11 replies to this topic

[JWRay]

I am heading out soon for ten days in southeast Arizona - Tucson, the Santa Ritas, and Huachucas, and the Chiracahuas and everywhere between.

 

Any advice on the following:

 

1) cool AZ endemic species (and habitats)

2) good locations

3) what to expect this time of year

4) anything else you can think of

 

I go to AZ about 4 times a year, and I am pretty familiar with the SE area, but I have barely done any ant stuff.  Primarily insect (beetle) collecting, birding, and hiking...........and the occasional beer.

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited by JWRay, June 8 2016 - 7:49 PM.

[gcsnelling]

This is an easy one, any place you go for good beetle,moth collecting should have super cool ants. As long as you get some monsoon rains pretty much any Az. species is possible to find.

Edited by gcsnelling, June 9 2016 - 2:21 AM.

[Salmon]

Wouldn't it be better to go during mid to late summer?

[JWRay]

Wouldn't it be better to go during mid to late summer?

 

For ants? Quite possibly.

 

For my work schedule? Not a chance!

[gcsnelling]

Monsoon season is best for sure.

[Kingjay]

You should look at the temperature if it's hot enough then go.Other than that good luck on finding ants and other things

[JWRay]

You should look at the temperature if it's hot enough then go.Other than that good luck on finding ants and other things

 

Well I am going regardless of whether its 40 below zero or 215 kelvin, its the week I have my vacation scheduled.......

 

And ants are active year round in SE AZ.  I am not saying you can find queens year round, but there will certainly be ants any month of the year.  You can catch a great deal of things nearly year round in SE AZ.  Of course there are organisms that have life cycles based on certain times of year, but there is pretty much always SOMETHING to see in southern AZ.

 

And of course it is summer so its guaranteed to be hot.  Depending on where, it should be 80-100 across all of SE AZ.

 

Monsoon season is best for sure.

 

Just after the first big rains is a great time for tiger beetles, for sure.  Do certain ants trigger their activity on the monsoon rains as well?

[gcsnelling]

Ant activity is very much tied to the rains. Most of the Arizona arthropod species will not become active until the rains begin. There may be a burst of activity in the early spring as well.

[dspdrew]

In the California deserts, it's completely dead in spring, and then comes to life as soon as the first rain hits in early July usually.

[JWRay]

Ant activity is very much tied to the rains. Most of the Arizona arthropod species will not become active until the rains begin. There may be a burst of activity in the early spring as well.

 

Yeah May and June are certainly slower out there for bugs, never as good as late July - Sept. 

 

But I still always end up finding a pretty good range of interesting things. 

 

I certainly don't know much about ants overall, but I have been to AZ in every month of the year but Jan & Feb, and at least all the surface colony ants like Pogonomyrmex always seem to be active every time I have been there, so I just guessed they were not as driven by the rain.  But there is a vast number of other species I know nothing about.

 

Even if I cannot find them this time of year, anyone have any input on some of the cooler or more unique ants out in AZ?

[JWRay]

Heading out for AZ in 11 hours.

 

Brutal heat here I come........ 

 

Actually going to avoid some of the heat by heading up up up. Mount Lemmon and Mount Graham are on the agenda for sure. Should be only in the lower 80s up at those elevations.  Any last tips or ideas??

[JWRay]

Well, I have just returned from my AZ trip. Ant activity was considerably better than I imagined. I found a variety of species preparing for nuptial flights at various locations, and encountered queens frequently throughout the trip. It probably helped that a few rainstorms rolled through various areas.

 

Overall, not too shabby of a trip.  I plan on posting some of my photos in my wild ant picture thread: http://www.formicult...picture-thread/.