108 replies to this topic

[ultraex2]

The Tetramorium nest(s) in my driverway were getting ready to swarm last night  - at about 10:20 there were a ton of workers and alates just inside the entrance to their nest.  It rained this morning, so I don't know if they had a chance to fly yet or not, but I'm hoping they fly before it rained and I can pick some up this evening.  It's literally rained every day for the past week... it needs to stop for a few days so they can fly!

[Ameise]

Mine were swarming - getting ready as well, and then we had a few rainstorms in a row including a very heavy one. I didn't see them actually taking flight before that.

[ultraex2]

Yeah, they were definitely starting to gather the night before last but then it rained... I'll have to check the pool when I can as when stuff flies I can almost always get at least one from there.

[BMM]

There was a request for some pictures of the Tetramorium tsushimae queens I caught, so here they are. T. tsushimae is supposed to be smaller and have longer spines. I measured the queens and the six of them range from 5.8mm-6.5mm. I've tried comparing my pictures with pictures of T. sp E/caespitum queens and I can't really tell a difference in the spines. Perhaps that's more noticeable on the workers.

 

[BMM]

Looks like we had another Tetramorium tsushimae flight today. Didn't catch them this morning, but there were dead queens all over the parking lot when I left work. 

[ultraex2]

I still haven't found any Tetramorium yet in northern IL.  I've been watching them swarm at around 11 at night but then it always rains - we just had a HUGE rain last night so maybe they'll fly over the next couple days.

[Martialis]

T. tshumae mate in nest.

[BMM]

They likely do, but I'm nearly certain they fly as well. In addition to the queens I've been finding, I've read some info on Japanese forums and blogs that seems to confirm that they fly in early summer like T. sp E/caespitum.

[Ants4fun]

Tetremorium sp e, Pheidole pilifera, and tetremorium curvispinosis afe flying near Modale, Iowa.

[Ameise]

I still haven't found any Tetramorium yet in northern IL.  I've been watching them swarm at around 11 at night but then it always rains - we just had a HUGE rain last night so maybe they'll fly over the next couple days.

 

Unfortunately it's raining right now as well. It either is cool after rain, or it's hot but then rains again.

[ultraex2]

Has anyone found/seen any Pheidole in Illinois?  I would love to get some and supposedly they live here.  I think it's getting close to when most Pheidole are flying.

[Ameise]

Which species in particular?

[ultraex2]

Any Pheidole - according to Antmaps there are 4 species :

 

Pheidole bicarinata

Pheidole dentata

Pheidole morrisii

Pheidole pilifera

 

But any kind would be cool.

[ultraex2]

Tetramorium flew in northern Illinois this weekend - I was actually out of town and came back Monday and checked the pool and found 3 queens.  I found a 4th queen wandering around in the grass yesterday.

 

I'm guessing that they flew Saturday.

[Mdrogun]

I got up early on Monday, like 5:20, and witnessed 6 or 7 nuptial flights just walking around the block. I also caught 44 queens, there were tons more, but who needs that many? 

[Martialis]

I should REALLY get up earlier..

[Ameise]

Tetramorium flew in northern Illinois this weekend - I was actually out of town and came back Monday and checked the pool and found 3 queens.  I found a 4th queen wandering around in the grass yesterday.

 

I'm guessing that they flew Saturday.

I caught ~30.

[ultraex2]

There was another Tetramorium flight in the past couple days, found a bunch of dead ones in the pool.  Formica Pallidefulva? (copper colored formica) also flew as well - I found 1 dead one in the pool and another one with larvae in a founding chamber underneath a rock.  This was in Northern Illinois.

[Ameise]

There was another Tetramorium flight in the past couple days, found a bunch of dead ones in the pool.  Formica Pallidefulva? (copper colored formica) also flew as well - I found 1 dead one in the pool and another one with larvae in a founding chamber underneath a rock.  This was in Northern Illinois.

The copper-colored ones are a PITA. About half of the ones I catch die within a day.

[ultraex2]

 

There was another Tetramorium flight in the past couple days, found a bunch of dead ones in the pool.  Formica Pallidefulva? (copper colored formica) also flew as well - I found 1 dead one in the pool and another one with larvae in a founding chamber underneath a rock.  This was in Northern Illinois.

The copper-colored ones are a PITA. About half of the ones I catch die within a day.

 

 

Dang, that stinks - I had my hopes up that the 1 I caught with larvae would do well but when I was about to transfer the larvae over it was gone... it sucks!  My Aphaenogaster colony is starting to get alates, so I think that they will be flying fairly soon.

 

I also managed to find 4 C. Pennsylvanicus with pupae all in the same log - I can't believe how close they had nesting chambers, as soon as I lifted the log 2 of them immediately started fighting.  I suppose it's good that I managed to collect them, though, as I'm sure once the first workers hatched they would have started fighting and 1 colony would have been left.