8 replies to this topic

[Artisan_Ants]

If you found alates or de-alates near, or in the Pennsylvania area, report it here.

Edited by Artisan_Ants, March 8 2024 - 8:38 AM.

[Artisan_Ants]

Two P. imparis alates found under a wood piece. Hopefullly they are both fertile. We’ll just have to wait and see

Attached Images

• 

[Artisan_Ants]

Beautiful weather in Pa right now. Hoping to catch some Camponotus (preferably C. Pennsylvanicus but more C. chromaiodes will do). Any other species would be really nice!

[The_Gaming-gate]

No way! I found an active post in the Anting subforum that isn’t from California! How do you find so many P. imparis? I can barely find workers.

[futurebird]

P. imparis is easy to spot because they are golden in the sunlight and they have this distinctive waddle. The queens always seem so harried and freaked out running along looking for a place to hide. I hope your queens do well. It does seem to be their time in the region. 

 

They have such big round gasters for their bodies and such dainty little legs. Not made to run, but still run they must! waddle waddle waddle. I think they are pretty cute as queens go. 

[Artisan_Ants]

No way! I found an active post in the Anting subforum that isn’t from California! How do you find so many P. imparis? I can barely find workers.

Look under or around forested areas and woodlands. You’ll find a whole bunch of them! My place isn’t covered with them; but they are still around in multiple locations. Look after days with rain or thunderstorms. The temp has to be about 70º F for them to fly. They hate lower temps like 50 or 60 even after good rains. Workers look like a larger version of Lasius; they have larger gasters which are in the same shape; but they also have larger and longer legs unlike that of Lasius workers. You’ll see what I mean if you see them in person. No wonder they are in the same tribe (Lasiini)…

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I still can't find them I see workers everywhere and even dead males but I still can't find queens. Even in forested areas.

[Artisan_Ants]

I still can't find them I see workers everywhere and even dead males but I still can't find queens. Even in forested areas.

Mb. I forgot to mention that they live near open fields that are right next to forested areas (that where I find mine) or fields that are at least a couple hundred or so feet away from one. You can find them on meadows still but they typically prefer nesting near wooded areas for the multiple resources available. They do not prefer higher temps to fly once again, and they do not prefer high temps to forage either. Mine only FLY in the 70º F range. As I stated before (and I’m completely wrong on this) they will forage at lower temps, like at 40º F which is crazy. But if you want to find workers; look in temps at 50 or 60º F range and look for queens after some good rain and humidity percentage at about 30 - 40% with 70º F temperature range.

[Artisan_Ants]

Finally! C. chromaiodes flew just yesterday at about the same exact time and conditions from when the first queen (from my journal) was found. I will post a pic later but she is a de-alate (I figured that unless a Camponotus queen in particular has wings when the nuptial flight is taking place; there’s no point taking her but if she doesn’t have wings in that period or a day after then I will). I will have to keep an eye out for C. pennsylvanicus as I’ve been wanting a de-alate for a while now. I might go log hunting as it seem like a pretty efficient method for finding Camponotus queens. I have a forest right back which Camponotus love so yeah; lots of logs and fallen trees.