The AntsCanada Ant Forum's

I caught a Brachymyrmex queen in her founding chamber and put her in a test tube settup. She had no workers or brood, yet I hope she lays eggs. Brachymyrmex are a fast growing species, so I'm not that worried about the colony's survival once her first nanitics arrive.

The test tube was flooded! I thought the queen was dead, but she started moving in my hand. I dumped,the water out and re-did the setup.

I found another Brachymyrmex queen and paired them. (They are highly polygynous.) When I checked them both they looked more pregnant than before.

I did some research and found out that they are really Lasius flavus. Sorry for the mis identification.

I checked them and they layed about 30 eggs! Also, I am hoping to break in other Lasius flavus colonies and steal some of their aphids so the colony can have it's own aphid farm. They still look even more pregnant than before the layed the eggs. So I am expecting many more eggs when I check them next week.

you know their has to be live plants to have a live aphid?

They lay more eggs every week, and now they have 50 or 60 small larvae and about 10 eggs!

https://imgur.com/plfGeTa
https://imgur.com/594eRAX

They have about 40-50 eggs and 15-20 2nd-3rd instar larvae.

They have 7 pupae!