18 replies to this topic

[OiledOlives]

I am separating my Aphaenogaster from my main journal here

 

My Aphaenogaster ashmeadi will not be updated here. That journal is linked here

 

Aphaeogaster is my favorite native genus. A. rudis was my first "real" colony and I really enjoyed keeping them. I've only kept 7 out of the 12 species in Virginia: Aphaenogaster rudis, Aphaenogaster picea, Aphaenogaster N22b, Aphaenogaster fulva, Aphaenogaster lamellidens, Aphaenogaster ashmeadi, and Aphaenogaster tennesseensis. This journal will document my experiences with Aphaenogaster lamellidens, Aphaenogaster tennesseensis, and Aphaenogaster picea.

Aphaenogaster lamellidens
I bought this colony from another antkeeper in mid-July. The colony originally had 6 workers but has grown a lot since then.
July 21, 2022

I boosted this colony with A. fulva brood in mid-August.

 

August 30, 2022

September 21, 2022

 

As of 11/3/22, this colony is around 70 workers.


A. tennnesseensis
I bought a colony from Tbone in early July. They were at around 40 workers and I boosted the colony on 7/10/22 with A. fulva brood.
6/21/22

8/30/22

10/20/22

Edited by OiledOlives, April 23 2023 - 8:36 AM.

[Ant-nig321]

Nice colony keep updating

[JaydenScheepers]

Interesting genus, queen looks smaller than the workers.

[OiledOlives]

Interesting genus, queen looks smaller than the workers.

A. tennesseensis is the only species where the queen is smaller than the workers, as they are temporary parasites. A10 and A. mariae are the only two species of Aphaenogaster in the world which practice temporary parasitism to my knowledge.

[OiledOlives]

 

[OiledOlives]

The Aphaenogaster tennesseensis are starting to slow down. I have moved the heating cable further away and will diapause them in a cold room for around 1-2 months soon.

I moved the Aphaenogaster lamellidens into a minihearth attached to a larger outworld. They are very voracious and take quite a bit of food for their size.


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[OiledOlives]

Some angry Aphaenogaster tennesseensis workers on their liquid feeder




Aphaenogaster lamellidens and fulva



The lamellidens are easily the fastest growing Aphaenogaster that I've ever kept. In less than 8 months, the colony has gone from 6 workers to well over 120.

[ANTdrew]

Any tips for finding lamellidans queens?

[sANTa]

Any tips for finding lamellidans queens?

I recommend using a black light in the morning, also single queens are usually common under rocks in late spring.

[OiledOlives]

Any tips for finding lamellidans queens?

I've never found queens in the wild but they are extremely common under rocks and wood in the deep South.

[OiledOlives]

I moved the lamellidens into a new nest. They are growing quite rapidly.

I moved a new A. fulva colony that I caught into their old nest. Usually I don't keep fulva but the queen had much brighter colors that I am used to so I will be keeping these.


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[OiledOlives]

some more lamellidens pictures

Attached Images

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[OiledOlives]

This is a picture I took of my lamellidens yesterday. They currently have around 30 female alate larvae and some alate pupae, some of which will eclose tomorrow.

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[Jonathan5608]

This is a picture I took of my lamellidens yesterday. They currently have around 30 female alate larvae and some alate pupae, some of which will eclose tomorrow.

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Nice lookin ants

[OiledOlives]

First alate emerged, 20+ left to come out

They also climbed out of their outworld and murdered one of my bureni colonies

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[OiledOlives]

Aphaenogaster floridana (all of these pictures are from 9/10 and the floridana have grown quite a bit since then)


Aphaenogaster treatae


Aphaenogaster tennesseensis

with a rostrata worker

Edited by OiledOlives, October 22 2023 - 1:48 PM.

[Virginian_ants]

Do they coexist? I might try that.

[ANTdrew]

Nice! Where did you get the treatae?

[OiledOlives]

For the S. rostrata, it was just a random worker that I put in there. No idea where it is now.

The treatae are from LI and I got them from someone else as a queen with some brood.