Stenamma

Smith (1957) provides an good synopsis of the general biology of species of the genus in North America:

The general habits of our Stenamma are more or less stereotyped. The ants are usually confined to wooded areas, where their small and well-concealed nests may be found in objects lying on the surface of the soil such as logs, stumps, branches of trees or other woody debris, nuts and acorns. More commonly the ants nest in the soil beneath rocks, logs, moss, debris or humus. Their nests consist usually of only one to a few chambers (seldom more than an inch in width or length) placed in the upper 12-18 inches of the soil. The colonies are smaller than those of most other ants, ranging from a few dozen to several hundred adults, depending on the age of the colony and the time of year. The colonies are probably largest in midsummer to early fall. The largest colony that has come to my attention had 376 adults, including workers, males, and alate females.

Our knowledge of the life history and seasonal activities of Stenamma is based on random observations. During the winter a young colony may be expected to contain a mother queen, workers, and larvae. A few eggs have been found as late as October, but it appears doubtful that many, if any, of them overwinter. Although apparently accustomed to cool temperatures, the ants hibernate during the coldest months. In the spring, usually about April, activity begins again in the colony. The workers forage for food and the queen resumes egg laying. The overwintering larvae resume development and reach the adult stage by late spring or early summer. Adults from overwintering larvae appear a few weeks earlier than do those that develop from eggs laid in the spring. Apparently no males or alate females are produced in the younger colonies. In the older colonies these castes usually reach maturity between midsummer and early fall. There is reason to believe that males and alate females may take their nuptial flights as late as the middle of October. However, it is quite common for at least some of the males and alate females to overwinter in the parental colony and to take nuptial flight the following spring or later. It appears that some colonies produce only males, others only females, and still others a mixture of both males and females. As with many ants, it is not uncommon for males and alate females to fly at night and be attracted to artificial lights. It is believed that a single mated female is capable of establishing her colony alone and raising her first brood to maturity.