27 replies to this topic

[dermy]

August 13/2016 had a nice sized Lasius sp. Nuptial Flight. I'm not 100% on the subspecies but my guess is probably Lasius neoniger.

 

 

 

It was pretty cool to watch it happen, I never get to see anything like this so it was really nice, and made my trip outside pretty worth it.

[Saftron]

I wish I had Lasius Neoniger where I lived ;-;. Here we have Lasius Flavus and Alienus which I have never ever seen

[noebl1]

I'm still waiting for them to fly down here in MA.  Lasius Niger or Alienus flew last week, was pretty crazy, however didn't find any alates that night:

 

 

 

I had initially thought it was Lasius Neoniger as was in the middle of a bunch of Neoniger nests... but they just happened to be in close proximity.

Edited by noebl1, August 14 2016 - 8:33 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

I wish I had Lasius Neoniger where I lived ;-;. Here we have Lasius Flavus and Alienus which I have never ever seen

 

California has 16 species of Lasius, including L. neoniger, just so you know. 

[Saftron]

In the bay area there's only 4.

[Batspiderfish]

In the bay area there's only 4.

 

Is there a resource that breaks up the ant diversity of California into regions? That could be useful to me.

[noebl1]

BTW interesting observation tonight as noticed that this same colony may be flying tonight.  Male alates are coming out of one entrance, while female alates from another about 3 feet away.  Definitely a huge number of males vs females.

[Batspiderfish]

Lasius spp. are flying again here in Maine! They are joined this evening by Brachymyrmex depilis.

 

Crematogaster sp., Aphaenogaster sp., and Solenopsis molesta have also been sighted.

[noebl1]

Local colony considering flying again:

Edited by noebl1, August 18 2016 - 4:12 PM.

[noebl1]

My favorite Lasius colony is flying again tonight.  We watched them climbing up small twigs and branches and taking off for a bit.  Still no sign of L. Neoniger flights by me.

[dermy]

My favorite Lasius colony is flying again tonight.  We watched them climbing up small twigs and branches and taking off for a bit.  Still no sign of L. Neoniger flights by me.

I'm guessing yours might happen a bit later like in Sept. sometime.

[noebl1]

Irony... @batspiderfish ID'ed my first L. Neoniger tonight.  May be a fluke, but still pretty happy.  Last species I was hoping to get this season (and sadly been waiting all season for...)

 

http://www.formicult...ssachusetts-usa

 

 

EDIT;  This is also NOT what I was seeing take flight earlier tonight.  They are smaller and much darker than the L. Neoniger queen I found.

Edited by noebl1, August 26 2016 - 6:19 PM.

[Salmon]

Lasius neoniger are flying around here this evening, and all the insectivores are gorging themselves. I saw what I thought was a dead twelve- spotted skimmer (large, skittish dragonfly species) lying upside down on the road... Nope. It was so caught up in munching on a tasty lasius queen that the neither the fact that it was lying upside down or me walking over and picking it up seemed to concern it.

[noebl1]

Lasius neoniger are flying around here this evening, and all the insectivores are gorging themselves. I saw what I thought was a dead twelve- spotted skimmer (large, skittish dragonfly species) lying upside down on the road... Nope. It was so caught up in munching on a tasty lasius queen that the neither the fact that it was lying upside down or me walking over and picking it up seemed to concern it.

 

 

Ditto here too.  Caught a couple different varieties today, only 1 Neoniger last night though.  Neoniger just started flying in the last 20-30mins here.  Can't tell you how many of them I saw without gasters.  Like you, watched dragonflies eat the gasters, drop them, repeat. Over and over.

Edited by noebl1, August 27 2016 - 2:26 PM.

[Batspiderfish]

 

Lasius neoniger are flying around here this evening, and all the insectivores are gorging themselves. I saw what I thought was a dead twelve- spotted skimmer (large, skittish dragonfly species) lying upside down on the road... Nope. It was so caught up in munching on a tasty lasius queen that the neither the fact that it was lying upside down or me walking over and picking it up seemed to concern it.

 

 

Ditto here too.  Caught a couple different varieties today, only 1 Neoniger last night though.  Neoniger just started flying in the last 20-30mins here.  Can't tell you how many of them I saw without gasters.  Like you, watched dragonflies eat the gasters, drop them, repeat. Over and over.

 

 

Just gotta wait till every dragonfly gets full. 

 

Such an unfair match-up. One of nature's worst fliers against nature's most talented flier.

[noebl1]

Kinda bums me out... pretty certain it marks the end of ant hunting here in New England

[noebl1]

Of the many flights today I saw, I think this may be L. Flavus?  Saw quite a few colonies of these taking off, but with the sunsetting and being on a heavily wooded trail, didn't take a lot of pics:

[Batspiderfish]

Kinda bums me out... pretty certain it marks the end of ant hunting here in New England

 

Whoa, buddy! Fall's just getting started. Lasius (niger) spp. and Lasius (Cautolasius) spp. will fly for a while longer, followed by the social parasites. We'll get lots of interesting myrmicines, including Crematogaster, Myrmica, Myrmecina, and Aphaenogaster. Brachymyrmex will likely stick around for a bit as well. Ponera pennsylvanica and Stigmatomma pallipes (don't try to keep this one without a worker or an amicable, second queen) will be flying at the end of August, into September. We've had a drought this summer, and some of the ants' schedules are a little wonky from what they've usually been. If the Camponotus colonies don't have enough food to keep their alates over the winter, we could see another Camponotus flight.

Edited by Batspiderfish, August 28 2016 - 6:37 AM.

[dermy]

 

Whoa, buddy! Fall's just getting started

Wish it were the same here, I'm expecting Winter in less than 2 months.

[noebl1]

@batspiderfish:  Ok, that made me happy again