ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Viperskin]

Hello,
I am going to a expedition to the Caucasus (Russia, Georgia, near the Black sea coast, the Caucasian State Biospheric Nature Reserve)
to observe vipers and I am just curious if there are some interesting (rare) ant species there which I can try to collect??

[miszt]

Please dont collect rare ant species! That defeats the purpose of them being labled rare, and in most countries its illegal, whether it is in Russia or not I dont know, but surely common sense would tell you to let them be!

Fraid I cant help as far as species you will find there, I would expect Formica, Lasius & Camponotus, not sure what else, Russia is pretty cold from what little i know of it

[tail__]

Caucasus region is actually very hot, at least in summer. Expect mostly the same genera as in whole southern Europe, though the species may be a little different than in Balkans or Spain. miszt is right, collecting any animals or plants in nature reserves is illegal, even the ones of common and not protected species. If you will see a nuptial flight, you could smuggle a queen or two - anyway, insects can always fly into your backpack, but I hope you wouldn't try to collect whole colonies or queens from existing nests.

[Viperskin]

Please dont collect rare ant species! That defeats the purpose of them being labled rare, and in most countries its illegal, whether it is in Russia or not I dont know, but surely common sense would tell you to let them be!

- I mean species rare in captivity, not in the wild nature (not sure that there are some There is only one rare specie in Russia:
Liometopum orientale Karawaew, 1927 with area in the far East region) and I will go not only throw Nature Reserve territory

Russia is pretty cold from what little i know of it

Caucasus region is actually very hot, at least in summer.

- It depends on altitude(and the Caucasus is a mountain region). Last year
in July during three weeks on 800-2000 m a.s.l. it was 5-12 C and -2 - + 5 at
night..

[Viperskin]

- Got 6 queens of some Camponotus sp. - little biger than my C.hercul.
queens and darker. Collected near 1-6 of July, now all have eggs and some
cocoons. Think to sale few maybe..
Location - the North-Western Caucasus, Malaja Laba river gorge, altitude - near 2400m a.s.l. Dark pine woods.