At a Glance

• Difficulty: Beginner (easy starter)
• Founding: Fully claustral; often group-founds (pleometrosis)
• Diet: Seeds (granivore) + occasional insect protein
• Temperature: ~79–85°F with a cooler section
• Size: Queen ~10 mm; workers polymorphic 4–8 mm
• Colony: 500+ in year one, many thousands at maturity
• Sting: None — light bite at most

Founding the Colony

Fully claustral — the queen raises her first workers on her own, though a few seeds during founding don't hurt. This species frequently founds in groups (pleometrosis), so you can start several queens together; in many populations they naturally reduce to one once workers arrive. Keep the founding setup around 80°F.

Feeding

A true granivore — seeds are the staple (dandelion, poppy, amaranth, quinoa, bluegrass). Offer protein such as fruit flies or small roaches occasionally, though the colony may show little interest. Always remove uneaten protein to prevent mold.

Heating & Setup

Warm and dry, around 79–85°F over a gradient, with a slightly humid area for brood and dry sections for seed storage. Avoid extreme heat — queens don't tolerate it well. Start in a test tube, then move to a low-humidity formicarium with an outworld for foraging.

Growth & What to Expect

Steady. With consistent seeds, heat, and moisture, colonies reach the hundreds within a year and climb into the thousands. As they grow, you'll see the famous column foraging — dense, moving rivers of glossy black workers.

Ready to start a colony?

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