6 replies to this topic

[Patp3]

No clue how to upload pics!

http://imgur.com/gallery/HyKvbTV

1. Location (on a map) of collection: north county san diego, just south of 76 highway and east of 15 freeway
2. Date of collection: Sept 21
3. Habitat of collection: dry, sandy DG soil, near an oak tree
4. Length (from head to gaster):4-5mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: dark very small ant
6. Distinguishing characteristics: still has wings
7. Distinguishing behavior: none
8. Nest description: noticed a small hole with sand outside of it, used a shovel dug about 5 inches down and flipped the soil.

9. Nuptial flight time and date:??

Hey guys I'm new to all of this and have been eager to find my first queen, I've been walking sidewalks and trails with my eyes to the ground for a few weeks with no luck. The other day I saw a video dspdrew did of him and a few friends digging up new queens so I decided to give it a try! So I was at work (Commercial beekeeper) and decided to do a little hunting, I tried a few fire ant colonies but had concluded going into it that regardless if I found a queen or not it probably wasn't a good idea for several reasons (stings, a novice trying to relocate an aggressive ant)

but as I looked around the yard I found what I believed to be a new ant nest but it was very small. So I took my shovel came from the side of the hole and flipped the soil and spread it out a little, and that's when I found her(I hope) a tiny black ant still with her(I hope) wings!

So do I have a queen? If so any idea on species? Thanks for reading!!

Please forgive the photos, my s8+ doesn't have a camera that likes to zoom so much 😆

[FeedTheAnts]

Thanks for following the format, but your pics are not gonna cut it. We need something way better than those for a proper identification.

[Patp3]

Another try at pictures, I've never tried to photograph something so small! It's been an experience already haha, I hope these help you out more but I will probably wait a few days to try more I don't want to bother her(I hope) to much

Edited by Patp3, September 22 2018 - 8:28 AM.
Properly posted image

[gcsnelling]

I normally do not go look at pics by way of an outside link. However for the sake of newbie I did. The good news, It is an ant, the bad news is that it appears to be a male.

[Patp3]

Thank you for doing that for me, as a newbie any help is very appreciated!

Bummer! I wonder of the queen was there but I got so excited when I saw this guy I missed her completely!

Is it a common thing for a Male to follow a queen into her new nest? There were no other black ants in the area just red ones so I don't believe I dug up an established nest because the ant I caught was the only one I saw at all.

Well thanks again I guess I'll keep the little guy awhile and see what happens

[FeedTheAnts]

I agree gcsnelling, it looks like a male. Was gonna say that but thought I was most likely wrong. 

About the males being in the founding chamber with the queen. I've seen a(most likely dead) male with a queen once, but it probably isn't that common. Also, I don't think the male would've followed the queen to her chamber. Maybe it happens when the ants are still in the act of mating when the queen digs her chamber, and then even until after the queen makes herself at home. 

All of this is just a guess though, and I've only seen a male in a founding chamber once.

Edited by TennesseeAnts, September 22 2018 - 12:02 PM.

[dspdrew]

All males usually do is mate and die. Also some males are black regardless of the worker color.