Ant Species

Species: Aphaenogaster FulvaCommon Name: Reddish Collared AntStings?: Yes Nuptial flight: July – SeptemberLocation: Found them in Newton AL and Phil CampbelleFood They Need: Mealworms, crickets, termites, prey on small invertebrates and parts of insects and other insects that they find. Seeds, Crushed sunflower seeds, Tiny bits of soft fruit.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Fully Claustra won't need food till workers arrives. You can occasionally offer a tiny drop of honey or sugar water, every now and then.Ant Keeping: Medium- Hard

After a young queen ant is mated, depending on what species your queen ant is some are Claustral, Semi-Claustral and Socially Parasitic. What the different between them? 1. Claustral - Are queen ants that find a place and seals herself inside the chamber and use her body to feed her eggs and larva. No food needed until her first workers arrive. 2. Semi-Claustral- Are queen ants that need some food. They stay in their chamber nest sometime and go out to hunt for food while raising the first brood. 3. Socially parasitic - Queen cannot found alone; she must enter a host colony.

Species: Argentine Ant Common Name: (Linepithema humile)Sting: NoNuptial flight: Instead of flying into the air to mate, their queens stay inside the nest. New colonies are formed by budding, where a group of workers travels to a new site — or creates a new chamber inside the main nest. These queens are already mated inside the home nest, so when they move, their worker “sisters” follow them and help start a new nest nearby.Location found: AlabamaFood They Eat: They feed on a wide variety of foods, including:Unsalted crackers, Bread, Sweet drinks, Cakes, Pet food, Meat, Mealworms, Earthworms, Termites, Many small insects. Any protein or sugar source.Young Queen Ant in Test Tube: Dependent founding (budding). Queens cannot start a colony alone. They require workers from their original colony to feed them and care for brood.Ant Keeping: Easy, Grow fast!

Species: Aphaenogaster Tennesseensis Common Name: Tennessee Collared Ant.Stings?: YesNuptial flight: March - September. Location: Found them in Newton AL Food They Need: Mealworms, crickets, termites, prey on small invertebrates and parts of insects and other insects that they find. Crushed sunflower seeds and chia flax seed, Tiny bits of soft fruit. Honey Water and Sugar water. Young Mated Queen Ant in a Test Tube: Can not be kept in a test tube to found along. She is a Parasitic that will need to take over A. Rudis, A. Fulva and A. Colonies until she has Aphaenogaster Tennesseensis youngling.Ant Keeper Level: Medium - Hard

Species: Aphaenogaster Carolinensi Common Name: Carolina Collared AntStings?: Yes Nuptial flight: July – SeptemberLocation: Found them in Newton AL and Phil CampbelleFood They Need: Mealworms, crickets, termites, prey on small invertebrates and parts of insects and other insects that they find. Seeds, Crushed sunflower seeds, Tiny bits of soft fruit.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Fully Claustra won't need food till workers arrives. You can occasionally offer a tiny drop of honey or sugar water, every now and then.

Species: Brachymyrmex Patagonicus Common Name: Dark Rover AntStings?: NO Nuptial flight: May - August Location: Found them in my location Ozark, AL.Food They Need: Fruit flies, Soft cricket or mealworm pieces, termites, very small insect bits and Tuna. Maple syrup, Sugar water, Honey water, apple, orange, blueberry, grape. Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until the first workers arrives. You can occasionally offer a tiny drop of honey or sugar water, every now and then.Ant Keeping: Easy - Medium

Species: Brachyponera Chinensis Common Name: Asian Needle AntStings?: Yes Nuptial flight: May-Sept.Location: Found them in Newton, AL.Food They Need: Termites provide protein + moisture, making them ideal. They will also eat crickets, mealworms, cockroaches, springtails, bettles and larvae, crane files, eathworm, spiders, centipedes.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Semi-Claustral- mean she will need to be fed, she will take prekill termite, roach nymph, cricket leg.Ant Keeper Level: Expert

