4 replies to this topic

[rptraut]

What's your opinion on digging up wild colonies?   

Does it make a difference if it's - A founding colony or established?   Invasive or native?     A colony threatened by construction or clear cutting?     Are there any other special circumstances?

RPT    

[FormiCanada]

What's your opinion on digging up wild colonies?   

Does it make a difference if it's - A founding colony or established?   Invasive or native?     A colony threatened by construction or clear cutting?     Are there any other special circumstances?

RPT    

 

 

Generally, the best way to go about it in my opinion is always to find foundress queens. Of course, that's not always easy. 

What I will do is check an area, and visit it once every 3-5 years. This gives the area to recover especially if I've collected a large colony.

 

 

Founding Colony or Established:

 

Larger, established colonies have quite an impact on an area, but I will take many founding colonies from the previous year. I generally leave larger colonies so they can reproduce more dealates queens in that area. Founding colonies generally get killed off by other larger colonies for competition of resources. 

 

 

Invasive or Native:

 

For me, if I find an invasive, I will take it in and log my findings for that area. 

 

 

Threatened Colonies:

I think all of us would agree that a colony threatened in some form is always subject to being relocated and/or taken in. If it's a larger colony, I usually donate it to a school.

 

 

Cheers,

[bmb1bee]

I pretty much agree with FormiCanada's statement. I only collect colonies of a native species if small enough or if it happens to be polygynous, like Monomorium and Tapinoma. This is partly due to ethics, and also partially because I don't have the resources to sustain a mature collected colony. That's why with polygynous species, I usually either collect a small portion of the colony or target small/common species that can be easily contained.

 

And I spare no remorse for collecting invasive or introduced species, as they're not supposed to be in the area anyway.

[JesseTheAntKid]

I pretty much agree with FormiCanada's statement. I only collect colonies of a native species if small enough or if it happens to be polygynous, like Monomorium and Tapinoma. This is partly due to ethics, and also partially because I don't have the resources to sustain a mature collected colony. That's why with polygynous species, I usually either collect a small portion of the colony or target small/common species that can be easily contained.

 

And I spare no remorse for collecting invasive or introduced species, as they're not supposed to be in the area anyway.

Such as my Pheidole obscurithorrax and Tetramorium bicarinatum. It's easiest to find the two by digging anyway, and it helps the environment (somewhat). 

 

As for natives, I do not collect them unless they're foundress queens or they have a huge excess of queens. I'm actually planning to take a queen and a couple of workers for a Cyphomyrmex minutus colony, which I have noticed has at least seven queens, and obviously potentially more. 

 

As for construction or cutting, it may be a choice. But then I would relocate them, unless they're invasive.

 

And yes, there is a special circumstance, and that would be if a native is under direct attack from an invasive. In that case, it's pretty much non-consensual abandon ship, unless the natives are clearly winning. I will not keep them, however.

Edited by JesseTheAntKid, February 20 2024 - 4:08 PM.

[ReignofRage]

Relying on excavating/collecting colonies of species that have nuptial flights, to make up for not doing the research and putting in the effort to figure out nuptial flights, is risible. Unless it's for colony examination such as nest structure or populous count for a study, I see no point in doing so. Yes, figuring nuptial flights out can be vexatious at times, however it gets relatively easy relatively quickly. If collecting colonies is your be-all and end-all, procuring a founding colony is better than established. If colonies are going to be killed by clear-cutting or other forms of manipulating the environment, I see no point in not collecting them. With that said about natives, I think it's a rather agreeable point that invasives are free game to any collection or destruction of colonies.