14 replies to this topic

[Chromerust]

If you guys in SoCal are interested in finding queens, Dorymyrmex flew today in Riverside. My guess is you'll be able to find these all over where you live too. If you need help identifying founding chambers I can post a pic for you guys. I think Drew already has a thread with pics on here already

[Gregory2455]

Are you serious? This late in the year!? I have been seeing things that look like founding chambers all day! I just disregarded them because of the fact it is December...

[Chromerust]

Yeah if they are little piles of dirt about the size of a nickel, then it's most likely a Dorymyrmex

[Gregory2455]

There are hundreds of them here in Simi Valley! Most of them are only a few inches apart too!

[Gregory2455]

It is kind of weird I have not seen a single queen walking around though.

[Chromerust]

I've never seen one walk around either. They land in a specific spot and immediately dig

[dspdrew]

Hey everybody. Don't forget to report nuptial flights on the mating chart thread so that it gets added to the update I plan to do yearly.

[Foogoo]

Yeah if they are little piles of dirt about the size of a nickel, then it's most likely a Dorymyrmex

 

Happen to have a picture? I just walked around the sandy areas around my neighborhood where there's a few Pogonomyrmex colonies and at least one Dorymyrmex colony and couldn't find anything. Doesn't surprise me though, even most of the active nests were barely stirring.

[dspdrew]

[Foogoo]

Thanks Drew, that helps a lot! I probably would have mistaken that for earthworm castings (which I did come across, and am pretty sure were castings).

[dspdrew]

Yeah, those look distinctly different.

[Foogoo]

Yeah, those look distinctly different.

 

Based on your video though, the mounds look about the same size right?

[dspdrew]

Same size, but the dirt from worms has been squeezed out of them, not picked up and dropped piece by piece.

[Gregory2455]

There are small colonies now with nanitics emerging all over the place now- probably from the queens that flew on this date.

[Chromerust]

I saved a few of these queens just for the heck of it and I just saw a couple have a brand new worker. I didn't keep them very warm so it took longer than usual.