Orange Wing Moth

This little moth is an Orange Wing (Mellilla xanthometata) and this is the only species within this genus in the World. In the United States they are found from Texas northward and then eastward to New York. They can also be found in Ontario, Canada. The adult male has bright orange hind wings that are hidden when not in flight, their forewings are tan or gray with distinctive black spots and lines. Females are similar to males, except their hindwings are paler and are more yellowish in appearance.  These moths are active night and day and often come to lights at night. These moths are in the family geometridae with moths like Tulip-Tree Beauty,The Saw-Wing, and Crocus Geometer. The caterpillars of moths in this family are called inchworms and are often seen hanging by a strand of silk from leaves or twigs. The caterpillars of this species feed on locust trees. Look for them clinging to low vegetation during the day with their wings closed, like the one pictured here.

Separation Anxiety

Joey and I decided after lunch to head out into our timber and look for some morels, we began to think we weren't going to find any when he suddenly noticed a tiny gray one about 1/2 tall. After that he found an additional 18 mushrooms. I lamented I wasn't having any luck seeing them. He replied "You are too focused on bug hunting." I had to chuckle at that, because he was right. Oh well, we at least have some to enjoy with supper tonight.

We returned to the house and I noticed a lone honey bee worker sitting on top of the packing crate she came in. After we placed the bees in the hive yesterday, a few hundred remained in the packing crate. I sat it down on the ground to let them find their way into the hive. I checked on them about 30 minutes later and discovered the crate was empty and the bees were all on the hive box with exception to one bee. So I shook her out of the hole in the top of the crate and took the crate to the house and sat it on the front porch.
Apparently there was an additional bee in the crate that I did not notice and this poor little girl spent the night alone, separated from her hive mates and I'm sure she was chilled. A rescue was in order!

I took her picture then coaxed her onto my hand. Once she was on my hand she settled down and licked my finger. Perhaps gleaning any sweat that was there. I walked her down to the hive and about 15 feet from the hive, she perked up, raised her abdomen and began flicking her antennae. She was obviously excited, she could smell her fellow workers and most likely the queen. I gently placed her on top of the hive box and she immediately flew to the front of the hive box with relief. Hopefully her night alone in the cold won't have any lasting affect on her.

A Buzzing new Adventure

After reading the book "The Queen Must Die" I became obsessed with the idea of having a hive of my own. Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) are without a doubt one of the hardest working creatures in nature. More research has been done concerning the honey bee than probably any other insect in the World. There is good reason for this, honey bees are an important part of the  natural world. They provide an important service in the form of pollination....without them there would be many foods we would have to learn to live without. While it is true that native bees, butterflies and other insects also pollinate flowers and plants meant for human consumption, they do not do so with the vim and vigor that honey bees do. 

Thousands of years ago humans discovered the delicious by-product of honey bees....HONEY! Since that time there has been no looking back. Humans have gone to great lengths to own these bees and master the hive. Humans are well known for their sweet tooth and honey has long been considered a valuable commodity.

Many insects nectar at flowers, but honey bees are the only insects known to refine the substance into a delicious sweet treat that humans savor. They are such industrious honey producers that they are capable of creating enough honey to see the hive through harsh winter months with enough leftover for us!

For three years now I have read everything I can get my hands on about honey bees and finally made the plunge and bought our first bee hive and honey bees. Joey spent several days this winter putting the box together and painting it. Today we drove to Auburn, NE about an hour from where we live and picked up our three pounds of bees. This is equal to about 11,000 bees.

I am so excited by this new adventure I can hardly stand it, Joey less so. He has a notoriously bad time when it comes to stinging or biting insects. He is attempting to overcome his deep-seated fear of these little bees. We bought him a super-duper bee suit that is supposed to be completely bee proof. We got him a pair of longggggg leather gloves and an awesome hat and net that zips into his bee suit. He will be safely contained from the business end of these creatures.

We brought the bees home in the trunk of the car (Joey refused to let them in the car with us, even though they were contained) where it was exceedingly warm, when I took them out of the trunk they were very active from the warmth. We set up the hive beforehand and carried our little box of bees to the hive. 

