Tetramorium bicarinatum
One June 13, 2017, I caught a queen at a light at night that I eventually identified as Tetramorium bicarinatum. This is a tramp species of Tetramorium that has been successful across the world and is present in Southern United States. The queens are semi-claustral and colonies are polygynous. I have also heard they are capable of very fast growth and can get reproductive alates at only a few hundred workers -- and then breed in the nest, creating more queens.
After catching the first queen, I caught 3 more over the next few weeks. I put all four queens together. In a few days, they laid eggs. One queen died of natural causes after a few days.
I noticed that they kept laying eggs and then eating them. I was feeding them very often so I had no idea why they were doing this. I decided to split them up to see if they would do better by themselves, but I ended up keeping 2 together and leaving one queen single.
Now, I am making this journal on the single queen because she is starting to do very well now after laying her own eggs by herself.
(All four queens together with a few eggs, July)
These queens are each 4.5mm in length.
August 21st and 22nd (The single queen with her 3 larvae)
August 24, 2017
Today she laid several eggs and her largest larva will pupate any day now. The largest larva is more than half the queen's size. I have not even seen Tetramorium bicarinatum workers/colonies in my area so I am excited for this queen to get a colony. It was definitely surprising when I caught them.
Edited by Aaron567, December 4 2020 - 3:18 PM.
