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What are some under rated species in California

Started By ZTYguy , Apr 5 2021 10:57 PM

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15 replies to this topic

#1 Offline ZTYguy - Posted April 5 2021 - 10:57 PM

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I am not a keeper who likes to brach out to different species and have stuck to strictly a few species. What in your opinion some under rated ants that live in Cali. I want to finally branch out this year. Anything goes.


Currently: Considering moving to Australia
Reason: Myrmecia

#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 6 2021 - 2:11 AM

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Nylanderia in general are way under-rated in my opinion.


Edited by ANTdrew, April 6 2021 - 5:48 AM.

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#3 Offline Manitobant - Posted April 6 2021 - 5:47 AM

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Forelius mccooki and pruinosus are some of the most underrated ants on the continent.
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#4 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 6 2021 - 6:16 AM

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Personally, I really like my polygynous Lasius americanus colony, might be my favorite. They are very easy to move, can't climb fluon, and don't always try to escape. Also, they display the curious behavior of rarely eating food themselves, but instead always feeding it to the larvae for processing. It is, in my opinion, very fun to watch the larvae eat. Also, they are shy enough that I can take the glass off their fortress to do maintenence with NO escapees! They also dart around in random bursts, and tap their gasters on hard surfaces when agitated. Granted, this species has a very slow start, hence why I recommend polygynous setups for this species, but my colony has been producing quite a lot in the start of their second year, with a starting brood of over 100 larvae that hibernated, and soon aftee coming out, a batch of over 40 eggs. All in all a great species in my opinion!
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Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#5 Offline VoidElecent - Posted April 6 2021 - 6:45 AM

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Nylanderia in general are way under-rated in my opinion.

 

Not in Cali but I agree with this. Nylanderia rock.


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#6 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted April 6 2021 - 8:43 AM

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I am not a keeper who likes to brach out to different species and have stuck to strictly a few species. What in your opinion some under rated ants that live in Cali. I want to finally branch out this year. Anything goes.

Dorymyrmex bicolor


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1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

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#7 Offline ponerinecat - Posted April 6 2021 - 1:12 PM

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Tapinoma schreiberi is exceedingly nice for the genus, but basically unknown. 


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#8 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 6 2021 - 1:16 PM

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Also, to my knowledge, no one on here has ever found them. They do seem very cool though. And another under rated Genus is Manica, by far my favorite Myrmecine genus in California. M. bradleyi is particularly cool in my opinion. I commonly find them in the Sierras in dry soil near large bodies of fresh water.

Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#9 Offline ponerinecat - Posted April 6 2021 - 3:36 PM

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Also, to my knowledge, no one on here has ever found them. They do seem very cool though. And another under rated Genus is Manica, by far my favorite Myrmecine genus in California. M. bradleyi is particularly cool in my opinion. I commonly find them in the Sierras in dry soil near large bodies of fresh water.

 One series of collections is a 45-60 minute drive from me, who knows, I may get lucky  ;)


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#10 Offline CheetoLord02 - Posted April 6 2021 - 4:47 PM

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Subgenus Acanthomyops Lasius parasites are some of the coolest ants on the continent. They're polygynous and get colonies well into the hundreds of thousands, not to mention having some quite large and pretty yellow workers. Being parasites makes their founding a bit troublesome, but once the introduction is done with enough host workers it's pretty smooth sailing.


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#11 Offline ReignofRage - Posted April 13 2021 - 2:45 PM

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Camponotus Anthrax is an underrated species, it's a simple Camponotus that doesn't look bad.


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#12 Offline Somethinghmm - Posted April 13 2021 - 3:36 PM

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Camponotus Anthrax is an underrated species, it's a simple Camponotus that doesn't look bad.

C. anthrax is just a Myrmentoma ctrl c ctrl v. However, the queens are a bit different from most Myrmentoma.


#13 Offline M_Ants - Posted April 14 2021 - 10:19 AM

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https://www.formicul...rnal/?hl=hyatti

This journal convinced me that maybe hyatti are a bit underrated. 


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Veromessor pergandei

Veromessor andrei

Crematogaster sp. 

Pogonomyrmex cf cali and rugosus

Various Pheidole

C. yogi 

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#14 Offline NickAnter - Posted April 14 2021 - 10:34 AM

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I think parasitic Formica(and the genus in general) should be kept more often in California as well. I have observed several colonies in the wild, and they seem really awesome, with incredible polymorphism, along with being very aggressive. Also the red and black Formica subpolita variant looks very nice in my opinion. Another is Formica lasiodes/neogagates. Super shiny species, that is supposedly very fun to keep, along with being polygynous in some cases.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#15 Offline FSTP - Posted April 14 2021 - 11:06 AM

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Its been said before in this thread but I feel they really do warrant extra emphasis

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorymyrmex bicolor


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#16 Offline ZTYguy - Posted April 14 2021 - 11:51 AM

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Oh i agree D. bicolor are a very awesome species. 


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Currently: Considering moving to Australia
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