Stats

Lifespan

Up to 15 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Walking

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Venom

Status

Uncommon

About

This ant species dwells within the decaying wood of forests across Tennessee. It forces other ant colonies to raise its young by infiltrating their nests as a parasite.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Aphaenogaster

Species

Aphaenogaster tennesseensis