 

(We placed the hive near our timber where it will get warm eastern sun in the mornings and be somewhat shaded from the blistering heat of summer)

(box of 11,000 bees)

 (My brave Joey all suited up and ready to face his fears)

(Making sure the net is secured)

(Removing the Sugar water can that was shipped with them to keep them hydrated and fed)

We debated back and forth the best method to get them into the hive box. There are two recommended ways to handle this transition:

1.) Remove 4 frames from the hive box and set them aside. Seal the entrance to the hive, leaving only a one or two inch gap for the bees to come and go. Shake the bees to the bottom of the box, remove the sugar water can, slide the little box out that contains the queen. Cover the hole where the can was to prevent all the bees from flying out. Place the box with the queen against on of the frames. Then remove the sugar water can again and place the entire box of bees inside the box where the 4 frames had been removed. Close up the hive and let the bees crawl out on their own. This method requires that you check on the hive again in about 5 minutes to make sure they are leaving their shipping box and moving towards the queen to keep her warm and feed her through the screen on her little box.Then you have to return in three days to release the queen and replace the four frames you originally removed.

2.) The second option is similar to the first with the exception to how you put the bees in the hive box. This method requires that you "shake" the bees out of the hole in the box left behind by the sugar water can. 75% of the bees need to be shaken into the hive box and then the 4 frames placed back inside, being careful to not crush any bees in the process. Then close up the hive. Set the shipping box with the remaining bees on the ground hear the entrance. Those bees will find their way into the hive when they smell the queen and their fellow honey bees.

I ultimately decided that method 2 would be the best. This method would allow the bees to find their queen much easier and warm her much faster.

 

 (Placing the queen inside the hive)

(Shaking the bees into the hive box)

 (Notice the bees buzzing all around us)

 (I decided working with gloves on is far to cumbersome)

(Replacing the top)

(All done, for day one)

Joey did remarkably well and only had a momentary panic when the bees swarmed after shaking them into the hive box. I talked calmly and told him he was fine, that the bees were not angry, just confused. I am just happy he was there to help and proud of him for being willing to do so. I know how hard it is to face a phobia, and he faced his and did AWESOME!

In three days we check the hive and remove the screen on the queen box and release her to the hive. Hopefully everything will go well and our hive thrives. Stay tuned!

Stink Bugs

There once was a giant stink bug 

Whose plates made him look like a thug 

His name was Matt 

As big as a bat 

He was made fun of by the stinkbug dug
One day he rubbed his legs for a mate 

However the other stink bugs used him as bait

He was stepped on by a mink 

This made him stink 

Unfortunately this sealed his fate 

There once was a giant stink bug 

Whose plates made him look like a thug 

His name was Matt 

As big as a bat 

He was made fun of by the stinkbug dug

One day he rubbed his legs for a mate 

However the other stink bugs used him as bate 

He was stepped on by a mink 

This made him stink 

Unfortunately this sealed his fate

(Taken from Pete's Poetry Page)

 Stink bugs are shield-shaped bugs in the family Pentatomidae. They are called stink bugs from the icky smelling odor they emit when disturbed. This tendency is effective at warding off predators. After all who or what wants to eat something that smells like rancid almonds?

In the family of stink bugs there are both the "bad" guys and the "good" guys. Some species will feed on plants, by sucking the plant juices out, effectively damaging the plant. Because these insects can show up in large numbers it is easy to see how effective they would be in causing significant damage to numerous crops and plants. In addition many of them have become resistant to pesticides and are therefore difficult to control. 
Other species are insect feeders and use their beak-like mouth parts to inject enzymes into their prey and slurp up the juices like an insect-smoothie.  This gives a whole new meaning to "Lethal injection."

 This makes them effective at controlling many insects that can also be harmful. In the picture here the stink bug is feeding on a Green Dock Beetle. They are effective at controlling Japanese Beetles and Mexican Bean Beetle as well. 

A new species of stink bug has made its way into the United States. The  brown marmorated stink bug was first found in Pennsylvania and is believed to have entered the country accidentally. They are originally from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, where they are considered a major agricultural pest. Recently, the BMSB has become a serious pests of fruit, vegetables and farm crops in the Mid-Atlantic region and most likely it will  become a pest of these commodities in other areas in the United States. 

BMSB becomes a nuisance pest both indoors and out when it is attracted to the outside of houses on warm fall days in search of protected, overwintering sites. BMSB  occasionally reappears during warmer sunny periods throughout the winter, and again as it emerges in the spring. This is reminiscent of Asian Lady Beetles and Boxelder bugs. Everyone who has these insects show up in large aggregations on their homes complain about them. Now we have another insect with the same tendency to add to the growing list of insects that seem to prefer sharing our homes to finding their own natural occurring residence, preferably away from us! So far this particular stink bug has not been found in Missouri, at least it hasn't been reported. 