Species: Cyphomyrmex rimosus - fungus ant (they grow yeast)Common Name: Rimose Fungus‑farming AntStings?: NO Nuptial flight: May - AugLocation: Found them in my location AL.Food They Need: Must be organic substrate for the fungus. Use the mycelium and yeast as a food source, Offer Caterpillar/hornworm, mealworms frass, Other insects frass, and small piece of dead crickets and mealworms. Tiny bits of decaying plant matter, Occasional soft insect bodies as substrate. Organic Oat flour mixed with water. Decaying leaf bits are acceptable starters.to feed the fungus/yeast. Small amount of honey or sugar water as a supplemental energy source for workers. Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Their queens cannot start a colony without a small piece of fungus, which they carry after mating. Caterpillar frass, roach frass, mealworm frass, or decaying leaf bits are acceptable starters.to feed the fungus/yeast.Ant Keeper: Medium - Hard

Species: Camponotus snellingiCommon Name: Snelling’s Carpenter AntStings?: NONuptial flight: March - JulyLocation: Found them in my location AL.Food They Need: They love variety of insects and fruits such as crickets, mealworms, super-worms, termites, fruit flies, roaches. They love sugar water, crystallized sugar, nectars. protein jelly, pure honey, honey water, honeydew extract, fruits like apples, pears, or watermelon. (Make sure to switch up food every once in while so to beneficial your ant’s health.) Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until the first workers arrives.Ant Keeper: Easy–Moderate

Species: Camponotus NearcticusStings?: NoNuptial flight: April - June (Early morning to late afternoon)Location: Found them in my location AL.Food They Need: They love variety of insects and fruits such as crickets, mealworms, super-worms, termites, fruit flies, roaches. They love sugar water, crystallized sugar, nectar, protein jelly, pure honey, honey water, honeydew extract, fruits like apples, pears, or watermelon. (Make sure to switch up food every once in while so to beneficial your ant’s health.) Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, She does not need food until workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy–Moderate

Species: Camponotus pennsylvanicusCommon Name: Eastern Black Carpenter AntStings?: NONuptial flight: April (southern state early) - June nocturnal flights, beginning around sunset at 75°FLocation: Newton, AL.Food They Need: They love variety of insects and fruits such as crickets, mealworms, super-worms, termites, fruit flies, roaches. They love sugar water, crystallized sugar, nectar, protein jelly, pure honey, honey water, honeydew extract, fruits like apples, pears, or watermelon. (Make sure to switch up food every once in while so to beneficial your ant’s health.) Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, She does not need food until workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Camponotus floridanusCommon Name: Florida Carpenter AntStings?: NONuptial flight: May - AugLocation: Found them in Columbia, AL.Food They Need: They love variety of insects and fruits such as crickets, mealworms, super-worms, termites, fruit flies, roaches. They love sugar water, crystallized sugar, nectars. protein jelly, pure honey, honey water, honeydew extract, fruits like apples, pears, or watermelon. (Make sure to switch up food every once in while so to beneficial your ant’s health.) Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Componentus Chromaiodes Common Name: Red Carpenter AntStings?: NoNuptial flight: April - JulyLocation: Found them in Newton ALFood They Need: They love variety of insects and fruits such as crickets, mealworms, super-worms, termites, fruit flies, roaches. They love sugar water, sugar water, nectars. protein jelly, pure honey, honey water, honeydew extract, fruits like apples, pears, or watermelon. (Make sure to switch up food every once in while so to beneficial your ant’s health.) Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Camponotus CastaneusCommon Name: Chestnut Carpenter AntStings?: NONuptial flight: April - JulyLocation: Found them in Newton AL.Food They Need: any insects, fruits(paires, orange, apple), superworms, mealworms, dubia roaches, and fruit flies. They take sugar water or honey water.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, She does not need food until workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Crematogaster ashmeadiCommon Name: Acrobat AntStings?: NO but they spray acidic foam onto their pray.Nuptial flight: Feb-Dec.Location: Found them in Columbia, AL.Food They Need: Small insects (mealworms, fruit flies, roaches, crickets) and sweet liquids (sugar water, honey water, nectar, maple syrup). Small fruit pieces like apple or watermelon are optional treats.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: fully claustral, She does not need food until workers arrive.Ant Keeper Level: Medium

