16 replies to this topic

[MojaveAnts]

Hi all,

Starting a new thread for my local Las Vegas hunters! Or those in the hobby who are visiting town and plan to hunt a bit in our deserts!

 

I searched the forum for "Vegas" "Nevada" and seems very hit or miss, so I decided to just make one and hope I can keep it fairly active with my own hunts.

 

We have desert, mountains, and Mt. Charleston, and just a skip away from California for a bit more green-arid places.

 

 

[MojaveAnts]

So I have two places I started hitting to observe and research: Red Rock Canyon area and a flat untouched flat desert land plot in the city (its about a half mile by half mile block).

 

Some misc things in my past weeks:

 

1. I think I found a very big Myrmecoystus Mendax colony. I have several ones I've caught to try to verify an ID on with folks way more experienced than me. They are super active during the day, and evening. I haven't watched them during sunrise or at night; those are my next plans.

 

2. Found a ton of red harvester ant colonies. I believe they are Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis or something very close like Californicus.

 

3. Found a TON of what I believe are Pogonomyrmex Rugosus. These guys are HUGE, the biggest ants I've seen and their colonies are the biggest and most active of what I've ran across so far.

 

4. The odd thing about the two Pogonomyrmex and possible Mendax is that since summer has gotten 95*F or hotter, they are only active at night. They are not active during the day at all. It's a ghost town from mid-late morning up all the way until hour or two in evening's sundown. Then they start coming out a bit, and active well into 2am. I thought they are diurnal?

 

I haven't had a chance to check out anything in the early sunrise and that's my next goal. I also want to locate some Myrmecoystus Mexicanus, I tried to find some with a headlamp walking at night (spooky in the desert) but could not find anything unless I glanced over them due to their coloring matching the ground (but I was hoping I'd see a nest so ton of movement would catch my eye). I may have to go a bit higher where some pine trees start popping up like up the mountains towards Mt. Charleston to catch these Honeypots.

Edited by MojaveAnts, June 28 2021 - 12:40 AM.

[MojaveAnts]

Got a couple days of rain in late June, I didn't spot any alates from any species. Or any fresh chamber signs in the dirts.

[ANTdrew]

Good luck! Just a tip: capitalize the genus name, but not the species.

[MojaveAnts]

Went out to both my spots this sunrise to do some intel:

 

1. Pogonomyrmex seem to come out about an hour after sunrise until late morning and then I think they go in when it gets hot hot.

 

2. Mendax colony was barely active during sunrise, so I am thinking they are late evening to night guys.

 

3. It seems the rugosus dominate and like the flat lower land, while the occidentalis and/or californicus dominate and prefer the higher elevation near the base of mountains and up into. I found some red harvesters wayyyy up high.

 

4. I am still searching for my mexicanus honeypots, it will prob be an evening and then a couple hours into night type search in the mountain bases to find them. Also; the mendax don't like the flat lower elevation it seems, as I only found one big colony in the mountains and one wondering near that area which I suspect belongs to another colony I have to uncover.

 

I think the best way to me to catch queen when they all get ready for flights is going to be via blacklighting at night.

[MojaveAnts]

Another weird thing; the red harvesters in the lower elevation flats seem to be 50/50 nocturnal and diurnal. I noticed the same colonies that are out at night are ghost towns during the day and vice versa. The rugosus seem to be out all the time, but really heavy during evening hours into night.

[MojaveAnts]

Its some nice rain in the mountains today. I was going to head out this evening but its suppose to keep raining a bit, as well as 40% chance to rain tomm.

I'm thinking I won’t see any possible activity until tomm at the earliest, and prob more likely the day after tomm’s rain.

Unless someone has ran across alate activity during the first day of multi-day possible rains?

[Antkeeper01]

some might fly but i don't know anything about the ants of Nevada

[MojaveAnts]

Went last night 8-11pm to the mountains and ran across 3 mexicanus honeypots! I collected two of them to verify ID. Holy crap; they move ALOT faster and more skittish than red harvester and mendaxes by far.

 

I also think I collected another that may possibly be a honeypot variety, going to post on this one later.

[MojaveAnts]

Checked again last night. No alates that I could see or founding chambers. Rain must of been too light, so I guess what I’ll be looking for is one of those “whole day of huge massive” rain type days.

I’ve burned through alot of gas and time. Anting is hard work! Haha


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[MojaveAnts]

Big moves made since my last update… IN Nevada (inside snicker to a socially EQ challenged person who can’t control inner jealousy)

Mexicanus
Mendax
Mimicus
Rugosus
Occi

And even more rain this week… LFG….


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Edited by MojaveAnts, July 21 2021 - 1:41 PM.

[TheAntGuy]

Big moves made since my last update… IN Nevada (inside snicker to a socially EQ challenged person who can’t control inner jealousy)

Mexicanus
Mendax
Mimicus
Rugosus
Occi

And even more rain this week… LFG….


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Grow up.

[MojaveAnts]

EDIT: Removed info regarding my system.

Edited by MojaveAnts, July 27 2021 - 10:32 PM.

[MojaveAnts]

EDIT: Removed image of today's digs.

Edited by MojaveAnts, July 27 2021 - 10:33 PM.

[Ballerinagurl26]

Hi new to this forum and ant hunting but also in Vegas.

[olrakbt]

Hi new to this forum and ant hunting but also in Vegas.

From Vegas I have a few queens and colony

[bmb1bee]

We should revive this thread. I live in CA, but will hopefully get permits for native species found in NV. After that I can probably participate in Vegas anting legally.