34 replies to this topic

[antsinmypants]

Okay. This time it's for real, not that Valetine's Day dud that I found wandering about 2 weeks ago. No, today I found a typical half-crescent mound with a plugged-up entrance about 200 yards north from the dud's location. This dealate, and I am sorry that I do not know her subspecies identification, was only an inch below the sandy-dirt surface. A single scoop with my hand shovel, angled 1 &1/2 inches from the entrance, was all it took to uncover her. 

 

Here are my observations about this discovery: The temperature was only 64 degrees on a semi-sunny day, the time was 3:30 PM, and it had rained about a 1/2 inch two days ago. The previous year's location where I discovered 61 or so queens was about 300 yards south from this site. I also checked out that site today but found no dealate nesting mounds. The location of today's find was on a undeveloped 'road' that the developer had made with heavy equipment. And yes, I did get permission from one of the foremen to go anting on their property as I had done last year. I spent the next 1 & 1/2 hour searching another 300 yards but came up empty-handed.

 

My next step is to go anting at Woodward Park across the street. I know there are large colonies of these Pogonomyrmex there, but they are scattered about for several miles. Unfortunately, that is a lot of territory to cover. Fortunately, it's good exercise.

[Gregory2455]

Wow, I know its a bit warmer up there than here, but this is February! The ant colonies did not get the memo I guess...

[dspdrew]

That's pretty crazy.

[antsinmypants]

Yes, I was quite surprised to find this dealate with the cold temperatures we have been having. It was last year in the first weekend in March that I found the mother-lode of Pogonomyrmex queen nests. The temperatures were in the low 70's, if I recall. So I figured this year that I would try looking the last week in February and the first two weeks in March. There is a chance of precipitation over the next few days, then the temperatures are predicted to go up into the low 70's. I know that from personal observation, that some colonies have several mating flights in a single season, but I don't know whether that specifically applies to Pogonomyrmex. I guess I will have to re-trace some of my steps from the past 2 weeks if I hope to find more.

 

I know this may sound dumb, being totally biased in my observations, but I wonder if these Pogonomyrmex alates fly to open sandy areas that are, of course, naturally more reflective of light than green foilage. We know they can sense light. We also know that sandy areas are where we are most likely to find them nesting since we can easily see them when we go anting. That's the biased part of my observations, but I wonder if anyone knows if it is true or not.

 

There is one thing I do know about anting: I will never find them if I never look.

[antsinmypants]

My foray into Woodward Park was rewarded at high noon today with a single Pogonomyrmex dealate whom I saw out of the corner of my eye, digging her newly founded nest. Her size, the radiance of her red gaster, her rapid movements and the relatively large entry hole of her nest made her easy to spot. It was within a foot of the paved walkway/bike path, and about 25 yards or so from several colonies of red harvester ants. Interestingly, the dirt she was digging up was fine in character, not the typical clumpy pellets that I usually look for. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a mother lode of dealates. I suppose that just makes the ones I found this spring all the more precious, and the dealate that I found when I started this topic now has a small clutch of eggs. The temperature at noon today was about 71 degrees, and the bicyclists, who were all men (the women come out on the weekends for some reason, shucks!), must have thought I was crazy scanning the ground as I walked with my bicycle. One even asked if he could assist me, I should have asked for his help anting.....

[Gregory2455]

Are you sure you are not mistaking these as Dorymyrmex bicolor?

[antsinmypants]

Today's hunt at Woodward Park was rewarded with 3 new queens, and I took a few stills so that you can decide that identification question. I recognized only a few characteristics with the first nest I came to today. It had a typical, large opening that was plugged up. Half of the dirt that was excavated by the queen was fine in character, the other half were clumpy pellets. To my delight, I found two queens in that one nest. If you look at the attached photos, the two queens are at opposite ends from each other. It took me two shovelfuls of dirt, and then I saw both of them. The third queen caught my eye at the end of my anting expedition. She was digging out one of the holes that I had dug up earlier in the day. She must have been hiding there in one of the excavations where I didn't find anything, but she was actually there all along. She is the one that is covered in dirt in the attached photo. All 3 queens were caught within a stone's throw from the original Woodward Park queen 'A' whom I caught yesterday.

