few and far between, and with the spotty rain we get in Arizona it's possible for rain to be in the area but only hit one or even no colonies, making flights meager and unimpressive. Unless you're in a specific area with a high density of colonies and after an amazing rainstorm, you're going to have to be extremely lucky to get your hands on a fertile queen.

[Tfisupe]

Thank u guys

[Tfisupe]

Thank u guys

[a90s_ants]

I live in Texas and was going to try my luck at catching atta this spring and I've only ever had one colony that i got a week ago and was going to ask for some tips on how to keep them

[mmcguffi]

I live in Texas and was going to try my luck at catching atta this spring and I've only ever had one colony that i got a week ago and was going to ask for some tips on how to keep them

Out of curiosity, where did you get an Atta texana colony a week ago? Most (all?) sellers that I know of did not have any colonies for sale even months ago

 

In terms of how to care for them, Atta are very different than most ants and require special care. They can crash pretty quickly given improper care, so in the future I would make sure you know what you are getting into before you buy. I suggest you reach out to the person you bought it from and also search the forums here as well as youtube -- there is a wealth of information on how to keep Atta. I found this series to be a good starting point in learning to care for Atta

Edited by mmcguffi, January 27 2021 - 7:19 PM.

[CheetoLord02]

Idk about A. texana, but mexicana are insanely easy. So long as you give them a proper setup and diet they are extremely painless to keep. My daily routine with them is quite literally as simple as just giving them plants. This doesn't mean you shouldn't be well prepared to keep them, but I do not think the genus deserves the level of notoriety that they have.

[ZTYguy]

Remember the Alamo!!!!!!!!!!!

[mmcguffi]

Idk about A. texana, but mexicana are insanely easy. So long as you give them a proper setup and diet they are extremely painless to keep. My daily routine with them is quite literally as simple as just giving them plants. This doesn't mean you shouldn't be well prepared to keep them, but I do not think the genus deserves the level of notoriety that they have.

 

Fair point! However if one tries to keep Atta like they would with Pogonomyrmex or Camponotus, bad things will happen. They do require unique husbandry

 

 

Atta Texana flew in Alamo Texas this morning. 

 

Is this true? So early!

 

 

EDIT -- haha I guess Drew doesn't like "po-gos" or "cam-pos" (no dash between), as it auto edits the post to the full, correct name

Edited by mmcguffi, January 28 2021 - 9:25 AM.

[NickAnter]

Its a great feature!

[a90s_ants]

Sorry I got a camponotus fragilis colony a couple weeks ago i am going to look for atta this spring though 

[a90s_ants]

 

I live in Texas and was going to try my luck at catching atta this spring and I've only ever had one colony that i got a week ago and was going to ask for some tips on how to keep them

Out of curiosity, where did you get an Atta texana colony a week ago? Most (all?) sellers that I know of did not have any colonies for sale even months ago

 

In terms of how to care for them, Atta are very different than most ants and require special care. They can crash pretty quickly given improper care, so in the future I would make sure you know what you are getting into before you buy. I suggest you reach out to the person you bought it from and also search the forums here as well as youtube -- there is a wealth of information on how to keep Atta. I found this series to be a good starting point in learning to care for Atta

 

Sorry I didn't get an atta colony a couple weeks ago I got a camponotus fragilis colony

[mmcguffi]

Sorry I didn't get an atta colony a couple weeks ago I got a camponotus fragilis colony

 

gotcha -- there should be plenty of people selling Atta come spring/summer, so if you aren't able to catch one you should be able to buy a queen/small colony pretty easily. I really recommend that facebook group I posted above to find sellers