3 replies to this topic

[Hunter]

or any formica

[Penguin]

I'm not sure how different your schedule for nuptial flights are from mine, but in Toronto they fly in bulk in July and some small flights in late June and early August.

 

(Since some other members live in Maine too I would trust them to answer this better than me)

[Connectimyrmex]

In New England, Formica species often fly during early summer. Formica subseriscea is an oddball, because I have seen alates from june to september.

 

Also, Formica rubicunda (and other slave raiders) are notoriously difficult to raise. You will have to supply your queen with thousands of Formica pupae every year. If you really want to raise a slave raider, it would be a better idea to have a non-parasitic Formica colony prepared beforehand to supply you with pupae. 
 

I would suggest trying Polyergus, they are a beautiful red Formica slave raider with a remarkable life style.

Edited by Connectimyrmex, November 17 2017 - 9:23 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

You shouldn't keep obligate raiding species at all, because they are not suited to live captivity and do almost nothing but sit around or search in vain for host colonys (ignoring food in the process). If you happen to find Formica aserva in July, that is a species from the sanguinea group that needs host workers only temporarily. Formica social parasites outside of the sanguinea group are similarly independent.

Formica in general fly from July to September, although some of the thatch-building species will have flights earlier in the year. Get them ID'd in a thread, because Formica identification takes an experienced eye.

I've kept a few raiding Formica in my time, and F. aserva is the only one which has survived long term. They are also some of the only nearctic, sanguinea-group Formica seen doing things outside of the nest other than July raiding.

Edited by Batspiderfish, November 17 2017 - 11:14 AM.