 (Brown Marmorated Stink Bug--Be on the look out!)

Adults are approximately 17 mm long (25 mm = one inch) and are shades of brown on both the upper and lower body surfaces. They are the typical “shield” shape of other stink bugs, almost as wide as they are long. To distinguish them from other stink bugs, look for lighter bands on the antennae and darker bands on the membranous, overlapping part at the rear of the front pair of wings. They have patches of coppery or bluish-metallic colored puntures (small rounded depressions) on the head and pronotum.

Some stinkbugs use special odors to attract mates. Smelling the odors helps partners find each other. Some kinds of stinkbugs also attract mates with sound. They rub their legs or wings against their bodies to make noises similar to those of crickets. Mates are drawn to the sounds.

After mating, a female stinkbug lays batches of eggs. Often she lays them in neat rows of 12 or 14 eggs each. The eggs are usually laid on plant leaves. Stinkbug eggs look like tiny barrels. The colors of the eggs depend on the type of stinkbug that laid them. Green stinkbugs, for example, lay yellow to green eggs that turn pink or gray.

In some species, a mother stinkbug closely guards her nymphs, or young, after they hatch. If the mother senses danger, she moves herself between the enemy and the nymphs. Then she acts as a shield and moves from side to side to protect the nymphs.

Stinkbugs, like all true bugs, change as they grow. Like all insects, they go through a process called metamorphosis. But stinkbugs don’t change as much as many other insects do. Most insects go through four stages of development, while stinkbugs go through three. That’s why a stinkbug’s metamorphosis is incomplete.

A nymph has a shape much like an adult. Nymphs are smaller than adults, though. And nymphs don’t have wings, as most adults do. A nymph is born with a hard outer layer of skin that it soon outgrows. So the nymph molts, or sheds its skin. After the first molt, small padlike wings appear on the nymph’s body. With each new molt, the wings grow longer. After the fifth and last molt, the wings are fully developed. A stinkbug nymph becomes an adult after about a month.

There are hundreds of species of stink bugs and they can vary in color from tan, brown, black, gray, green and even red or blue. They range in size from 1/4 inch up to 1/2 inch. The following are few examples of some different stink bugs found in Missouri.

(Stiretrus anchorago--Anchor Stink Bug; 2 color forms red and bronze)

(Euschistus servus - Brown Stink Bug)

(Cosmopepla lintneriana--Twice-Stabbed Stink Bug)

Resources: 

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/stinkbug-info.htm

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-marmorated-stink-bug

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatomidae

Viewer Descretion Advised

This pretty little bird is probably one of the most recognized birds in Missouri, perhaps even the whole of the United States, this is the American Robin. Many falsely believe that these birds are the harbinger of spring, but in reality they are here year around. The numbers are usually lower in the winter, but they are here nonetheless. Robins are common around homes, hopping around yards looking for worms. Unfortunately, like many birds that hang around human dwellings, collisions with windows are common. Today while I was weeding the flowers I discovered a robin lying dead among the flowers. This always disheartens me, as I hate for any bird to die, especially a death that should be preventable. I actually do have something hanging in my window that should help avoid these collisions, but alas it did not work for this unfortunate victim.

I picked the bird up to properly dispose of it before our dog sniffed it out. When I lifted the body, I discovered that mother nature was already hard at work breaking down the body of this bird body.

If you are easily grossed out or have a weak stomach, this is where you will want to shut your computer off.....or at least exit MObugs......

I warned you.....

Flies had laid eggs on the freshly deceased body, by the size of the maggots I would guess this happened about 3 days ago. There were dozens of these maggots busily feeding on the flesh, it gave the illusion that the bird was still alive as it writhed with the motion of the feeding maggots.

While the smell was a bit overpowering, I couldn't help but watch as these creatures fed. Their bodies moving in a very purposeful way. They even possessed enough sense to retreat from the light, and from my disturbance. Their bodies moved in a very Blob-like way, reminiscent of the way a seal would move. You could see blood circulating throughout the body, within almost transparent skin.

Each segment of the body is visible in this picture, as is the blood-pocket. Fully grown maggots can reach over a half inch in length. Mature blow fly maggots are creamy in color. Maggots have a very typical body shape; the head end is slender and tapers to a point while the rear end is thicker and ends bluntly. The hook-like mouth parts are the only visible part of the head of these flies. The rear end of the maggot has two kidney bean shaped patterns on the end; these are spiracles used for breathing. Spiracles are used to identify the family and species of fly maggots since, superficially, they all look the same. Mature maggots will pupate. The pupa is concealed in a red-brick case called a puparium. These are smaller than the maggot and more circular in shape. Adult blowflies resemble house flies in shape but are often metallic green or blue in color.

