Most of my ants are awake!
This unnamed Lasius queen is only one of the four Lasius that I have. My other three Lasius neoniger queens are in separate nests. Two of those three are in standard test tube nests, while the third is in an experimental naturalistic dirt nest. The dirt nest has so far worked very well for her, and she created a cozy-looking nest in the digging medium I provided. This digging behavior is also an excellent sign that she is fertile. The aforementioned queens are all alive, including the queen in the dirt nest.
Secondly, this is one of my several random Solenopsis queens. So far, she has no brood and is not that interesting. When I zoomed in on this image, I noticed some very fine details—dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of tiny sensory hairs all over her body. These hairs probably help her figure out what sort of surface she is currently walking on, which helps her find a suitable nest site.
Next, meet one of my three Crematogaster queens. Currently, none of these three ants are named, nor do any have brood. They may lay eggs in a few weeks, which would be a good sign that they are fertile. Over the several months that I have had them, they haven’t really done much at all. Apparently, Crematogaster queens are very sought after, and they are elusive. They are probably so sought after due to the very interesting shape of their gasters, making them a great addition for antkeepers who find one. They are an interesting species to keep as pets due to the heart-shaped gasters of queens and workers.
Next, say hello to Brown Eyed Girl’s doppelganger! This ant is basically the same as the aforementioned ant. She is doing very well at the moment because she has five nanitics, but she also has four eggs! This marks a new stage in colony growth because in a few weeks these eggs will develop into more workers, who will then help raise the third generation of workers. another thing about this image is that the queen is actually looking at the camera, which funny because Scar Smile does it too!
Next, this is Scar Smile, aka my Formica dolosa queen, and her colony. This colony has nearly always been peaceful. The only time she was rowdy came when moving them into a new test tube nest. I disconnected the two tubes to see if they would move, and immediately two of her nine nanitcs started running on my left arm. Not to be outdone, the queen followed suit and ran on my hand. Fortunately, I managed to get them back into the container. She still has all nine of her somewhat rambunctious nanitics.
Finally, we come to my Tapinoma sessile queen, aka Onetenna, and her minuscule but interesting colony. Onetenna has quite a bizarre history. I acquired her just like all of my other ants. However, things took a turn for the strange when I noticed that her right antenna was not there! I have no idea why her right antenna is just gone, but it sure gave me a fitting name suggestion for her! She raised her young normally, except that on days fourteen and twenty-one, she ran away from her brood as soon as I uncovered her test tube to check on her. After I put her back into the cabinet where she lived at the time, she would return to her brood. From there, she behaved normally. She also seems to love the nest I moved her into.
