5 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

It explains why I always see so many dead Argentine ants (where they CAN NOT spray at all, due to it being a wilderness area) and also why the Argentine ants can't beat any ant at all here. They can't even defeat small Pogonomyrmex colonies, and even if they have hundreds of millions or even billions of Argentine ants...they still can't beat the Pogonomyrmex or any other ant.

 

It also explains why ant diversity in my particular apartment complex is actually pretty high. Brachymyrmex patagonicus, Tetramorium of some species, even colonies of Solenopsis xyloni and amblychila live inside the complex.

 

Sort of explains their complete non-aggression toward any of the above ants and Solenopsis invicta that are also around.

 

I live in Irvine, California and today I witnessed three colonies of Argentine ants going at it! First time seeing that. One colony is near a bridge that floods underneath it when it rains (left side)...another is closer to the apartments toward the bridge and another colony is opposite side of the one close to the bridge. There were tens of thousands (maybe even more, there was A LOT) of Argentine ants attacking each other, rolling around and I guess it looked like they were stinging each other too or whatever it is they do. Or rub formic acid on each other or whatever their combat style is. And that is in just one area...all around I always see dead Argentine ants all over the place. I never saw any fight (been year for a little over a year now) until today.

 

Sadly I went back to take pictures or record it, but most had been squashed from people walking and bikers...so it looked more like squashed ants. Didn't look nice for pictures.

 

 

No wonder they don't win against any ant around here and other ants actually drive them out inside the complex...they are too busy fighting each other!

 

I did notice in Costa Mesa at the big huge park there, similar thing with dead Argentine ants along their trails...guess there are multiple colonies there too.

 

Though, I wonder if the supercolony has actually broken up a little? Down in San Diego, they never fought each other...but I started seeing dead Argentine ants there too and other (native) ants were coming back.

[Crystals]

I saw a documentary somewhere on youtube where some scientists were examining two Argentine Ant super colonies.  They were separated by a 4 lane road, but still occasional fights went on.

 

They were saying that in their native location there were quite a few unrelated colonies, which is why they aren't as big as a problem down there.  They figure another un-related queen/colony established themselves, and that is why they would not get along.

[BugFinder]

I'm not sure the entomologists have really nailed down what's going on with the Argentine ants.  It seems to me that many are working on and there are several competing ideas of what is happening.  It will be interesting to learn what they end up agreeing on is actually happening.

 

It's great info, thanks for sharing your observations with us.  I would love to go anting with you in your complex when the flights begin.

[dspdrew]

I know they were experimenting with ways to get them to fight each other.

 

@Vendayn What park in Costa Mesa are you talking about?

[Vendayn]

I know they were experimenting with ways to get them to fight each other.

 

@Vendayn What park in Costa Mesa are you talking about?

Fairview Park. I saw on your map there was a bunch of native ants there, but I didn't find any at all. Could have been because I went pretty late in the year. Or maybe the Argentine ants drove them off or something.

[dspdrew]

Hmm, if you were along the drainage ditch, at the very edge of the park, there are Pogonomyrmex californicus colonies all along the dirt next to the side walk. There's also a lot of Tapinoma sessile, and Dorymyrmex bicolor along there too. There's almost nothing anywhere else in the park. P. californicus don't really come out around here though until late April or early May.