Stateside Ants is excited to announce that we have, currently, the first colony of Lasius colei, a mysterious and poorly documented species, in captivity! Below, we will detail their strange habits! The colony began with a queen in July 2025, who was introduced to a few workers of Lasius americanus. Since then, they've grown smoothly and quickly to number more than 500 biological workers. This queen couldn't begin her own colony without Lasius americanus workers because she's considered a...

If you're into ant keeping, you've certainly heard about "queen ants" and "worker ants." They sound different, and they are. Knowing the difference between queen ants and worker ants will enable you to monitor your colony effectively, but also notice queen ants in the wild, if you ever stumble across one! Size: The Most Obvious Difference The easiest way to spot a queen is to look at size. Queens are noticeably larger than workers — though this is true for most ant species, not all. Some...

So you've decided to get into ant keeping — welcome to one of the most rewarding hobbies out there! But with hundreds of ant species found across the United States, figuring out where to start can be overwhelming. To make it easier, we've ranked the top 10 widely available native species that are well-suited for beginners, from the most forgiving to a little more hands-on. 1. Tetramorium immigrans – Pavement Ant If there's one species built for the beginner ant keeper, it's Tetramorium...