Solenopsis tips...

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

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xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39635Post xTNxANTMANx
Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:16 am

So this is my second year, well about two and a half years since I got into ant keeping. I have managed to snag just about every species I want and this year I even decided to downgrade some due to getting into keeping other inverts as well. I live in West Tennessee and I know for a fact there are fire ants all around (Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri). A colony of fire ants is the only other colony I want but have yet to get lucky enough to find a queen. Last year I did manage to watch a S. richteri nuptial flight take place (4 or 5 different nests at same time) but wasn't able to stay at the location long enough in order to look. Does anyone have any tips on when to look for these girls? As in how long after a rain, what time of day, Etc. I know they fly pretty much all summer but for some reason I'm having the hardest time finding one. Thank you in advance for any and all help

Boomdale
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:49 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39655Post Boomdale
Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:00 am

I have been on the lookout for a long time man. I seem to have the single hardest time finding any queen of any type. I'm in middle TN myself (East of Nashville). Maybe I'm not looking at the right times etc. I know after a rain. I finally sat, literally, on top of a nuptial flight while camping this weekend in southern KY. I got a couple of alates the next day, I am unsure if male or female or fertilized or not or literally anything tbh. I think they are Camponotus. In test tube settings right now in the dark, waiting...hoping
Nylanderia Sp.
Pheidole Sp.

Founding - Cremagastor & Solonopsis Invicta

FolloweroftheWay
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 4:07 pm
Location: Mississippi

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39666Post FolloweroftheWay
Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:44 am

I catch black imported fire ant queens all the time around my house in Northeast Mississippi. I find them all summer long after hard rains.

M.
Solenopsis Richteri x 2
Lasius Neoniger x 2
Camponotus spp. x1
Wish List:

Monomorium pharaonis

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39781Post xTNxANTMANx
Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:37 am

Thats what i want the most is BIFA (Solenopsis richteri. I had 2 last year i trade for but long story short, a mouse in my house got into my test tubes and i lost like 6 queens. And Boomdale, me and some friends use an app called Slack to keep in touch about ant keeping. We started it for TN antkeepers and most are in middle TN believe it or not. I could tell you if what u have is male or female if you had pics as well. But yea, i want Solenopsis so bad...it would complete my collection. That and another Camponotus castaneus. Maybe I will get lucky. And Followeroftheway, my in-laws live in Olive Branch, Mississippi...you close to there? There are like 7 big S. richteri nests at my moms not to far from me which last year is where i witnessed them in the act of nuptial flight. I just seem to never have the time to stay long enough over there to look. Its aggrivating at times cuz i know where they are...just always never around there lol
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

Boomdale
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:49 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39798Post Boomdale
Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:24 am

So...sad news on my front. I checked on my 4 alates this morning to take pictures and two of them had died. As these are my first alates I have ever captured, I'm unsure what I did incorrectly if anything. I have a test tube setup. How wet is the cotton supposed to be for them to drink? I notice air bubbles in the tubes so I assume theyre drinking but I don't know. I'm keeping them in my garage as that is the warmest place within the AC house. Could it be TOO hot? I assume prolly same temp as outside, about 90s these days. Ive had them for 3 days so far. Any ideas? No fungus present. Clean tubes as first time use EVER.

I apologize in advance for the terrible terrible pictures.

http://fav.me/dcg93ks
http://fav.me/dcg943p
http://fav.me/dcg942c
http://fav.me/dcg9409

The gunk is just sticky residue on the outside of the tube where a label came off.
Nylanderia Sp.
Pheidole Sp.

Founding - Cremagastor & Solonopsis Invicta

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idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39800Post idahoantgirl
Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:47 am

Yeah 90's is a bit warm.... slightly warmer than room temperature is usually ideal. This is achieved with a heating cable. But yeah 90 is a bit overkill.
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

Boomdale
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:49 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39802Post Boomdale
Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:58 am

Sorry getting it a little off topic here. My apologies.
Nylanderia Sp.
Pheidole Sp.

Founding - Cremagastor & Solonopsis Invicta

xTNxANTMANx
Posts: 416
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am
Location: Western Tennessee

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39816Post xTNxANTMANx
Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:56 am

Boomdale wrote:
Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:24 am
So...sad news on my front. I checked on my 4 alates this morning to take pictures and two of them had died. As these are my first alates I have ever captured, I'm unsure what I did incorrectly if anything. I have a test tube setup. How wet is the cotton supposed to be for them to drink? I notice air bubbles in the tubes so I assume theyre drinking but I don't know. I'm keeping them in my garage as that is the warmest place within the AC house. Could it be TOO hot? I assume prolly same temp as outside, about 90s these days. Ive had them for 3 days so far. Any ideas? No fungus present. Clean tubes as first time use EVER.

I apologize in advance for the terrible terrible pictures.

http://fav.me/dcg93ks
http://fav.me/dcg943p
http://fav.me/dcg942c
http://fav.me/dcg9409

The gunk is just sticky residue on the outside of the tube where a label came off.
Well...ill need measurements but to me they look like a type of parasitic species...social parasite queens known as Lasius interjectus. But as idahoantgirl said, 90°+ is way to warm for them. If you have a closet or something that is away from a vent, that will work just fine.
Keeping:
Camponotus subbarbatus
Formica pallidefulva x2
Formica subsericea x4
Lasius sp
Tetramorium immigrans x2
Dorymyrmex bureni

Founding:
Formica pallidefulva
Unknown sp x2

FolloweroftheWay
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 4:07 pm
Location: Mississippi

Re: Solenopsis tips...

Post: # 39909Post FolloweroftheWay
Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:31 am

I tried to keeping them warm but gave up. I keep mine in my living room where it stays anywhere from 74 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit all the time. I have to blasius Neo Niger colonies and one Kappa notice colony that have many workers sitting in those temperatures. I believe I have called another black imported fire ant Queen and she has eggs sitting in the same temperature.

M.
Solenopsis Richteri x 2
Lasius Neoniger x 2
Camponotus spp. x1
Wish List:

Monomorium pharaonis

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