This colony was collected in central Vermont in a very hilly/mountainous area, several miles away from any kind of human settlement. I have noticed many of what look to be the same species around the area mostly nesting in rotting logs. Now these ants could be a dark color variation of Aphaenogaster fulva or Aphaenogaster rudis, but I have a 30x scope and am ~90% sure they are Aphaenogaster picea. They were collected sometime in Mid may originally in a jar filled with dirt. The colony itself was nested in dirt that was stuck in opening of a type of brick, so collection was very easy. They remained in the jar until two and a half weeks ago when I finished an 8in x 8in plaster nest for them.
Since they moved in to this nest I have seen some interesting things. When they first moved in I noticed mites, since then they have declined in population. Maybe they need dirt to survive? Long before I moved them into the plaster nest I noticed a male head stuck to the side of the jar. Once they moved into the nest I saw they had around 15 female alates but no male alates (they must have killed them off). Sometimes the workers would show aggression towards the female alates and even dismember them. Since then this behavior has declined, but it still makes me wonder what about captivity makes them do this (maybe the stress of moving).
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Now on to the subject of the queens. When the colony first moved in I saw no wingless queens at all, and believe me, I searched. Getting back from a one week vacation I saw a massive pile of eggs and 3 dealate queens. Now my theory (what if) is that a male was produced from an alate female or perhaps even a worker, which mated with several of them. After mating the male must have been dispatched of. This new queen theory would explain why some workers are acting aggressive towards each other or rather "policing" them.
Here can be seen some interesting interactions between workers and a queen. I don't know if they are being aggressive or cleaning her or even trying to spread her scent. A curious queen stands by and watches.
Here is the pile of eggs and pupa, at this point I have only observed several very small larva.
Here are some trash piles which show wings that have been shed and what I believe to be the remains of an alate in the left photo. Also can bee seen is some mild aggression in the right photo.
In the center of this picture can be seen what is left of the mite population "burrowing" into the plaster.
The left or first photo here shows some very odd behavior. I have only seen this around the entrance from the tubing into the nest. A worker will fold its gaster underneath itself and run very quickly around that chamber and surrounding passages with its mandibles open. This only lasts for ~5 sec. After that time the worker seems to resume normal behavior. Maybe it is some sort of guard function. In the right photo can be seen some worker aggression or perhaps policing near a small trash pile.
Here are some workers drinking freshly placed sugar water. I have noticed honey will get covered by dirt. Within 15 minutes the droplets were gone.
Thank you for reading.
Since they moved in to this nest I have seen some interesting things. When they first moved in I noticed mites, since then they have declined in population. Maybe they need dirt to survive? Long before I moved them into the plaster nest I noticed a male head stuck to the side of the jar. Once they moved into the nest I saw they had around 15 female alates but no male alates (they must have killed them off). Sometimes the workers would show aggression towards the female alates and even dismember them. Since then this behavior has declined, but it still makes me wonder what about captivity makes them do this (maybe the stress of moving).
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Now on to the subject of the queens. When the colony first moved in I saw no wingless queens at all, and believe me, I searched. Getting back from a one week vacation I saw a massive pile of eggs and 3 dealate queens. Now my theory (what if) is that a male was produced from an alate female or perhaps even a worker, which mated with several of them. After mating the male must have been dispatched of. This new queen theory would explain why some workers are acting aggressive towards each other or rather "policing" them.
Here can be seen some interesting interactions between workers and a queen. I don't know if they are being aggressive or cleaning her or even trying to spread her scent. A curious queen stands by and watches.
Here is the pile of eggs and pupa, at this point I have only observed several very small larva.
Here are some trash piles which show wings that have been shed and what I believe to be the remains of an alate in the left photo. Also can bee seen is some mild aggression in the right photo.
In the center of this picture can be seen what is left of the mite population "burrowing" into the plaster.
The left or first photo here shows some very odd behavior. I have only seen this around the entrance from the tubing into the nest. A worker will fold its gaster underneath itself and run very quickly around that chamber and surrounding passages with its mandibles open. This only lasts for ~5 sec. After that time the worker seems to resume normal behavior. Maybe it is some sort of guard function. In the right photo can be seen some worker aggression or perhaps policing near a small trash pile.
Here are some workers drinking freshly placed sugar water. I have noticed honey will get covered by dirt. Within 15 minutes the droplets were gone.
Thank you for reading.