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[Gregory2455]

Nope, looks like Pogonomyrmex...

[dspdrew]

Wow that is crazy how early the ants are flying this year. I bet these are Pogonomyrmex subdentatus, because that species does fly really early sometimes. Can you see if they have spines?

[antsinmypants]

I don't think these have spines but I will look tomorrow and if they do, I will let you know. That said, today I hit the mother lode. Actually, I just went back to the same area in Woodward Park as I did the past 2 days and REALLY LOOKED HARD at the ground. They were right there under my nose but I did not recognize the character of the dirt piles they dug up until today. My observations today, and I have attached pictures, are that the dealates dig up various-sized pieces of dirt. It really depends on the soil that she happens to pick. Often there will be larger pellets dug up first, and I am theorizing that she has to establish a hole in harder soil. She piles them up in a crescent shape away from the entrance to make room for the deeper soil. The deeper soil is softer and more moist after she has broken through the harder, desiccated topsoil. This soil is closer to the entrance and not as high as the initial soil that is dug up. She plugs up the hole with this same fine soil, sometimes making a mound. However, sometimes the soil is fine in size throughout the whole dig, again it depends on the geology, if you will, of the soil that she picks. So unless I saw a different ant species coming through the entrance hole, I just went for it, not paying too much attention to characteristics of the dirt piles. Given the fact that I had now established the area as a mother lode, so to speak, the chances of successfully finding a dealate in the ground was convincingly high. My take today: eleven Pogonomyrmex dealates. It would have been thirteen but one got away ( anting lesson #1: dig fast and lateral to the entrance hole) and the other one, well, she wasn't worth harvesting (pun intended).

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[dspdrew]

I really want to know what species these are. Do you have a microscope or a macro lens by any chance?

[Gregory2455]

They look like they are a species in the barbatus group.

[antsinmypants]

Drew, that was one of my questions for you. I have a Sam Sung Note IV phone, and I would like to know how you and others take those very close-up pictures. I have seen these camera adapters that goes over the SSN IV lens piece but wonder if anyone has any experience with them. My other question is that I am having trouble figuring out how to quote others in responding back to their questions, etc. I also can no longer access those emoticons when I post. I thought I was done with anting for Pogonomyrmex as of yesterday afternoon but decided to go back to the mother lode area one final time. This time I caught ten dealates, four of them with my trusty pair of Dixie cups as they were foraging or digging their nests. Sweet. BTW, none of them have any spines as far as I can tell using a 5 power hand-held LED magnifier. Sorry, I have tried to photograph through the magnifier, and I just can't get the focal point right. I am probably doing it wrong.

[dspdrew]

I just use a clip-on macro lens on my phone camera. I also take pictures through my dissecting microscope.

 

To quote people, just press the "quote" button, or use the quote bbcode.

[ToeNhi]

Hey antsinmypants,

Have you caught any Sopenopsis invicta queens in the Fresno area? The summers out there seem ideal for them. The only ants I find around the Clovis area are Linepithema humile. I'll have to check out Woodward Park next time I visit the in laws.

[antsinmypants]

Hey antsinmypants,

Have you caught any Sopenopsis invicta queens in the Fresno area? The summers out there seem ideal for them. The only ants I find around the Clovis area are Linepithema humile. I'll have to check out Woodward Park next time I visit the in laws.

