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Thanks guys. These were pet ants for about two weeks, probably the most difficult ants I've ever kept. They are specialist predators and seemed to need about 1-2 centipedes a day. Not just any centipedes either, but Geophilomorph centipedes which aren't so easy to find. I had a tough time keeping them fed and the colony did not last very long. The first photos are of the same colony out in the forest, before I took a fragment of the nest (about 10 queens and 60 workers- these guys have large, sprawling polygynous colonies) into captivity.

Contrary to published reports, they did not bring the larvae to the prey. Rather, they dragged the prey into the brood nest and then moved the larvae only short distances onto the centipede.

One thing to note about A. oregonensis. Like the endangered spotted owl, it depends on old-growth forest. With the extensive logging of the pacific coast states, the species may be under considerable threat and its range has diminished significantly. Unfortunately the process of getting a species listed for federal protection is extremely political, especially for invertebrates. Given the outright hostility of the Bush administration towards the protection of our natural resources, it is highly unlikely that we'll be able to do much to protect oregonensis.

I've got a much more detailed article about this colony, with more photos, coming out in the next Notes from Underground. Perhaps we can all nag Mrmacophyl until he posts the next issue.

antdude- I periodically start new threads when I haven't updated for awhile and the old thread get buried. At 2am it's sometimes easier to just start a new one than go looking through the old threads. But, I can put in more of an effort in the future if you'd like.