Aphaenogaster subterranea

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Medium
• Origin & Habitat: Western Palearctic (Iberia to Anatolia), warm deciduous forests and stream valleys, nesting under stones ^[1][2]
• Colony Type: Primarily single-queen (monogyne) colonies, though occasionally up to 5 dealate queens found together suggesting facultative polygyny ^[5][6]
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: 7-8 mm ^[8]
  • Worker: 3.8-4.2 mm ^[3]
  • Colony: Up to several thousand workers ^[5][9]
  • Growth: Moderate to Fast
  • Development: Development time unconfirmed for this species (Colonies require 75-100 workers to reach the 'social number' threshold for long-term survival and reproduction ^[10].)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: 20-22°C day with drop to 16-18°C night, constant 25°C causes colony mortality ^[10]
  • Humidity: Moderately damp conditions, keep nest substrate moist like forest floor under stones ^[2][5]
  • Diapause: Yes, winter rest required for temperate populations. Sexual forms found in nests August-September with nuptial flights into October ^[11][12]
  • Nesting: Under stones in nature, in captivity use Y-tong, plaster, or naturalistic nests with flat stones and humid substrate ^[1]
• Behavior: Nocturnal and crepuscular with minimal daytime activity in shady habitats ^[9][13]. Subordinate, slow-moving species that avoids conflict with other ants ^[14]. Famous for tool-use behavior and cooperative food transport ^[6]. Small size requires excellent escape prevention.
• Common Issues: constant high temperature (25°C) kills colonies, you must provide a thermoperiod with night cooling ^[10]., tiny size means they escape through the smallest gaps, use fine mesh and Fluon barriers., colonies kept too dry will fail, maintain moderately damp substrate consistently., slow foraging response to baits, they prefer protein and may ignore sugar water without tools to soak it ^[13].

Nest Preferences

In nature, Aphaenogaster subterranea nests almost exclusively under stones (79% of nests), with smaller numbers in soil (11%), leaf litter (5%), or fallen branches (5%) ^[5]. They prefer shady, humid spots in deciduous forests, often near stream valleys or under bushes ^[2]. For captive colonies, replicate these conditions with a Y-tong or plaster nest kept moderately moist, or use a naturalistic setup with flat stones over a humid substrate. The nest should offer tight spaces and darkness, as these ants prefer to forage in dim light and retreat deep into chambers during the day ^[9].

Feeding and Diet

These ants are omnivorous predators and scavengers with a preference for animal protein ^[6][15]. In studies, they chose tuna over honey significantly more often ^[13]. Their most famous behavior is tool use: workers drop small objects like soil grains, pine needles, leaf fragments, or sponge pieces into liquid food (honey water or sugar water), let them soak up the liquid, and then carry the food-soaked tools back to the nest ^[5][16][17]. Small soil grains (about 1mm) are preferred for honey-water, while sponges work well for viscous honey ^[16]. You should provide small debris items when offering liquid foods to trigger this natural behavior. They also tend root aphids for honeydew in the wild ^[6].

Temperature and Care

Temperature management is critical for this species. Research shows that colonies kept at a constant 25°C suffered high mortality rates and could not reproduce, while colonies kept at a thermoperiod of 22°C day and 16-18°C night survived well and produced eggs ^[10]. You should provide a heating cable or mat on one side of the nest to create a gradient, allowing the ants to choose their preferred temperature, and ensure the room cools at night. Keep the nest area moderately warm but avoid overheating. This species also requires a winter diapause period, as sexual forms are found in nests in August and September with flights occurring into October ^[11][12].

Behavior and Temperament

Aphaenogaster subterranea is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, showing minimal daytime foraging activity in shady habitats ^[9][13]. They are subordinate ants that avoid conflict with other species and move slowly ^[14]. Workers exhibit cooperative food transport and sophisticated tool selection based on food viscosity ^[6][7]. Only a small percentage of workers (about 8%) actually perform tool use, with more explorative and bold individuals taking on this role ^[7][18]. Despite their small size, they can show aggressive behavior toward other ant species like Myrmica ruginodis when competing for resources ^[19].

Growth and Development

Colonies can grow large, reaching several hundred to several thousand workers ^[5][9]. Research on orphan colonies determined that the 'social number', the minimum number of workers needed for a colony to survive and reproduce, is between 75 and 100 individuals ^[10]. Below this threshold, colonies show high mortality and cannot produce eggs. This means you should avoid disturbing small founding colonies and ensure they reach this critical size before expecting stable growth. Colonies are typically monogynous (single queen), though occasionally up to five dealate queens have been found in single nests, suggesting facultative polygyny ^[6].

Frequently Asked Questions

Report an Issue

The current care sheet is based fully on literature. See inconsistencies, or something that's incorrect? Please report here, it will be resolved after review from an admin. Contributing to the blogs tab also helps providing information, to make us be able to further improve the caresheets. Thank you for your support!

References