I'm slated to do my first ever educational spiel on ants for some grade school kids next week.
I'm taking in most of my colonies just for the talks, but I will leave only this one there.
I just got the inhabitants today, plus a nice color ant poster on which I already wrote "(with GASTER)" next to "ABDOMEN." lol
I must say Pogonomyrmex occidentalis workers are big, charismatic, and beautiful - I think they are larger than my Camponotus (and yes, worse climbers, thank goodness).
As much as this is sort of ironic to be posting this in a serious formiculture forum (and yes with THA mini hearths in the background), I do see how this would be fun and exciting for kids, without the rather weighty responsibility of keeping a big queen healthy. I got my start with toy ant farms and glass jars probably more than 40 years ago.
Edited by OhNoNotAgain, January 24 2020 - 10:07 PM.