Aphaenogaster lamellidens

Aphaenogaster lamellidens is a common woodland species found in eastern North America, from New York south and west to Texas. They form large colonies (several thousand workers) and are ground nesting in open areas, under rocks or in or under rotten wood. Workers are general predators and scavengers, feeding on a range of living and dead insects and other arthropods.

Identification
Aphaenogaster lamellidens has dark legs compared to the rest of the body and the frontal carina has a rearward-facing tooth. (DeMarco, 2015)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.



Biology
In this short observation a single worker drags a yellow jacket (Vespula spp.) until a point close to the nest and then switches task. She leaves to recruit more workers as a scout. Until the first recruits arrive two workers tend the prey. The location of the prey must be close to the nest because a third worker join them 55 seconds after the scout leaves. Based on the time stamp of the unedited footage 1 minutes 44 seconds after the scout leaves the number of workers around the prey already reaches four.

The most striking event is the flood of recruits flooding into the scene entering from the upper right corner of the screen one by one. The worker numbers reached 26 before the prey is moved once again towards the nest. During this time four ants returned back to nest perhaps to recruit more workers. Scientist studying ants call this behavior “task allocation”. Learn more.

Nomenclature

 *  lamellidens. Aphaenogaster lamellidens Mayr, 1886d: 444 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. Taber & Cokendolpher, 1988: 95 (k.). Combination in Stenamma (Aphaenogaster): Emery, 1895c: 302; in Aphaenogaster: Wheeler, W.M. 1913c: 114; in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Emery, 1921f: 58. Senior synonym of nigripes: Creighton, 1950a: 144.
 * nigripes. Aphaenogaster lamellidens var. nigripes Smith, M.R. 1923b: 308 (w.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of lamellidens: Creighton, 1950a: 144.