On two separate occasions, I have collected colonies of these gorgeous invasive ants, once from a hollow twig, and once from under a board. Both times I have thought there was a queen, but when I got them into a container and looked for a queen, there was none. But this time, she was one of the first ants I saw. I was at my park, not expecting to collect any ants, but instead to take pictures of birds, but my camera died. I didn't have my aspirator, as I had lost it, along with 5 Camponotus nearcticus alates and a Lasius sp. queen that I planned to pin, in the mountains of North Carolina. It had slipped out of my pocket somewhere, and I couldn't find it, so I just had an empty pill bottle with me. I had been flipping over rocks when I came across a rotting tree stump. I broke it open to find a massive colony of Brachymyrmex depilis, lots of Reticulitermes flavipes, and a few Brachyponera chinensis workers. I lifted up more of the pieces, and found a large group of the workers, and would you believe it, the queen! I quickly grabbed her and put her into the container, along with as many of the workers as I could. It took me around half an hour to collect all of the workers. It would have been so much easier if I had my aspirator, but surprisingly I didn't get stung once. The queen is definitely pretty robust and stocky. She's not that much bigger then the workers though, as with most Ponerines, so she stands out by sheer bulk. I have given them a few termites, and the have killed them instantly, and they tore them into pieces and ate them all over a period of 3 hours. They also can't climb a smooth surface, which is nice. Surprisingly though, Hypoponera can, a genera far more suited to dwelling underground. I have recently attained some plaster, so I can make them a plaster nest soon. I am also looking forward to feeding them more termites. It's just such a swift movement, and it's just amazing to watch. This is my first time keeping a Ponerine, and I am pretty excited to see how this goes. Next Ponerine I plan to keep is Hypoponera sp., and then, if they live here, Odontomachus brunneus, and judging by the fact that they have been found in Savanah, Georgia, they probably do, maybe not here, but I'm going to the extreme southern tip of South Carolina soon, soooo...
Edited by CloudtheDinosaurKing, January 3 2019 - 6:09 AM.
