Colorado Nupital Flights

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

Moderator: ooper01

Cal113
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:49 pm
Location: Louisville, Co

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 36930Post Cal113
Tue Jun 05, 2018 3:57 am

definatly appears to be a camponotus queen, nice job. I recently caught one as well and she just started laying eggs! Need to update my signature -_- but that aside nice. Just put her into a good testtube setup, dont disturb her either(checking like once a week is fine) becuase she can eat her eggs, and if shes fertilized she should start laying!
Keeper of:

x3 Tetramorium caespitum queens (small colonies);
x1 Pogonomyrmex barbatus (med colony)
x1 Formica fusca single queen; (small colony)
x2 Unknown sp.; (founding)
x1 Temnothorax rugatalus (med colony)

User avatar
ACaseoftheMondays
Posts: 73
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:54 am
Location: Northern Colorado

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37028Post ACaseoftheMondays
Wed Jun 06, 2018 3:10 pm

corbantd wrote:
Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:51 pm
Sweet! Thanks!
Congratulations, nice find! I'm curious if you could provide some details on what kind of setting/time of day you found her, as I have a lot of trouble finding Camponotus below 6000 ft.
Founding:
Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis
Solenopsis Molesta
Formica Argentea
Lasius Flavus
Colonies:
Tetramorium sp.E

Cal113
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:49 pm
Location: Louisville, Co

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37037Post Cal113
Wed Jun 06, 2018 7:23 pm

I found mine just randomly in my yard at around 3:00. Not sure how helpful this is but... (also about 2 weeks ago so probably not too many out now.)
Keeper of:

x3 Tetramorium caespitum queens (small colonies);
x1 Pogonomyrmex barbatus (med colony)
x1 Formica fusca single queen; (small colony)
x2 Unknown sp.; (founding)
x1 Temnothorax rugatalus (med colony)

CamelSpiderDave
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:45 pm
Location: Denver

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37876Post CamelSpiderDave
Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:36 pm

Just got started with my first attempt at founding ant colonies. I live in Denver and caught both a Tetramonium queen and a Camponatus queen about a week ago. The former has (rough estimate) about 20 eggs already, while the latter has 5. Not bad for first time queen hunting. I feel like my ladies are seemingly pretty happy.

I can’t wait to see where this goes from here.
Arachnophile with a budding myrmecological love. :D

Founding Ant Colonies:
2x Tetramorium sp. E
1x Camponotus pennsylvanicus
1x Formica sp. (I think)
2x Pogonomyrmex sp.

JackieB
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:20 pm
Location: Aurora, Colorado

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37882Post JackieB
Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:27 pm

I go to school in Aurora near the Sandcreek reservoir. Sandcreek's path leads to a nice area by Stapleton that my friend found while running and recommended I check out for ants. I saw several colonies f
by Sandcreek. So I am going to head over there and look tomorrow.
I actually found my first two queens this week though (both Tetramonium) and it was sheer serendipity, just walking to my car and then again right in front my apartment.
Why when you go looking there's not an ant to be found but at random times, tons of ants? Lol.

Cal113
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:49 pm
Location: Louisville, Co

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37890Post Cal113
Sat Jun 16, 2018 3:09 am

Lol yep, that seems to be how it always works out! :D
Keeper of:

x3 Tetramorium caespitum queens (small colonies);
x1 Pogonomyrmex barbatus (med colony)
x1 Formica fusca single queen; (small colony)
x2 Unknown sp.; (founding)
x1 Temnothorax rugatalus (med colony)

corbantd
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:17 pm
Location: Denver

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37912Post corbantd
Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:42 am

I caught mine late morning in my garden on a potato leaf. I live in Denver, near City Park.

She's started laying and seems to be doing very well.
Founding Ant Colony:
1x Camponotus pennsylvanicus

corbantd
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:17 pm
Location: Denver

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37925Post corbantd
Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:00 pm

Here she is with her eggs.

Image
Founding Ant Colony:
1x Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Cal113
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:49 pm
Location: Louisville, Co

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37963Post Cal113
Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:11 pm

nice dude, lookin good. Do you know what species she is yet?
Keeper of:

x3 Tetramorium caespitum queens (small colonies);
x1 Pogonomyrmex barbatus (med colony)
x1 Formica fusca single queen; (small colony)
x2 Unknown sp.; (founding)
x1 Temnothorax rugatalus (med colony)

w35inCO
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:42 pm
Location: Englewood, CO

Re: Colorado Nupital Flights

Post: # 37972Post w35inCO
Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:01 pm

Hey, guys. I am a new member here and am excited to join. I wanted to share that I was able to find a ton of Tetramorium queens this morning, and still finding them into the evening after today's rains. I only gathered three, so there are plenty left Hah!

If it isn't too much trouble, I am having difficulty identifying one species I found in the Tetra's territory. It looks like some sort of Formica, but their colony entrance is only a hole in the ground. There are no mounds anywhere to be found. Watching their colony entrance today, I was able to see male alates poking their heads out.

And for what it is worth, that queen was able to fight back and got out of there in a hurry. Thanks for your help!

Image

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests