1666 replies to this topic

[nurbs]

Species: Crematogaster sp. 
Location: Gas station, 29 Palms, California
Date: 8-5-2017
Time: 10PM
Temperature: 95F
Humidity:

Wind: None
Rain: Heavy rain day before

[VoidElecent]

Species: Solenopsis molesta
Location: Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Date: 8-9-2017
Time: 5:45 pm-7:30 pm
Temperature: 79° F
Humidity: 33%

Wind: None
Rain: Heavy rain two days before

 

A thief ant queen barreled straight into my arm and decided to shed her wings right then and there:

 

 

 

Edited by VoidElecent, August 9 2017 - 7:11 PM.

[Scrixx]

 

Species: Solenopsis molesta
Location: Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Date: 8-9-2017
Time: 5:45 pm-7:30 pm
Temperature: 79° F
Humidity: 33%

Wind: None
Rain: Heavy rain two days before

 

A thief ant queen barreled straight into my arm and decided to shed her wings right then and there:

 

 

 

 

 

Lol it's like when a dog picks its owner. This queen chose you! Better raise her up

[ctantkeeper]

 

 

Species: Solenopsis molesta
Location: Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Date: 8-9-2017
Time: 5:45 pm-7:30 pm
Temperature: 79° F
Humidity: 33%

Wind: None
Rain: Heavy rain two days before

 

A thief ant queen barreled straight into my arm and decided to shed her wings right then and there:

 

 

 

 

 

Lol it's like when a dog picks its owner. This queen chose you! Better raise her up

 

Love the color!!!

[VoidElecent]

Solenopsis molesta have been flying aggressively and with genuine vigor for the past couple weeks; I have caught over 50 queens and have all sorts of polygynous variations in test tubes.

 

Unfortunately, I did not keep this queen. I did gently place her down on a small patch of dirt she started to dig in; saving her from my brother who prefers to use the mass of thief ant queens as a primary protein source for our existing colonies. 

 

I'm glad you like the pictures!

[nurbs]

Species: Myrmecocystus yuma

Location: Yucca Valley, California
Date: 8-5-2017
Time: 10PM
Temperature: 95F
Humidity:

Wind: None
Rain: Heavy rain day before

[Barristan]

Species: Myrmica sp.
Location: Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany
Date: 2017-08-15
Time: 07:00 pm GMT+1
Temperature: 29 °C
Humidity: 53%
Rain: Thunderstorm + rain 10-20 minutes after nuptial flight

 

[VoidElecent]

Species: Myrmica sp.
Location: Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany
Date: 2017-08-15
Time: 07:00 pm GMT+1
Temperature: 29 °C
Humidity: 53%
Rain: Thunderstorm + rain 10-20 minutes after nuptial flight

 

 

 

Beautiful

[VoidElecent]

Species: Solenopsis molesta, Crematogaster cerasi (M), Lasius alienus, Lasius cf. flavus, Aphaenogaster cf. picea (M), Temnothorax curvispinosus, Brachymyrmex depilis (M)
Location: Ambler, Pennsylvania
Date: 8-15-17
Time: 6:30-8:00 PM EST
Temperature: 73° F
Humidity: 93%
Rain: Rain earlier in the day

 

Some species reported (such as C. cerasi and T. curvispinosus) probably flew at different times of the day; alates were collected from a neighbor's pool.

 

Species listed beside the letter 'M' exhibited nuptial flights consisting of only male alates.

Edited by VoidElecent, August 16 2017 - 5:08 AM.

[VoidElecent]

Species: Solenopsis molesta, Crematogaster cerasi, Lasius alienus, Lasius sp., Brachymyrmex depilis
Location: Ambler, Pennsylvania
Date: 8-16-17
Time: 6:30-8:00 PM EST
Temperature: 82° F
Humidity: 51%
Rain: Yesterday evening

 

got a couple shots of some alates; I'll add them a little later.

[Crash]

Had a flight of Solenopsis molesta queens SE PA. Sunset, high 80's, 58% humidity. 8/16/17 7:45PM

[Nathant2131]

Species: Solenopsis molesta
Location: Dracut, Massachusetts
Date: 8/19/17
Time: ~7:20 PM (Note: This is when I first observed it, they likely were still flying before this)
Temperature: 80° F
Humidity: 55%
Rain: Last night

 

A strange "flight". At ~7:20 PM I went outside and realized a female alate with a black gaster (likely a parasite in her) sitting on top of a table in my bakyard. A couple minutes later I'm finding dozens upon dozens of dealate queens wandering on my driveway. I went inside at about 8:00 PM when the queens were still walking around strong. The bugs started biting.

 

In the short time that I observed this: I could not see any alates flying, I could not see swarming, I could not see any males. I only saw about 2 queens with wings, the many others were dealates. I only saw about 2 queens with black gasters.

 

The flight definitely started before my first observation as I was outside for only about 15 minutes before I found the first queen. (and I wasn't even looking for ants in the first place). 

