Collecting & Discerning Queens from Males/Worker Ants (Formica Nuptial Flight Season) - Tutorial #15
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Mikey Bustos from Ants Canada documents his experience collecting Formica ants during their nuptial flights on a July summer day. He shares tips on identifying queens, workers, and males, and demonstrates how to safely capture them using snap cap files. Bustos highlights the importance of proper containment and the unique behaviors of these ants, emphasizing the joys of keeping Formica fusca as pets and their smart nesting habits.
Takeaways
- đ€ïž It's a July summer day, and rain has recently occurred which is a common trigger for ant nuptial flights.
- đ The speaker, Mikey Bustos, is documenting the collection of Formica ants during their nuptial flights.
- đ He advises to keep an eye on the ground and surroundings while collecting ants to avoid accidents.
- đïž Snap cap files are used for temporary containment of the ants until they are transferred to a proper setup.
- đŹïž Invertebrate breathing is different from human breathing, and ants can survive in the files for several hours.
- đ Queens are larger and move differently compared to workers, making them distinguishable by their behavior.
- đ The speaker catches a Formica queen and places her in his bag to prevent overheating.
- đŠ Male ants have a distinct appearance with a tiny head and differently shaped gaster, and they die after mating.
- đĄ Formica ants, especially Formica fusca, are recommended as pets and require a nest with both dry and moist areas.
- đĄïž A temperature gradient in the nest is beneficial for the ants to manage different purposes within their colony.
- đ The video was recorded in Toronto, where green spaces are well-planned, providing a habitat for various fauna including ants.
- đ The speaker plans to continue searching for more Formica queens in the coming days.
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the video script?
-The speaker is Mikey Bustos from Anne's Canada.
What event is being documented in the video?
-The video documents the collection of Formica ants during their nuptial flights after a rainstorm.
What type of ants are being collected in the video?
-The ants being collected are Formica ants, with specific mention of Formica fusca and Formica subserviceae.
Why do ants have their nuptial flights after a rainstorm?
-The script does not provide a specific reason, but it is a common behavior for many ant species to mate and disperse after rain to avoid desiccation.
What tool does Mikey use for collecting the ants?
-Mikey uses snap cap vials for collecting the ants, which are convenient for temporary containment.
How does Mikey differentiate between a queen ant and a worker ant?
-Mikey notes that queens are larger and move differently than workers, often in a straighter line, and have distinct physical characteristics.
What is the purpose of the male ants in the ant colony?
-The purpose of male ants, as mentioned in the script, is to mate with the queen. After mating, they typically die.
What are the environmental conditions preferred by Formica fusca ants?
-Formica fusca ants prefer a nest with good drainage, some dry areas, and some moist areas, creating a temperature gradient.
What is the significance of the Humber River mentioned in the script?
-The Humber River is significant as it provides water to many species living by the forest edge, including the ants being collected.
What is the city where Mikey is collecting the ants?
-Mikey is collecting the ants in the city of Toronto.
How does Mikey handle the ants once they are collected?
-Mikey places the collected ants into his bag to keep them out of the sun and prevent them from overheating.
Outlines
đ Collecting Formica Ants During Nuptial Flights
In this paragraph, Mikey Bustos, the host of Anne's Canada, introduces a video documenting the collection of Formica ants during their nuptial flights following a rainstorm. He explains the use of snap cap files for temporary containment and the importance of observing both the ground and surroundings for safety. Mikey demonstrates how to identify and capture a Formica queen ant, noting the differences in movement and appearance between queens and workers. He also mentions the unique characteristics of male ants, such as their smaller head and differently shaped gaster, and humorously comments on their brief life after mating.
đł Formica Ants as Pets and Their Habitat Preferences
This paragraph delves into the characteristics of Formica ants, particularly the Formica fusca species, as pets. Mikey discusses the ants' preference for a habitat with both dry and moist areas, emphasizing the importance of a temperature gradient for the ants' nest. He highlights the ants' intelligence in managing waste and maintaining a clean environment within their nest. The paragraph also includes Mikey's personal experiences of finding and capturing different Formica species, including a Formica subsericea queen, and his appreciation for the biodiversity of the urban green spaces in Toronto.
đ Continuing the Search for Formica Queens
In the final paragraph, Mikey mentions encountering a Camponotus major, distinguishing it from a Formica queen by its smaller gaster. He reflects on the successful capture of several Formica queens and his plans to continue searching for more in the coming days. The video concludes with a reminder for viewers to keep an eye out for Formica queens and a sign-off from Mikey, who thanks the audience for watching.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄNuptial Flights
đĄFormica Ants
đĄSnap Cap Files
đĄInvertebrate Breathing
đĄQueen Ants
đĄWorker Ants
đĄMale Ants
đĄFormica Fusca
đĄCamponotus Major
đĄGreen Space
đĄAnt Keeping
Highlights
Mikey Bustos introduces a video on collecting Formica ants during their nuptial flight in July.
After a rainstorm, ants have their nuptial flights, which is the focus of the video.
The video documents the process of collecting Formica ants using snap cap files for temporary containment.