Adult blow flies lay eggs on or near rotting vegetation, manure or animals. Eggs hatch very quickly, and maggots begin to consume the decaying food. Maggots pupate and emerge as adults within a few days, depending on the temperature. Total developmental time from egg to adult can happen as quickly as a week, given good conditions, and depending on the species. They develop and consume food quickly, so much so that when a maggot has matured, it moves away from the food source to digest and prepare for pupation. During this movement away from the food, a maggot can travel quite far, up to 100 yards.

Certain live maggots have been employed since ancient times as an economical, safe and effective type of wound debridement. In controlled and sterile settings by licensed medical practioners, maggot therapy introduces live, disinfected maggots into non-healing skin or soft wounds of a human or other animal. They eat the dead old tissue, leaving the live tissue alone. It is uncertain if maggot secretions have any effect on bacterial growth, since different studies have produced contradictory results, and some species of bacteria may be naturally resistant to maggot secretions. As of 2008, maggot therapy was being used in around 1,000 medical centers in Europe and over 800 medical centers in the United States. While it can be a bit discerning to think about maggots writhing in an open wound on our body, it sure beats necrosis and death by infection. We as humans have a natural aversion to all things creepy and gross, and maggots sure qualify as creepy and gross. If you can manage to get past the obvious, and look at the not so obvious one can begin to see they are remarkable creatures. While none of us loves flies that have the potential to spread disease and contaminate foods, we should however marvel over the work their industrious offspring carry out. They are the clean-up crew....consuming untold amounts of rotting, decaying flesh. Imagine a world without maggots, vultures, carrion beetles and other unsavory creatures to clean up the deceased bodies of all manner of creatures. It would be a vile, stinky place. I have a tendency to favor the underdogs of the natural world, and for me these beasties are definitely underdogs.

A house fly is attracted by the scent of death, she lands on the wings of the deceased Robin. Perhaps this rotting bird will provide for her offspring as well. So while it is sad that the Robin lost its life, through death it is able to give life to some of natures most loathsome and misunderstood creatures. Mother Nature thinks of everything!

Falcate Orangetip

(Photo by: Steve Scott)

This delicate-looking little butterfly is the Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) and they are found throughout the Eastern United States in open wet woodlands, near waterways, open swampy areas, and sometimes near dry wooded areas and ridge tops. They are in the family Pieridae with sulphurs and whites.This butterfly is often considered the harbinger of spring because they are one of the first butterflies to be seen early in the spring. They typically fly low to the ground in their woodland habitats.

This butterfly was first described in 1809 by Jacob Hubner. They are found only in North America and are most common in Texas and Oklahoma. This butterfly was first described in 1809 by Jacob Hubner. They are found only in North America and are most common in Texas and Oklahoma.

Orangetips are easy to identify with their distinctive orange tips (males) on their all white wings; females lack the orange tips (typically). They are small with a wingspan up to 1 3/4 inches. The underside of their wings is heavily marbled with a greenish tint.

Males will patrol for receptive females, and once mated the female will lay her eggs singly on the leaves of plants  in the mustard family. These include winter cress, and rock cress. Females, like many butterfly species have the ability to detect if other eggs are present on a particular plant, and she will lay her eggs elsewhere. The caterpillars feed mostly at night on the seed pods, flower buds and flowers of the host plants.

(Photo by: Dave Wagner--taken from Discover Life website)

The adults of this species nectar at a wide variety of flowers and tend to be very easy to approach and will tolerate humans more so than most butterflies. A good friend of mine wrote this verse about Falcate Orangetips and I thought I would share it with you.

Falcate Orangetip

The caterpillars stay out of sight

Feeding at night aids obscurity

Adults look for mates while the time is right.

Neither gets social security.

                                             By: Richard Lewin

Each year I am on the lookout for this species and I have yet to find it.        

                                       Maybe this will be my year!

Golden Dung Fly

This pretty yellow fly is called the Golden Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria), they are also called the Yellow Dung Fly. While it is true that they are pretty, they hang out in very unsavory places, namely piles of cow dung. They measure up to 3/8 of an inch in length, males are bright golden-yellow with orange-yellow fur on the front legs. Females are a little duller in color with green-brown tinges. They also lack the bright fur on the front legs.