[Aaron567]

Species: Pseudomyrmex gracilis (x2)
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date: 8/27/17
Time: 10:50 AM 
Temperature: 86° F
Humidity: 60%
Rain: Several days ago

 

Edited by Aaron567, August 27 2017 - 8:05 AM.

[dermy]

Species: Formica fusca. sp.
Location: Sask. Canada.
Date: 8-26-2017
Time: 4:30-6pm
Temperature: 26c
Humidity: 20% [honestly not as much as it normally is, I feel like these flights were a "kick the alates out and get it over with]

Wind: mildly windy but nothing crazy
Rain: A little shower a few nights before

 

Species: Myrmica sp.

Location: Sask. Canada

Date: 8-27-2017

Time: 5pm-7pm

Temperature: 27c

Humidity: felt pretty dry not much rain this year, lots of fires too

Wind: mild background wind

Rain: Not much over the course of the week.

[Connectimyrmex]

Species: Pseudomyrmex gracilis (x2)
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date: 8/27/17
Time: 10:50 AM 
Temperature: 86° F
Humidity: 60%
Rain: Several days ago

 

I love pseudomyrmex gracilis! good luck with them!

[LC3]

From August 2nd - 10th the following ants flew at Alberthead, Vancouver Island, BC in the following order

 

Myrmica cf. lobifrons or latifrons*

Myrmica cf. crassirugis

Lasius pallitarsis

Formica cf. podzolica

 

*Unsure if this species flew, highly likely however

 

On August 29 Myrmica specioides sort of flew, with many alates gathering at the entrances but only one colony I found actually flew.

 

Species: Myrmica specioides 
Location: Richmond, BC, Canada
Date: 29/08/2017
Time: 5-8PM
Temperature: 22°C
Humidity: 62%

Wind: 5km/h
Rain: None, Slightly cloudy *Edit: Rained today, on August 30th

Note: Only one colony was flying and all alates were from the same nest, the rest of the colonies around the area prepared alates but did not fly.

 

 

Interesting thing, during the period the ants were flying they were under some Populus nigra trees housing some sort of spiral gall aphid (Most likely Pemphigus spyrothecae) turns out they thought it was a good day to release their alates so the entire place was covered with flying aphids as well as ants.

Edited by LC3, August 30 2017 - 8:55 PM.

[LC3]

Species: Solenopsis molesta
Location: Dyke protected wildlife zone, Richmond, BC, Canada, 

Date: 30/08/2017
Time: Around 6PM
Temperature: 22°C
Humidity: 57%

Wind: 6km/h
Rain: Very little, was cloudy the entire day, small pockets of rain in certain areas.

 

Solenopsis molesta didn't have a big flight but some sort of termite species probably Incisitermes minor did in the same location during the same time.

 

[Cameron C. Thomas]

Species: Camponotus semitestaceus

Location: Umatilla NWR, OR/WA

Date: 30 August 2017

Time: 8:40 PM

Temperature: 76.2 °F

Humidity: 43 %

Wind: Moderate winds; gusts up to 21 mph

Rain: Very light sprinkle two days prior; unusually dry summer

 

Notes: Just a couple queens on the ground; didn't see a flight per se. Recently collected in The Dalles, OR (about 80 miles west) by another member.

[notmyidea]

From August 2nd - 10th the following ants flew at Alberthead, Vancouver Island, BC in the following order

 

Myrmica cf. lobifrons or latifrons*

Myrmica cf. crassirugis

Lasius pallitarsis

Formica cf. podzolica

 

*Unsure if this species flew, highly likely however

 

On August 29 Myrmica specioides sort of flew, with many alates gathering at the entrances but only one colony I found actually flew.

 

Species: Myrmica specioides 
Location: Richmond, BC, Canada
Date: 29/08/2017
Time: 5-8PM
Temperature: 22°C
Humidity: 62%

Wind: 5km/h
Rain: None, Slightly cloudy *Edit: Rained today, on August 30th

Note: Only one colony was flying and all alates were from the same nest, the rest of the colonies around the area prepared alates but did not fly.

Interesting thing, during the period the ants were flying they were under some Populus nigra trees housing some sort of spiral gall aphid (Most likely Pemphigus spyrothecae) turns out they thought it was a good day to release their alates so the entire place was covered with flying aphids as well as ants.

 

Cool videos!!

 

Are you sure it was Lasius pallitarsis and not alienus? I have quite a few alienus. I am really eager to get Myrmica specioides. I checked on the 29th, but didn't see any. But it hasn't rained here. Saw them 2 years ago on Sept. 9

Edited by notmyidea, August 30 2017 - 10:09 PM.

[LC3]

Yes I am sure it was Lasius pallitarsis, there were no Lasius alienus in the area, the queens didn't resemble those of L.alienus either, instead of a dark brown colour they were light brown with a yellow underside, they were also larger then your average Lasius alienus.

Edited by LC3, August 30 2017 - 10:50 PM.