Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Where and when are you finding queen ants? A section to share nuptial flight schedules by ant species and locality

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Nathant
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Location: Massachusetts

Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17233Post Nathant
Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:34 pm

noebl1 wrote:
Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:42 pm
Nathant wrote:
Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:59 pm
This doesn't have much to do flight wise but I was talking to my friend the other day and he said he found Pheidole by an open sandy area in the Dracut Lowell state forest once. He doesn't know much about ants but you can't mistake pheidole. This is probably helpful since we never see them here. Cool thing is this forest is a mile from me.
Nice! I'll have to check that place out! It's about 15-20mins from my house, so not far at all.
Lasius claviger is overwelmingly common there by the way, well at least on the Dracut side of it. Found about a dozen dealates under the same log overwintering, and finding the colonies is easily accomplished by flipping stones. The wet, soily substrate is a great habitat for the Social Parasites. I can't even imagine what it is like during their flights. And of course, C. pennsylvanicus makes home there which I doubt you would be interested in. ;)
Massachusetts Nuptial Flight Thread | Massachusetts Anting Thread | My Ants

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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17237Post Nathant
Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:24 pm

I piled up all of the 2016 flight sightings in MA that you guys experienced. Took a while but I think it will be easy to look at a single post rather than taking the time of browsing through 26 pages of Topic. Will also be easy for the new keepers to look at, again without having to scroll through so much writing.


January



February



March



April



May

-May 12: Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus Myrmentoma
-May 25: Camponotus pennsylvanicus
-May 26: Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Camponotus novaeboracensis, Camponotus Myrmentoma
-May 27: Camponotus sp.
-May 28: Camponotus sp.
-May 31: Camponotus sp.



June

-June 30: Lasius interjectus



July

-July 13: Temnothorax sp.
-July 15: Camponotus pennsylvanicus
-July 21: Temnothorax sp.
-July 26: Lasius alienus, Temnothorax sp.



August

-August 6: Lasius alienus, Temnothorax sp., Camponotus pennsylvanicus
-August 27: Lasius sp.



September

-September 1: Lasius sp.
-September 7: Lasius neoniger, Lasius sp.
-September 8: Lasius sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Myrmecina, Myrmica (?), Social Parasite Lasius
-September 9: Myrmica sp, Lasius sp.
-September 14: Lasius sp.
-September 20: Ponera pennsylvanica, Lasius sp.



October

-October 17: Lasius neoniger



November



December




Note that these were confirmed flights, and there were definitely a lot more ants flying than this. Others were collected but not during a flight or at least that anyone had noticed. I will do a 2017 chart as soon as 2018 hits.
Massachusetts Nuptial Flight Thread | Massachusetts Anting Thread | My Ants

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Nathant
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17240Post Nathant
Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:07 pm

noebl1 wrote:
Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:54 pm
Nice! I also think if that's my July 15 C. Pennsylvanicus, it may have been a mis-ID of a Formica Fusca.

More from my records:
Jun 29 - Temnothorax sp.

Jul 1 - Tetramorium Sp E
Jul 14 - Myrmica sp.

Aug 11 - Dolichoderus mariae
Aug 26 - Lasius Neoniger

Tetramorium had at least 2 other flights, but unfortunately I didn't write them down :(
I'll add that. For the Formica, are you referring to the species group or species alone?
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17242Post Nathant
Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:09 pm

Hmm well for some reason I cannot edit the post.
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17339Post Nathant
Mon Feb 20, 2017 8:01 am

It seems things are getting warmer! From now on it seems we get over 40 highs. A big improvement after the recent maurade of snow we had, though of course it will still be a while before we see any ants. Excited!
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17345Post Nathant
Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:20 am

noebl1 wrote:
Mon Feb 20, 2017 8:31 am
Nathant wrote:
Mon Feb 20, 2017 8:01 am
It seems things are getting warmer! From now on it seems we get over 40 highs. A big improvement after the recent maurade of snow we had, though of course it will still be a while before we see any ants. Excited!
Looks like we may hit 60s on Thurs which will be great. However may still be a bit too low for P. Imparis :(
I know. I am going walking that day and I doubt they will fly, but maybe some colonies will have been done overwintering, who knows. Last year, I've had tetramorium still foraging for some apples late into November in 40-50 degree weather. P. imparis too, though that is no surprise. A Nylanderia flavipes colony in my yard also started slowing down late.
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17349Post Nathant
Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:38 pm

noebl1 wrote:
Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:37 am
Nathant wrote:
Mon Feb 20, 2017 10:20 am
I know. I am going walking that day and I doubt they will fly, but maybe some colonies will have been done overwintering, who knows. Last year, I've had tetramorium still foraging for some apples late into November in 40-50 degree weather. P. imparis too, though that is no surprise. A Nylanderia flavipes colony in my yard also started slowing down late.
I haven't seen any ants yet, but noticed some flies yesterday on the windows, so insects are starting to wake up. My L. Alienus and Tetramorium in hibernation are both starting to get more active. Still holding on until March before I warm them up, but maybe earlier March than later now...
I'll be waking my queens up March 15. I sure hope the ants in the wild wake up soon. Will be quite cool heading into this anting season way more knowledgeable than before.
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17438Post Nathant
Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:55 pm

Found a P. imparis worker foraging while snow was still in the ground about an hour ago. (Methuen) Tough little girls.
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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17468Post Nathant
Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:08 am

Wow! It looks like it will get quite warm at 2-3 pm. High sixties. I'll definitely go looking although it still seems a little too cool for you know what.
Massachusetts Nuptial Flight Thread | Massachusetts Anting Thread | My Ants

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Re: Massachusetts Flight Sightings

Post: # 17470Post Nathant
Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:49 am

noebl1 wrote:
Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:45 am
Nathant wrote:
Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:08 am
Wow! It looks like it will get quite warm at 2-3 pm. High sixties. I'll definitely go looking although it still seems a little too cool for you know what.
Got a handful of test tubes in my work bag just in case :)
Good luck to you.

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