A Heap of Queens – Foundress fire ants

We finally had rain again.  I think it has rained twice this summer.  And with the rain come fire ant queens!

Fire ants mate in nuptial flights hundreds or thousands of feet in the air.  They use environmental cues to both synchronize mating flights with other colonies and ensure that conditions are good for founding new colonies.  This means that the afternoon following a rain (particularly if it’s been dry for a while) hundreds and thousands of newly mated queens can be found wandering the ground in search of a good nest site.  (The dying males are also in abundance.)  The foundresses may start colonies alone, in groups, or even join existing colonies.  In the meantime these ants explore every available nook and crevice which may provide both refuge and a good start on a nest tunnel.

A pile of newly mated fire ant foundresses is revealed from under a twig.

The alates are easiest to find in areas where they have trouble going to ground.  For instance, on a hard gravel pathway or a paved road you may turn a leaf or a stone and find a dozen queens wedged underneath.  In some cases, like the picture at the beginning of this post, I have even found piles of fire ant alates apparently attempting to hide under each other (or at least conserve moisture).  When not hiding, the wandering alates are  easy to spot due to their large, shiny abdomens and awkward, trundling walk.

A jumping spider (Salticidae) devours a male sexual fire ant.

The sudden surge in these slow, mostly defenseless sexuals (the queen’s stinger/ovipositor is modified for egg-laying) makes a tasty meal for many predators.  Don’t think a queen is completely helpless however.  I’ve personally observed a foundress with an egg clutch tear a dozen invading fire ant workers limb from limb with her mandibles alone.

Taxonomy Fail: When is a roach not a roach?

A polyphaga cockroach, labeled with a photo of a darkling beetle.

I found these ‘Real Bugs’ lucite-encased specimens for sale a local grocery store.  They’re pretty nice display items, and I’m actually kind of in love with the included collector’s cards which include trivia along the lines of “millipedes can have thousands of legs.”  Above you can see the polyphaga cockroach, whose trading card inexplicably showcases a photo of a darkling beetle.  Quick, someone calculate the taxonomy fail index.

I also love that they’ve not only hyped up the cards with “speed,” “size,” and “gross factor” ratings, but also “DEADLINESS.”  This is kind of vaguely plausible for the centipede and “giant bee,” but what about the long-horned beetle? (Deadliness: THREE.)  Frankly, I can’t wait to get my hands on the whole set.

Pollinator

Pollen-covered fly feeding at a flower (Presidio la Bahia, TX).

I noticed recently that when I see pictures of flowers without bugs on them I find myself thinking that they are lacking, as if the photographer has left something out of the composition.  Yes, that’s a lovely flower– but it would be more interesting with bugs.

Look how pretty that fly is up there.  Much better.

I can’t see the subscutellum, but I’m going to place this fly as a tachinid anyway, using my go-to “look how bristly it is” method.  I’m a lazy taxonomist.  Tachinidae is an interesting family, as its members are parasitoids of other arthropods.  House flies and fruit flies lay their eggs on rotting meat or fruit.  Tachinids lay their eggs on or in another living arthropod (most commonly caterpillars).  The young maggots feed on their living host from the inside, Alien-style.  Adults live more mild-mannered lives, feeding on flower nectar, pollen, decaying material, or nothing at all, until the time comes to find a host for their young.  A beautiful, science-fiction circle of life.

Tag:  Bugs on flowers