Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. This Solenopsis molesta thief ant queen was collected after her midsummer mating flight and placed in a standard test tube nest.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. This Solenopsis molesta thief ant queen was collected after her midsummer mating flight and placed in a standard test tube nest.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
A laboratory colony of Harpegnathos. The queen is in focus in the center-left.

Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah Borneo
Linepithema micans running through tunnels in their underground nest.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina
Linepithema micans running through tunnels in their underground nest.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina
Linepithema micans running through tunnels in their underground nest.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina
Linepithema micans running through tunnels in their underground nest.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina
Linepithema micans running through tunnels in their underground nest.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina
Linepithema micans running through tunnels in their underground nest.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013