Species: Dorymyrmex bureni Common Name: Florida Pyramid AntStings?: NO Nuptial flight: Middle May through early summer, especially after warm rains. At night 10pm.Location: Found them in Daleville and Newton, ALFood They Need: Fresh water, Sugar water, Honey water, Maple syrup water, Fruit pieces (apple, grape, blueberry, melon), Nectar and honeydew (in the wild) and Fruit flies, Gnats. Small roaches, Mealworm pieces, Soft‑bodied insects, crickets, termites.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: She is fully claustral, she does not need food until her first workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Dorymyrmex GrandulusCommon Name: Grand Pyramid AntImportant Notice: When they are crush, they give off a sweet strong odor smell than D. bureni. Stings?: NO Nuptial flight: Middle May through early summer, especially after warm rains.Location: Found them in Daleville and Newton, ALFood They Need: Fresh water, Sugar water, Honey water, Maple syrup water, Fruit pieces (apple, grape, blueberry, melon), Nectar and honeydew (in the wild) and Fruit flies, Gnats. Small roaches, Mealworm pieces, Soft‑bodied insects, crickets, termites. Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: She is fully claustral, she does not need food until her first workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Pogonomyrmex badiusCommon Name: Florida Harvest AntsStings? YES Nuptial Flight: Late May - June to October Their peak flight window is usually from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on hot, humid, windless days right after a good rain, heat (95–104°F). The colony brings the winged princess queens out to wait around on the ground. Winged drone males from other neighboring nests will then fly in to find them, and the ants will actually mate right there on the ground! Once mated, the young queen will either shed her wings immediately at her home nest and walk away to find a new spot, or she will fly off to a completely new area to land.Location: Newton, ALNative to those State: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi.Invasive to: NoneFood they eat: seeds (grass seeds, dandelion, lovegrass, etc.)fruit flies, roaches, crickets, termites, other insects, small amounts of nectar/sugary liquids.Young Mated Queen Ant in a Test Tube: Fully claustral. she does not need food until workers arrive. She will be in test sand, Warm temps (85–87°F). Keep very humid. They will not develop brood if kept too cool.Ant Keeper: Difficulty, Intermediate - Advanced

Species: Formica SubsericeaCommon Name: Black Field Ant  Stings?: NO Nuptial flight: June-SeptemberLocation: Found them at Phil Campbelle, ALFood They Need: live and dead insects, seeds and honeydew, meats, grease, liver, fruit jucies honeydew, and zoophagy and plants, saps, seeds, fungi.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Fully Claustral, wont need food till workers arrives.Ant Keeper: Easy–Moderate

Species: Nylanderia FaisonensisCommon Name: Faison’s Crazy AntStings?: NONuptial flight: March – May, with some species flying into early summer.Location: Found them in Newton, AL.Food They Need: insects, termites, mealworms, honeydew from aphids, plant juices, and sugary water and honey water.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Fully claustral, She will not need food untill worker arrives. You can occasionally offer a tiny drop of honey or sugar water, every now and then.Ant Keeper Level: Easy

Species: Pseudomyrmex GracilisCommon Name: Graceful twig antStings? YES Nuptial Flights : March – November Location: Native to Mexico and South American. Some part of US. Found this ant in AL.Food They Eat: Honey or sugar water, Cut‑up insects (mealworms, roaches, crickets, fruit flies, etc.) They strongly prefer fresh, soft protein pieces. They will also take sweet liquids readily.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Semi-claustral, She will need food.Ant Keeper: Hard but they are manageable for someone with experience and good escape‑proofing.

