33 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

8-7-2014
 
On Thursday 7-24-2014 I collected about 20 Solenopsis amblychila alates and two dealates on my black light up in Trabuco Canyon, California. It was a very warm, calm and humid night and had just gotten dark when they flew.
 
ID Thread: https://www.formicul....php/topic/427-
 
1. Location of collection: Trabuco Canyon, California.
2. Date of collection: 7-24-2014.
3. Habitat of collection: Chaparral/Oak Forest.
4. Length (from head to gaster): 7mm.
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: All redish-orange.
 

 
Within one week, all but one of the dealates were dead. James C. Trager suggested that these could possibly be parasitic and the reason for them dying. Knowing this, I quickly gave the remaining queen, which looked like it was starting to die already, some brood from my Solenopsis xyloni colony. Along with the brood was one callow worker. I gave them all some food and waited to see what happens. Right away she accepted everything. Another week has passed now, and she is alive and well. The only problem is she still has not laid any eggs. As a matter of fact, I have never seen an S. amblychila alate or dealate lay any eggs.

[dspdrew]

Update 8-8-2014
 
I decided to take a look with my microscope today to see if the queen might have happened to lay any eggs, and low and behold she did. This is the first S. amblychila I have ever had that actually laid eggs. I'm starting to think more and more that these really could be parasitic.
 
Here's a picture of her with her S. xyloni workers and her little pile of freshly laid eggs.
 

[Gregory2455]

Nice, so it is relatively easy to raise a parasitic species if you can boost them.

[Anhzor]

Not always, many parasitic species will die in a few days if she has no workers to help her out

[Gregory2455]

Is this one parasitic to S.xyloni in the wild too? She has such a smaller gaster than a S.xyloni queen.

[dspdrew]

Nobody really even knows if it's parasitic at all. Right now it's just a theory. James C. Trager mentioned it could be a possibility, and so far my one single experiment seems to support that.

[dspdrew]

Update 8-17-2014
 
This queen is still doing fine, but it doesn't look like her eggs are developing.

 

Just the other night I found two more of these alates on my black light in Trabuco Canyon, California. I boosted both of them with some S. xyloni brood including pupae.

[dspdrew]

Update 8-29-2014
 
The boosted queen's eggs never developed and she hasn't laid anymore since. The other night I found two more of these queens who tore their wings off right in front of me, so they're probably fertile. I boosted all three queens with a decent amount of brood this time from my mature colony of S. xyloni that recently lost its queen.

 

Edit: I found out my S. xyloni didn't lose their queen after all.

Edited by dspdrew, September 12 2014 - 5:57 PM.

[Alza]

when i witnessed the flight on june 21st alates took there wings off before they mated. it was right before they went out the colony. species is what i think is subnitidus. So can you really trust that ?

[dspdrew]

I don't think ants remove their wings before mating. As far as I know, around here, subnitidus is a species of Pogonomyrmex.

[Alza]

yayayayay pogonomyrmex subnitidus, but some removed wings right after coming out of there nest. others didn't and got on blades of grass for the flight

[Alza]

btw don't let those amblychila sting you! i got dropped by some fire ants and i had an allergic reaction. protect yourself and be careful 

[Gregory2455]

Anything happening here?

[dspdrew]

Update 9-12-2014
 
One of the new queens died. The other let a lot of her boost brood die, but now seems to have some stacked up and they look healthy. She doesn't have any more workers in there though, so I'm not sure if these larvae are going to get fed or not. I guess that could probably help determine whether or not they are parasitic. This queen also has a few brand new eggs in there that would have to be hers.
 
The original queen is still alive and doing great. I just noticed that not only did she also likely lay some eggs of her own finally, but some of them have even turned to small larvae now.
 

[dspdrew]

Update 9-25-2014
 
All remaining workers and brood slowly died off in both colonies, until finally both queens died too. I guess I'll try again next year.

[Gregory2455]

Did you keep some of the brood alive? I wonder how the workers of this species look like.

[Tpro4]

Btw, I always been wondering, what's this thing you call black light? How to make it? Or where can I buy it?

[Gregory2455]

Well, you can buy blacklight traps from Bioquip I think, but it is easier to make one. As far as I know, both me and Drew are working on battery powered designs though.

[DesertAntz]

Could you buy any old black light and hang it outside? 

[Gregory2455]

Yes.