Forecast and Queen Ants

[peterslimer]

Hey guys

Finally tomorrow will start the rain over here in Lisbon, actually I never experienced this kind of warm weather in this months, that should be rainy and humid, with this rain will come as well thunderstorm!

I heard after a forecast like this, the next day we might see queen ants, is this true?

[Jenny]

The next day has to be calm, no wind and humid. Keep your eyes peeled,  for if your local ants fly at this time most years it will happen. Have some collecting jars at the ready just incase.

[peterslimer]

Hi jenny

Weather guys says Tuesday will be sunny 21ºC with 13 Km wind speed and 70% humidity.

If gonna have queen flying will be from:

Aphaenogaster subterranea
Crematogaster Scutellaris
Dolichoderus quadripunctatus
Lasius Alienus
'' Flavus
'' fuliginosus
'' Meridionalis
'' Miops
'' Niger
'' Umbratus
Messor Barbarus
Messor Structure
Stenamma debile
Tetramorium impurum

My eyes will be open and on floor all time ^^ My bag of work have already some mini jars to collect!

[Wood~Ant]

As mid October is rather late in the year for flying ants, some of the species may not fly as you expect; but I am sure many will if the weather is exceptionally warm and humid, so good luck Peter.

[peterslimer]

This week was amazing the hunt!

I would say that all are from Messor Barbarus!




More than 50 I guess!

Some on tubes already

[Zarbi]

Nice catch Peter. Now if they have mated they should drop their wings and start to lay eggs for you. Good luck 

[peterslimer]

Hi, thanks mate! I'm preparing everything for them, hopefully all mated already! Made and order with more test tubes( With a support for them), as I cannot handle everything now, few test tubes.

[peterslimer]

A question guys, how long does the queens take to chew off their wings? if they are taking several days does it mean they are not mated? Should I put some males with them?

Thanks in advance

[jeoff82]

Oct 22, 2017 17:14:36 GMT peterslimer said:

A question guys, how long does the queens take to chew off their wings? if they are taking several days does it mean they are not mated? Should I put some males with them?

Thanks in advance

Normally they remove the wings straight after mating. If disturbed some queens will retain their wings for days, weeks, months. Normally if you find a queen that still has wings chances are she has not mated. Trying to force them to mate in captivity does not work unfortunately. Did you catch any other species or was it just Messor you found?

[Wood~Ant]

Some mated queens may retain 1 wing, most remove them. Very rarely does a queen retain all her wings, perhaps 1 in 5,000; as I have a Camponotus queen with all her wings who lays fertile eggs, but have never known a fully mated queen to do this after landing following a mating flight.

[peterslimer]

Hi jeoff

They were all flying in the air, thousands of them, I even could see seagulls in the air chasing after them! Then of course there was queens on the floor, perhaps they mated in the air then landed? They were in the floor and they haven't flown yet? Got 12 or 13 already without wings near them.

A bit worried right now.

[peterslimer]

Oct 22, 2017 22:10:54 GMT Wood~Ant said:

Some mated queens may retain 1 wing, most remove them. Very rarely does a queen retain all her wings, perhaps 1 in 5,000; as I have a Camponotus queen with all her wings who lays fertile eggs, but have never known a fully mated queen to do this after landing following a mating flight.

Hi wood

Got 1 in jar with just 1 wing, means shes fertile? all others are with wings, I've notice some wings in the jar floor too, probably from the queens I removed without wings, if others still have wings ( Since Thursday) means they are not fertile?

[Wood~Ant]

Oct 22, 2017 23:46:11 GMT peterslimer said:

Oct 22, 2017 22:10:54 GMT Wood~Ant said:

Some mated queens may retain 1 wing, most remove them. Very rarely does a queen retain all her wings, perhaps 1 in 5,000; as I have a Camponotus queen with all her wings who lays fertile eggs, but have never known a fully mated queen to do this after landing following a mating flight.

Got 1 in jar with just 1 wing, means shes fertile? all others are with wings, I've notice some wings in the jar floor too, probably from the queens I removed without wings, if others still have wings ( Since Thursday) means they are not fertile?

If any still have all their wings after 2 days they are most unlikely to be mated, so will not lay fertile eggs that produce worker ants. The queen with only 1 wing left is more likely to be fully mated, she just hasn't removed it.

[peterslimer]

Oct 23, 2017 7:24:55 GMT Wood~Ant said:

Oct 22, 2017 23:46:11 GMT peterslimer said:

Got 1 in jar with just 1 wing, means shes fertile? all others are with wings, I've notice some wings in the jar floor too, probably from the queens I removed without wings, if others still have wings ( Since Thursday) means they are not fertile?

If any still have all their wings after 2 days they are most unlikely to be mated, so will not lay fertile eggs that produce worker ants. The queen with only 1 wing left is more likely to be fully mated, she just hasn't removed it.

Very unfortunate, they were realeased into the wild again, same place, still I got 72 wingless queens already in tubes, news will come soon.