Tetramonium caespitium

[formica]

Despite antsectopias closure, I have found that edu-sci have seven different types of ants in stock now, so I have took advantage of this great opportunity and order a tetramonium caespitium colony for twenty-one pounds( Antsectopias tetramonium was only 13 pounds). I am keeping the colony in a small animal playpen the same size of the Lasius niger colony as these ants are roughly the same size and there numbers are quite similar. I had a small colony of these last year but they came to their death when my dog knocked over the container and the a tunnels caved in. I really like these ants as they are not tiny and they live in large colonies so they are worth buying. The colony I have ordered is roughly about ten workers.

[formica]

I recieved the colony. It has 8 workers, 7 larvae and a happy, healthy queen.

[formica]

I fed them some apple jelly, and one worker got stuck and unfourtunately perished . The good news is that there are loads of eggs and brood.

[formica]

The colony has loads of brood now, and yesterday two callow workers joined the colony. I am preparing a set up for them at present for when they outgrow the tube, which I believe will be no more than a couple of months. I reckon there are nine ants but there is still a lot of pupae and brood around.