2124 replies to this topic

[Salmon]

Connectimyrmex, on 10 Aug 2017 - 12:54 AM, said:

I saw a weird medium-large reddish queen with hooked fangs (not a velvet ant). She was roughly the size of my Formica incerta queen.

Polyergus?

Coincidentally Formica incerta is the host species of our local Polyergus.

[Connectimyrmex]

Noeb1, your queen looks a bit different.

Thanks for the ID, Salmon! I looked it up and she is Polyergus! I wish I kept her, I actually have like fifty Formica pupae just sitting around in a cabinet.

[noebl1]

Dragonflies are in full force today... found a handful of gaster-less alates of some sort of small ant that were dead.  Also a gaster-less Camponotus queen alate running around. 

 

With the heat in and humidity, wouldn't surprise me if there are some flights tonight.

[Nathant2131]

Been in Freedom, NH for the last few days. 2 days ago I found an Aphaenogaster male under a rock, and yesterday I found a colony of Aphaenogaster under some bark with alates. The males in the colony looked identical to the male I found under the rock so that's how I ID'ed it.

 

Found a few velvet ants too.

[Connectimyrmex]

Aphaenogaster rudis and Solenopsis molesta flew today

[ctantkeeper]

Massive solenopsis flight! I managed to collect 10 de-alate queens in the span of a thirty-minute search. I also managed to collect a Pheidole pilifera queen de-alate!!!!!! This particular species has been my "white whale" for the past 4 years. I have never seen a queen of this species before in person and I don't live near any active colonies, making collecting them rather difficult (or more so next to impossible). Anyways, I also saw a Temnothorax curvispinosus alate queen, Lasius alienus alate queens and males as well as a dead Stenamma sp. queen alate caught in a spider web. 

[Nathant2131]

Yesterday late evening I found a total of 3 Myrmica female alates wandering around in Freedom. Maybe a flight took place.

Edited by Nathant2131, August 15 2017 - 5:18 AM.

[noebl1]

I've been finding Myrmica alates dead for the last week or so.  Either drowned in a bucket or 1/2 eaten from dragonflies.  I've been finding gasterless alates that I believe are Lasius of some sort as well.   Last year one Myrmica sp. flew mid-afternoon in early Sept where I live (I happened to be home from work that day).  So no idea how long they had been flying prior while I was working.

[Aquaexploder]

During my week at camp I saw 4 Myrmica dealates and one Aphaenogaster dealates, however I didn't keep any because I don't have enough room to keep so many colonies. I did also find these two (what I presume to be lasius) workers that had huge bloated gasters that I had mistaken for queens. Also could someone please tell me the time of day the current species are flying at?

Edited by Aquaexploder, August 15 2017 - 5:21 AM.

[Nathant2131]

OH

 

And yesterday I also found a wandering Formica fusca-group dealate in the afternoon. I find it funny how random their appearances are for us.

Edited by Nathant2131, August 15 2017 - 5:19 AM.

[ctantkeeper]

I found some dead Aphaenogaster rudis alates (both males and queens). Maybe a flight happened last night.

Edited by ctantkeeper, August 15 2017 - 6:11 AM.

[Aquaexploder]

Do we have any fungus growers in New England?

[Connectimyrmex]

MYRMICA?! OMG I NEED THEM
I'm getting my collecting equipment ready...

Also, I just caught an adorable Lasius latipes queen. She got attacked by her L. alienus workers, so I put a drop of honey on her thorax and sent her back in. The workers drank the honey off and fed it to the queen! She was successfully adopted.

[Aquaexploder]

Connectimyrmex, on 15 Aug 2017 - 6:09 PM, said:

MYRMICA?! OMG I NEED THEM

Why do you really want to catch Myrmica? Just curious.

[Connectimyrmex]

I almost forgot to mention that I saw a ponerid queen wandering around. I let her be.

Aquaexploder, on 15 Aug 2017 - 6:16 PM, said:

 

Connectimyrmex, on 15 Aug 2017 - 6:09 PM, said:

MYRMICA?! OMG I NEED THEM

Why do you really want to catch Myrmica? Just curious.

 

I just hope to keep a semi claustral queen

[noebl1]

To my surprise found a couple Tetramorium queen alates, dealates, and males... I figured they'd be done flying by now.  Found a male Aphaenogaster stuck in a puddle still alive, and I also believe a male Lasius alate dead.

[Aquaexploder]

I found another Aphaenogaster dealate today. Also as I asked previously, do we have any fungus growers in New England?

[noebl1]

Aquaexploder, on 15 Aug 2017 - 10:44 PM, said:

I found another Aphaenogaster dealate today. Also as I asked previously, do we have any fungus growers in New England?

 

I'm not an expert like @batspiderfish, however I am personally not aware of any unfortunately.

 

Have you seen this book? It's my personal favorite that I keep handy A Field Guide to New England Ants

 

EDIT:  I bought mine used via Prime, so saved money and was in pristine condition.

Edited by noebl1, August 15 2017 - 2:57 PM.

[Aquaexploder]

Thanks for the book suggestion, but Nathant has already previously recommended it to me. So not to long ago I decided to order it through my library and I can definitely say I enjoyed reading it.

[RhodyAnts]

Aquaexploder the book is also available on google play books for like 10 bucks. Plus side to that is you always have it around for reference and it's searchable. The Identification keys will likely be useful to have around.

I'm pretty good with my winter ants for now (provided they survive things are a bit hairy), but come next year it might help me narrow down some sppts for some pheidole.