These flies are predators and feed on a wide variety of insects. Those that are found on flowers are not after nectar, they are after the insects that are after the nectar. Those that are found on piles of dung, are feeding on the blow flies and other insects that are gathered on the dung. Females gather at the dung piles to feed and to deposit eggs on the surface of the poo. They will lay their eggs in the small hills of the dung, avoiding points and depressions as these areas dry out more quickly. Moisture is needed to insure the survival of the eggs and the larvae.  Depressions may also store excess water after rainfall and would drown the flies offspring, so it is key to their survival that the female lay her eggs exactly where they need to be. When the eggs hatch the maggots are also predatory and will feed on small insects found in the dung. In about 20 days, give or take a few days depending on the weather conditions, they will fall to the ground and pupate. In several days to a couple weeks the adults will emerge. They are capable of having up to five generations per year depending on their location and the weather.

Many things feed on these flies, including birds, insects and bats. Robber flies are particularly fond of these flies.
These flies are even susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases that are commonly spread by mites or fungi. This causes sterility in the fly or can outwardly kill the fly. In either case it has a detrimental affect on the ability of this fly to reproduce.


This is the first I've ever spotted this fly, now I am prompted to seek out the cow patties on our farm to further investigate what species beside the typical blow flies are using the cow piles as either a food source or an incubator for their eggs.

Citronella Ants

Citronella ants in the genus Lasius (claviger group) claviger. They get their name from the lemony citronella-like scent they emit when they are disturbed. This fragrance is much more noticeable when they are crushed. Even though they are found throughout the United States, they are more common in the Eastern United States. These ants live in underground chambers, or within tree stumps and logs.


Often confused with termites when they make it into homes, which could be because of the winged individuals that show up at certain times of the year. They are larger than the typical workers of the colony and vary in color from light yellow, light brown or dark reddish-brown. The workers are almost always yellow, or this light yellowish-orange. Workers of this species measure about 1/4-inch in length. Two closely related species are smaller. The winged females and males that swarm to start new colonies may measure up to 5/8-inch and 3/8-inch, respectively.

Not much is known about their underground colonies. They are believed to milk subterranean aphids for honeydew, just like dairy farmers would tend their cattle. Nest sites may include open woods, pastures and fallow fields, gardens, lawns, and next to house foundations. Also, some colonies are located beneath concrete slabs and large rocks, and in and beneath rotting logs.

Citronella ants should be considered only as a nuisance pest species. Normally, they go unnoticed unless the swarmers enter through expansion cracks in slabs or around door openings. Although these intrusions may alarm homeowners, the ants will not reproduce within the home nor will they attack stored goods or structures.

In some cases, swarms may occur repeatedly and attempts should be made to locate the colony or colonies. Colonies typically have mounds of soil around the openings where excavated soil is deposited. These mounds can be treated by injecting an insecticide into the holes. Although numerous insecticides are labeled for ant control, many of these can only be used by licensed individuals. Therefore, a professional pest control company should be contacted because they can use materials not available to the general public and have access to specialized application equipment.

Pesticides are poisonous. Read and follow directions and safety precautions on labels. Handle carefully and store in original labeled containers out of the reach of children, pets, and livestock. Dispose of empty containers right away, in a safe manner and place. Do not contaminate forage, streams, or ponds.

I took the liberty of copying most of the information about this species directly from the website listed below. They did such a wonderful job of describing this species, that I could not see how I could improve upon it. You will find that many of the websites out there that talk about this species are in terms of eradicating it from homes. I liked this particular website because it does not promote pesticide companies, it merely gives valuable information. It does however give advise in the event that you should find yourself in need of removing these species from your residence.

Resources:
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/citronella-ants

Vinegaroon

This large prehistoric-looking creature is a Vinegaroon or Whip Scorpion, they are related to spiders and scorpions in the class of Arachnida. They are in the order Uropygi which means "tail rump" which refers to the whip-like appendage at the end of the abdomen. This particular specimen pictured here is Mastigoproctus giganteus which is native to the southern and south western region of the United States. They are one of the largest vinegaroons of the 100 species found Worldwide, and they reach lengths up to 3.5 inches without the tail appendage added in. Like spiders they have 8 legs, with the two front legs being specially adapted as sensory organs which allow them to feel around their environment much like a blind man uses a cane to acquaint himself with his surroundings. They have modified mouthparts that resemble boxing gloves, but are actually pinchers capable of pinching human skin as well as grabbing their prey. 

