25 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

While I was at Saluda Schoals yesterday, I decided to peel back the bark of a fallen pine tree to see what was underneath. I saw a colony of Brachyponera chinensis, of course, and a few Camponotus chromaiodes workers. I peeled back some more bark, and I revealed a colony of Aphaenogaster lamellidens. I peeled back some more bark to search for the queen, and I found her! I collected her, pretty much all of the brood, and as many workers as I could. When I got home and put them into a container, I looked at the brood and was able to pick out a batch of around 30 or so eggs, about 40 larva, and a single worker pupa. Some of the larva were very large. I have a suspicion that those are alate brood. I won't know for certain until they pupate, however, which should be soon. I'm glad to have a colony of larger Aphaenogaster. They're about twice the size of my Aphaenogaster carolinensis, and they are much more graceful. I will make a formicarium for them soon.

Edited by Ferox_Formicae, June 5 2019 - 4:30 AM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Mine died.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Mine died.

That's a shame. These are some of my favorite ants.

[ponerinecat]

pics?

[Ferox_Formicae]

pics?

I'll try and get some. I'll set up the formicarium first though.

Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, May 9 2019 - 6:09 PM.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I've set up the formicarium and moved the ants into it. I'm very proud of how this formicarium displays these beautiful ants! Also, the brood kind of looks dead, all deflated and dried out, yet the workers still moved them into the nest with them. They may still be alive, just a little dried out. Also, if it is alive, I've got alates on the way, because I saw an alate pupa! There are also either worker or male pupa, but I haven't looked at them close enough to see. I just love how these ants look and move. They're so lanky and graceful, and I love their black legs and bright orange, shiny gaster.

[FeedTheAnts]

Aphaenogaster usually make alates even when the colony isn't very large(mainly because they don't get very large). I'd expect that the alate brood will develop into males. I had a colony of these for a while, and when they began to develop alates they were all males.

Mine loved to eat bits of crushed almonds. Nearly every worker would leave the nest to gather the bits when I offered it to them.

[Ferox_Formicae]

Aphaenogaster usually make alates even when the colony isn't very large(mainly because they don't get very large). I'd expect that the alate brood will develop into males. I had a colony of these for a while, and when they began to develop alates they were all males.

Mine loved to eat bits of crushed almonds. Nearly every worker would leave the nest to gather the bits when I offered it to them.

I know for certain that one of the alate pupa is a female, as she has a very large head and a bulky build. I will definitely give mine some almonds. I just got some, so I can feed them to the ants.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I have found the pupa to be all worker pupa, with a few alate larva, but as I've said, I'm not entirely sure whether or not they're alive, but I did see the workers cleaning them, so that's a good sign!

[Ferox_Formicae]

Just checked on them, and I saw that the queen has laid five new eggs!

[Ferox_Formicae]

The batch of eggs is growing larger as the queen lays eggs. The ants are still tending to the larva, so I'm thinking that the larva are still alive. My Camponotus snellingi colony had larva like that, all shriveled and dried up, but now the larva are starting to pupate, and more and more pupa are appearing, bringing the count up to seven. I think my Aphaenogaster lamellidens colony has three pupa, when they only had one when I first collected them. I still can't get over the beauty of these ants, and besides my Strumigenys louisianae colony, this is my favorite ant colony. Their movements are so slow and graceful, their colors are absolutely gorgeous, and they are very, very lanky, which I love about them.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The larva are looking better, and upon closer examination of the several pupa, there is one worker, and lots of males! I think there is also a queen too!

[TennesseeAnts]

Remember to sell the queens you breed!

[Ferox_Formicae]

Remember to sell the queens you breed!

Don't worry, I won't forget!

[Ferox_Formicae]

There are about four male pupa and a single worker pupa. I think there is also a queen larva, but she isn't looking too good.

[Ferox_Formicae]

The pupa are starting to darken, and I think some of them should eclose by this weekend.

[TennesseeAnts]

Aphaenogaster lamellidens usually chose a sex, and produce only those for one year, and the other next year. At least, that's what I got from the THA video about them.

[Ferox_Formicae]

So I guess this year is a male year.

[TennesseeAnts]

I think that actually goes for all Aphaenogaster. Mine are only producing females. That's why I'm going to get another colony to breed with my female alates.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I think that actually goes for all Aphaenogaster. Mine are only producing females. That's why I'm going to get another colony to breed with my female alates.

So I guess I could find some female Aphaenogaster lamellidens and breed them.