4 replies to this topic

[Temperateants]

Hi all,

My Aphenogaster queen is very close to having her first workers, but something weird is happening. First, some of her pupae are darkening, which is a good sign. But one pupae has been darkening for 3 days now, and her exoskeleton is almost the same color as the queen's. Usually when workers emerge, they are fairly light, but this pupae has darkened. It's legs are also loose and unraveled from the pupae form, but it isn't moving. I'm worried that if the worker doesn't go into proper ant-form it's exoskeleton will harden wrong. Did anyone experience this?

[Temperateants]

The pupae moved, and it is no longer as curled up as before. Hopefully it will develop into a functional worker.

[AntsExodus]

My Aphenogaster rudis colony has alates, and for some reason my colony also takes the alates to hatch until they are almost dark. That is why if you uncover a colony of them with a queen there is usually never a callow worker.

[TennesseeAnts]

My Aphenogaster rudis colony has alates, and for some reason my colony also takes the alates to hatch until they are almost dark. That is why if you uncover a colony of them with a queen there is usually never a callow worker.

Aphaenogaster rudis do have fairly light callows.

There might be something wrong with the worker in question... Could you by chance get some pictures?

[Temperateants]

All is good now. The worker is still kind of slow but all of it's limbs and antennae look fine.