Unlike spiders they have no venom glands and also unlike scorpions they lack a stinger. Their only form of defense is a special chemical they can spray from their tail that is made up of acetic acid and octanoic acid and smells like vinegar. It is this vinegar-like spray that they get their common name of VINEGARoon from. This spray is harmless to humans unless you are sensitive to vinegar. It may be best to not handle them  as the only way to know if you are allergic is to get sprayed. Avoid holding them near your face, as getting this spray in your eyes would be a bad experience. I handle this one frequently and have had no problems. As long as you approach them quietly and in a non-threatening way, handling them should not be a problem, but be aware that a reaction could occur and medical assistance may be needed for sensitive individuals.

They are found in tropical, sub-tropical and hot dry areas. They are absent from Australia, Europe. There are introduced species found in Africa, but no native species are there. They will dig burrows that they transport their prey to. They avoid sunlight and prefer dark, humid locations. They may also be found under rock piles, wood piles, rotting wood, and other natural debris. They even show up in basements, garages and sheds in their native range.Vinegaroons feed on insects, millipedes, worms, slugs and small vertebrates. While it is true they are a bit scary and intimidating looking, there is nothing to be afraid of, they in fact provide a valuable service to us in the form of insect control.

Males will form a sperm sac called a spermatophore that they will deposit on the ground. Much like a scorpion they will drag the female across this sperm-sac so that she will take it up into her body. She will lay up to 35 eggs in a burrow. The eggs are encased in a protective mucous membrane to keep them moist. When the eggs hatch the young will crawl up on their mothers back and attach themselves there with a suction-cup like devise. They will remain with the mother until they shed their skin for the first time. They will be all white and very vulnerable at this stage. Staying with their mother affords them some protection. The mother will not eat throughout the egg laying process....and she will die as soon as her offspring molt. The young are slow growing and will not reach adult size for 3 years. They may live up to an additional four years after reaching their adult size. 

Spine-waisted Ant

This pretty little ant is a Spine-waisted ant (Aphaenogaster tennesseensis) in the family Formicidae. Some refer to this ant as an Orange-Spotted Ant, which I rather like, but I think Copper-Bottom is a much better common name, after all just look at that abdomen.

They are associated with woodlands and can be found inside decaying wood, or rotting logs. The ants pictured here were found inside a rotting log in our timber. These ants will herd aphids leafhoppers and milk them for honeydew. Honeydew is a favorite sweet treat among a lot of ants and many different species will be found guarding them. This is a beneficial relationship to both species. The ants get their favored honeydew and the aphids gain protection from would-be predators. 

In this photo the worker is carrying a larvae to safety after the colony was disturbed (by me...oopsie). The number one priority of the workers is to expand the nest sight, and to care for the offspring of the queen. These ants are like many other ants in that they forage for food, and will carry bits and pieces of insects, seeds and other foods back to the colony to feed on. These ants are quite strong (as all ants are) and are capable of carrying much larger prey species than they themselves are.

These ants are also reported to be parasitic on other ants in their genus...such as A. rudis or A. rudis picea.

 The following additional information on this species was provided by Missouri's Ant Expert James Trager...."James, thank you for sharing your vast knowledge." 
 

This is a common eastern US species of forests and woodlands, and also occurs in yards, parks and urban areas with large trees. It nests in dead trees, in rotting heartwood of living trees, and also in fallen logs. It is rare in prairie, but sometimes is found in decomposed wood in prairie groves or in isolated old trees. A. tennesseensis is a known temporary social parasite of perhaps all of the A. rudis-texana group species. The queen is small, shiny, stout-spined, and thick-cuticled, with long, stout propodeal spines, presumably all helping her gain entry to a host colony. See the pictures on this page and note the similar size but difference in build of the queen and workers: http://www.antweb.org/description.do?rank=species&name=tennesseensis&genus=aphaenogaster&project=illinoisants.
The food of this ant is mainly small invertebrates that inhabit dead wood in which it lives, and they are not as eager in the pursuit of sweets as many other ants. They mainly gather honeydew off the ground and leaf litter, rather than directly from the bugs, or drink from fallen fruit. 

 This particular species might be one of the prettiest ants I've ever seen in terms of color. With winter struggling to lift its chilly bonds, there is very little to see in terms of insect life. Everything is still tucked away safe and warm and out of sight. I am resorted to tearing open logs and peeking under rocks for anything living and moving. Oh the desperation of a winter-bound entomologist!