 No, ToeNhi, I have not caught any S.invicta but I do believe they are living on my front porch in Fresno and at the previous house I lived in Clovis. I am going to check out the mother lode area in Woodward Park again this Friday morning, and maybe Saturday afternoon for more Pogonomyrmex. I don't think I will do any more digging as the ground is too hard and the queens have probably digged deeper and more lateral to the entrance hole. I'll just be looking for foraging queens this weekend. This morning I found that two of my 26 queens that I harvested several days ago have passed away. While I am still debating on the merits of placing my incubator on a timer to simulate a more natural pattern, I have provided a gradient heat source for my other queens. Two queens in the always-on incubator now have eggs, and two with the gradient heat source also have eggs. I don't know if they all should use one type of heat source vs another. Retroman has recommended the natural approach using an incandescent light source. 

 

BTW, if you are going to Woodward Park to look for ants, then I strongly suggest you take a bike with you since the park is so huge. When you see something that catches your eyes, then stop and look. However, keep in mind that the other bicyclists will ask, " Are you good?"------ as if you had fallen off your bike and lost something.  If you are interested in Pogonomyrmex, then I can tell you where I have and haven't found them. There are also areas at the park that I have scouted out yet.

Edited by antsinmypants, March 11 2015 - 6:22 AM.

[ToeNhi]

Thanks for the advice, antsinmypants. We don't go the Fresno area often, but when we do, I usually go around the local parks looking for the S. invicta mounds. I'll definitely check for Pogonomyrmex at Woodward Park next time.

What other species do you keep out there? Do you have Veromessor spp. or honey pot ants out there?

[antsinmypants]

Thanks for the advice, antsinmypants. We don't go the Fresno area often, but when we do, I usually go around the local parks looking for the S. invicta mounds. I'll definitely check for Pogonomyrmex at Woodward Park next time.

What other species do you keep out there? Do you have Veromessor spp. or honey pot ants out there?

 

I am concentrating my efforts on developing at least one colony of Pogonomyrmex. As I am a complete newbie in this hobby, I am unable to comment about other ant species that I have come across. That said, I'll try to photograph the ant species that I do come across at Woodward Park and post them for you to see. My Amazon order for a macro lens to fit on my phone camera is on its way.

 

There are Pogonomyrmex at the northern end of the Woodward Park and along side the San Joaquin River which is also part of the park. Unfortunately, I did not see any Pogonomyrmex at the latter location the past several weeks. Maybe all the visitors trampled them to death. A lot of people don't like ants, especially large red ones. At the former location, there is free parking at Friant and Old Friant Road, and Friant and E. Copper Ave. You can also park across the street at Friant and E. Copper River Drive directly across from the basketball court.

[ToeNhi]

At Belcher Park in Clovis, I saw a lot of Formica sp. last 4th of July. It was 110 degrees out, so I don't think they were having a nuptial flight. It would be an ideal place to find queens during their nuptial flight as there is a public restroom/building with an off white wall that has a light on all night.

[antsinmypants]

I didn't quite make it to Woodward Park yesterday b/c fifteen feet from where I stepped out of my car I came across a Pogonomyrmex dealate. Good 'ole Dixie cups from church helped me catch all but one dealate: 17 yesterday and another 17 today. I caught sooooo many that I decided to relocate seven of the smallest dealates to my backyard. After this coming week I figure I should have enough queens to ensure at least one successful future colony, especially since I am adopting some of Retroman's techniques. Using 4 tackle boxes partitioned into 12 units, with fine sand at the base, a cotton ball soaked in water sitting in a plastic medicine cup to provide humidity to the occupants, and a heating cable have created my own version of the Park Apartments, a cruddy place I stayed at when I was flat broke during my post-graduate training.   

Each apartment unit comes with it's own supply of poppy and black nyjer seeds, as well the complimentary Sunday all-you-eat-in-5-minute brunch of All Living Things' Freeze Dried Medley For Bearded Dragons (crickets, grasshoppers, and mealworms). The occasional 'rainfall' soaks safely into the sand so the queens have a cool, refreshing drink without the risk of drowning. Wi-fi is free but you have to supply your own laptop. Heck, I'm going to let my house go into foreclosure and move into this place instead. 

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