Species: Pseudomyrmex ejectusCommon Name: Twig AntStings?: YesNuptial flight: May - JulyLocation: Found them in my location AL.Food They Need: Tiny drops of honey or sugar water. Small soft‑bodied insects (fruit flies, termites, small mealworm pieces). They prefer fresh, soft protein. They do NOT eat seeds or dry foodsYoung Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Semi-claustral, She will need food.Ant Keeper Level: Moderate

Species: Prenolepis imparis. Common Name: Winter AntStings? NONuptial Flight: Feb - April. Location: Found them in AL.Food they need: They eat small insects, termites, any earthworms. They drink honey and sugar water. Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube:  Fully claustral, She does not need food until the first workers arrives.Ant Keeper: Easy -Medium

Species: Pheidole obscurithorax Stings?: NO Nuptial flight: May - JulyLocation: Found them in Ozark, AL.Food They Need: They are omnivorous and collects a variety of insects and ants. They loves mealworms, caterpillars, earthworms, termites and any insects and they love vary of food bread, cracker, raw honey and more. Honey and Sugar Water.Young Mated Queen Ant in a Test Tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until her first workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Medium - Hard

Species: Pheidole DentataStings?: NO Nuptial flight: May-SeptemberLocation: Found them at John Huto Park, Newton ALFood They Need: live and dead insects such as mealworms, termites, crickets, seeds and honeydew, meats, grease, liver, fruit jucies and they can remove and disperse seeds. Honey water and sugar water.Young Mated Queen Ant in your test tube: Fully claustral, She will not need food until the first workers arrives.Ant Keeper: Easy

Species: Pheidole Navigans (Common name: Navigating Big-headed Ant).Stings? NoNuptial Flight: April - August.Location: Found in Newton, ALFood they eat: Crickets, Termites, Mealworms, Seeds, Honey and Sugar Water, cookies, hotdog, fruit.Young Mated Queen Ant in a Test Tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until her first workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Medium - Expert

Species: Solenopsis invicta  (Red Imported Fire Ants)Stings? YES Nuptial Flight: Spring flights: roughly April–JuneFall flights: roughly September–October In the afternoon after a rainy day and humidity. Between 70 and 95 degrees F. When there is low wind and high humidity, and usually within 24 hours of a rain.Location: Southern State NC, SC, TN, AL,GA, FL, MS, AR, LA, OK, TX, NM, AZ, and through some part of CA.Food they eat: dead bird, any insects, mealworms, earthworms, crickets, termites, bread, cracker, sweet honey water and sugars and any vary of food.Young Mated Queen Ant in a Test Tube: fully claustral, she does not need food until her first workers arrive.Ant Keeper: Hard

Species: Trachymyrmex septentrionalis   Common Name: Northern Fungus‑Farming Ant (a small leaf‑cutter relative)Stings?: NO Nuptial flight: May - AugLocation: Found them in my location AL. This species is native across the eastern and southern United States.Food They Need: They collect plant materials to feed their fungus garden, which is their true food source. grain crush steel cut oats/organic oats, dry rose and other flower petals make sure to tear them into small pieces (Black-eyed Susan petals, Rose petals (your best, most reliable choice), Coreopsis petals, Hibiscus petals, Sunflower petals, Marigold petals (in small amounts), Dandelion petals, Clover flowers, Violet petals), soft detritus, dried strawberry, apple peels, orange peel, grape and grape leaves, blueberry, nectar, Their most favorite that I see them carry are Frass (poop) from capitellar as well as cricket, mealworms, and other insects frass, soft, partially decayed leaf fragments, fungus to provide for their colony. Also put a woody soft steam bark in their outworld as it sometime will have soft decayed wood dust, lichen dust, fungal spores, micro detritus, algae film, pollen and tiny plant crumbs that they may find to collected to bring to their fungus. They avoid anything that are too tough, dry, oily, nutrient poor, too large to shred.Young Mated Queen Ant in a Test Tube: Semi-Claustral - She will need food for her first fungus starter. Tiny plant bits, oats, petals, fruit.Ant Keeper: Moderate – Hard