Brachyponera chinensis

 As winter comes and the temperature drops to the 30's here in Richmond, there is still invertebrate life  to be seen. Among these are springtails, centipedes, millipedes, and ants. I've been collecting lots of ants recently, because I've mostly just been finding colones wherever I look.  

The species I wanted to highlight in this post (I'll probably do multiple today) is Brachyponera chinensis. It is the first Ponerine ant I've ever seen. 

Brachyponera chinensis, lateral
Brachyponera chinensis, dorsal

 Throughout its rather expansive range, B. chinensis is going to be the largest Ponerine in the area. I've seen the species in Chesterfield, where I go to school. The above specimen was collected at my school (8706 Quaker Lane, Bon Air, Chesterfield, VA). This ant is rather small, measuring in at 3 - 4 mm. 

I've found this species under sizeable logs. I'm aiming to get some photos of the habitat, and will upload them later.  They live in large colonies (the ones I've seen have been individuals or small groups), in moist habitats. They do nest in wood, but also nest in the ground under wood.  







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