Feeding Aphaenogaster sp. — USA (rudis, fulva…)

Protein: moderate demand.
Sugar: moderate demand.
Seeds: a few seeds as a supplement.

Scavenging omnivores: dead insects, some sugar and seeds. If the queen comes out to forage during founding, offer her a small prey item.

What does Aphaenogaster sp. — USA (rudis, fulva…) eat?

Calculator figures for moderate brood at 24 °C:

WORKERS	PROTEIN	SUGAR	SEEDS
10	1 fruit fly · Every 5 days	1 drop · Every 4 days	0.01 g / week
50	5 fruit flies · Every 4 days	2 drops · Every 3 days	0.01 g / week
150	4 juvenile crickets · Every 3 days	5 drops · Every 3 days	0.04 g / week
400	¾ medium cricket · Every 3 days	13 drops · Every 3 days	0.1 g / week

1 fruit fly ≈ a 2–3 mm insect; a medium cricket (1 cm) is about 50 fruit flies. 1 drop ≈ 0.05 mL.

Adjust to what you see: if food is left after 24 h, give less; if it all goes fast and the brood grows, give more.

Claustral founding: the queen lives on her reserves, do not feed her before the first workers.

From October to February, 5–10 °C.