Snap cap files are convenient for collecting ants without worrying about screwing on the top.
The collected ants are meant to be transferred to a proper setup like an ant farm or test tube.
Invertebrate breathing is different from human breathing, allowing ants to survive in the snap cap files for hours.
The narrator shares personal anecdotes of almost getting hit by a car or running into a pole while collecting ants.
The video demonstrates how to identify and distinguish between Formica queen ants and worker ants.
Queen ants are larger and move differently compared to worker ants, which are more erratic.
A demonstration of capturing a Formica queen ant and placing her into an Adidas bag to avoid overheating.
Males are identified by their tiny heads and differently shaped gaster, and their purpose is to mate and then die.
Formica ants, particularly Formica fusca, are recommended as great pets for their soil drainage preferences.
The importance of creating a temperature gradient in an ant's nest for different purposes is discussed.
The narrator captures a Formica subservice queen and explains the characteristics that distinguish it from other species.
The video is filmed near the Humber River, which supports a variety of species including deer and ants.
The City of Toronto is praised for its green space planning, allowing for a rich fauna and flora.
The narrator plans to return later to capture more Formica queens, indicating the ongoing nature of the activity.
A closing reminder to viewers to keep an eye out for Formica queens concludes the video.
Transcripts
hey there everyone this is Anne's Canada
wee boy Mikey Bustos here and it's a
glorious July summer day and yesterday
rain and of course as we all know after
a rain storm many ants have their
nuptial flights for whatever reason and
today I managed to spot a lot of Formica
ants
it seems the Formica ants are having
their nuptial flight their nuptial
flights around this time of the year and
I just wanted to create a video
documenting how I collect them so I'm
just going to walk around making sure to
keep my eye to the ground but also to
look around because you don't want to be
hit by a car or run into a pole which of
course I have come close to I've got my
trusty snap cap files here from the
store which of course we sell very
convenient you don't got to worry about
screwing on the top now they don't have
holes but they're just meant for
temporary containment until you transfer
them to a proper setup whether it be an
ant's canada forma karyam or a test tube
setup
so
and they can last in here for several
hours actually
invertebrate breathing is very different
from our breathing whoops
every time I walk down this path here
let's play by the road I always find
Queens
yes yes it's me
it's not a queen nope see this is not a
queen that's a worker end like Formica
Formica worker ant
but more formative here
now one thing I have noticed is that the
Queens move a little bit differently as
they crawl across the ground than the
workers this is a worker
yeah they move slightly differently
and obviously they look different queens
are larger of course and there are other
you know fine characteristics but the
more you see them the more you get used
to them now you see this Queen here
running in a relatively straight line
unlike the workers this here is a queen
so I'm going to catch her right Oh
tricky what I'm gonna do is
do that she's going to climb up and then
I'm going to snap
there we go
Formica Queen and I'm gonna place her
into my adidas bag here out of the Sun
so she doesn't overheat
go to film received lots of workers see
I'm just
they move like this the workers
depending on the species of course here
is a male see that how do I know this is
a male because whoops come here for my
video ah
they're quick
see this is what a male Formica looks
like see how the head is tiny that's how
you know that's a male and the gaster
this sort of a different shape often
I've noticed in a lot of species the
gaster is shaped almost like a beam or
one end is kind of pointed anyway I
don't know if he's made it or not
well I'm gonna let him go so he can go
make babies go go go
and of course after he mates he's going
to die after fulfilling his purpose in
life
now Formica ants themselves make great
pets but there was another male
Wow the males are all over here oh just
flew in my face
I know Queen don't be flying at me
anyway the Formica ants themselves are
great
Formica fusca in particulars an awesome
species to keep the Formica fusca here
like relatively good drainage in terms
of soil preference so
their nest
should have some dry areas and of course
some moist areas it's good to create a
nice temperature gradient no matter what
kind of an tire keeping because you know
they it allows them to kind of choose
you know especially when it comes to
designating what rooms in the nest are
for what purpose
for example garbage is generally kept in
the dryer chambers so that they are less
likely to grow mold the ants are smart
that way OOP there's one who she's big
this is not this is a Formica sub
sericia this is not fisca oh oh I know
you're here Oh
clear
yes I put it
Oh nope
there we go this here is slightly larger
species of Formica so likely a Formica
subservice eel
also great pets
she goes in my bag
this is the Humber River very nice
it gives water to
many many many many species that live by
this forest edge over here now I live in
the city but the City of Toronto is
pretty good at planning green space so
we have intermittent forest edge here we
have deer that live in here a whole
variety of fauna and lots of ents which
is great here
so it's always good to have them home
just cut another one so that's the
reform a canal
sticking them in my bag
oops
I left my other snap cap boy here whoa
I'm not stepped on this see this here is
a large on it is a camponotus major
not the Queen
it's got a small small caster oops there
goes well I was able to catch a few
Queens and I'll be back probably later
than this afternoon actually to just
look for more and over the next few days
because Formica certainly are flying
right now so be sure to keep your eye
open for for those Formica Queens till
next time this is ends canada signing
out thank you
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