That strange nuptial flight may be a forced one: Sometimes colonies just ditch their alates when their flights are over
After some Google-fu, I found what seems to be an explanation. Basically, the conditions were right to trigger the alates to want to fly, but the workers didn't think it was the right time, and was trying to round them all back up. Would explain them having to forcibly drag them, cause those alate really did not want to cooperate. I ended up releasing back to their nest the day after, and they went back in without a fuss (though they could have just been running from me too).
Update time!
(8-3-17) Was at my local park releasing the Formica alates I had caught the day before, since I didn't think they had mated, and there was no sense in keeping them. Since I had gone out there, I decided to check the treeline to see if I could maybe spot something there instead. I stumbled upon a suspicious-looking acorn. Cracked it open to find these two:
Score! Two Lasius cf. niger, founding together. Since they'll eventually fight when workers arrive, I plan to separate them probably around the time the first pupa arrive, and split the brood as evenly as I can. Til then though, I plan to leave them together to care for the brood. Makes up for the Myrmica colony I found in another acorn that seems to be lacking a queen. Found eggs, larva, pupa, and alates...but no queen. It's weird. My only guess is the colony was split between acorns, but usually when I find them nesting in them, they're all together. Oh well. I'm probably going to release them, but they weather got cold and rainy, so there hasn't been a good chance. Also found a few Temnothorax curvispinosus colonies while I was out too, but with all the Temnothorax queens I have, I really don't need any more right now, lol.
(8-4-17) Looked in on Freya, only to discover her brood was a mess. Things were moldy, she'd soaked her only pupa and it was basically mush, and it was just a mess. I decided to modify my THA formicarium, add a second hole to attach a test tube though, a vent for better air circulation, and also a cotton-plugged tube for feeding, and put her in there. I debated giving her some of Terra's pupa, but thought if she messed up that badly, I'll just see if she can redeem herself on her own. Good thing I didn't mess with Terra. She's been a good mom, and later on that night, I saw her first nanitic had eclosed!
Checking up on Maya, I noticed she'd lost another nanitic. She had made her way down to the lower level of the formicarium, and just died. I am starting to think maybe it really was their time. That would make 5 out of 6 of the original nanitics that had died roughly within the same timeframe they were eclosed.
(8-5-17) Had to clean up the Formica's formicarium quite a bit today. Because of the queen's stupid antics, a lot of the rest of the pupa that were eclosed by the workers only contained dead ants. They were starting to mold, so I took them out. Some of the older pupa did still did do alright though, miraculously. Saw a live callow worker as I was cleaning, so that was nice. They have received some fresh pupa again, courtesy of my burnpile colony, and the workers have been doing a good job caring for those. They should be in good hands (mandibles?). Visibility isn't the greatest in the bead containers though, even though they actually do function rather well, so I'm thinking of trying a second formicarium design I've seen lately, and seeing if maybe they'll prefer that better. At the very least, it'd keep them away from the cotton water wick, which seems to be a weakness for the queens.
Another of Maya's nanitics is currently parked in the lower level of the formicarium. I can guess I probably won't find her alive in the morning. Poor nanitics...they really do have short lives T-T The colony as a whole should be okay though. She still has 6 or so workers, and two of the pupa look ready to eclose any day now.
Edited by Hikari, August 6 2017 - 9:18 PM.
I've edited the vid now to just list that one, and some of the host species.
