2124 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Welp, my parents made me get rid of it. I'm pretty mad.

[Connectimyrmex]

Lasius subumbratus flew yesterday (I found one winged queen). I successfully introduced her to two Lasius flavus workers (they were originally with a claviger queen)

[Connectimyrmex]

I found a ton of P. imparis workers foraging in my own yard! YESS!! I might be able to catch a queen of this species next year!!

[Aquaexploder]

Lol, this weekend I went camping and there was over 200 P. imparis workers drinking the morning dew off my tent.

[noebl1]

I was thinking we could have one more flight this season by us this weekend, but didn't see anything.  May be done here for the season   

[Connectimyrmex]

Not exactly ants, but Vespula germanica, Vespula vulgaris, and Vespula maculifrons if flying.

 

Also, I've been finding TONS of Lasius neoniger and alienus queens under streamside rocks, with the occasional Lasius umbratus huddling there as well.

Edited by Connectimyrmex, October 19 2017 - 4:58 PM.

[Connectimyrmex]

My L. claviger colony went out with a bang. A worker eclosed, which suddenly caused the L. flavus workers to revolt and kill the queen and worker...

[Aquaexploder]

Not exactly ants, but Vespula germanica, Vespula vulgaris, and Vespula maculifrons if flying.

Can confirm this, my friend killed one on my bus.

[Connectimyrmex]

I mean queens and males, not workers.

Let me know if you see more queens flying!

[Aquaexploder]

I mean queens and males, not workers.

Let me know if you see more queens flying!

I know, she was a queen.

[Connectimyrmex]

;-;

[Aquaexploder]

I like the new profile pic Connectimyrmex.
Also I remember that a while back before I got into ant keeping in May or the beginning of June a queen flew on my neck. She was bright red and a little orangish-yellow. Anyone have a clue what see could have been?

[Connectimyrmex]

Ant queen?
Could have been a late blooming Prenolepis imparis or Camponotus casta(whatever). It could have even been a male Velvet Ant.

If you are referring to wasps, it probably was a social parasite Yellow Jacket queen.

Thanks for the profile compliment BTW.

[Aquaexploder]

Ok, thanks for the ID.

[Connectimyrmex]

So was it an ant or a wasp?

[Aquaexploder]

It was a male velvet ant, so wasp.

[Connectimyrmex]

I see..

Also, it seems like Vespula germanica had a large nuptial flight yesterday, marked by hundreds of drowned and battered males and queens. I managed to collect two live queens.

[noebl1]

So getting ready to put the bulk of my ants into hibernation, and had a bit of a surprise tonight. I was looking at a couple of the misc queens I caught, one specifically on 8/15.  I had it placed with Tetramorium, but then set it aside as was taking forever to eclose.  However now that I am looking at it, I think it may be badly mis-IDed Aphaenogaster.     It's first worker is getting closer to eclosing as it's coloring up (no cocoon).  It was huge compared to Tetramorium nanitics, so realized something was off...  She and the first worker look a lot like Aphaenogaster picea.  I guess I'll wait for her to eclose before hibernating. 

[Connectimyrmex]

NOOOO! I CAUGHT TWO PLATYARTHUS SOWBUGS AND I DROPPED THEM ON THE FLOOR AND LOST THEM!

 

At least I caught a bombus queen.. and I'm not even sure if its a queen.

[Connectimyrmex]

I moved my C. pennsylvanicus colony into a two-tube nesting setup yesterday, and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw a tiny orange critter hopping amongst them. It was a baby Myrmecophila cricket! Sadly, I found him dead this evening.