Latin name: Myrmecocystus depilis

Common name: ants pot of honey

Subfamily: Formicinae

Breeding level: Experienced: shows higher requirements in terms of climate.

Distribution: Southern United States, Mexico

Habitat: diversity of xerothermic habitats ranging from forests, savannah to grasslands

Colony: monogyne

Queen: Size: 8 - 9mm Color: medium to dark brown head and thorax, deeper black gastre, voluminous thorax

Worker: Size: 3 - 6 mm Color: head and thorax brown to reddish yellow, black gastre

Soldier: not present

Males: Size: 4mm Color: blackish brown

Nutrition: Organic water + honey, Insects eg. Flies or mosquitoes or small crickets

Humidity of the air: Hunting area: 30 - 50% Nest: 50 - 70%

Temperature: Hunting area: 21 - 40 ° C Nest: 28 - 35 ° C

Hibernation: yes 4 months at 12 degrees

Nest shape: Nest in the ground, under the stones

Nest which agrees: tube in plaster the first year and later nest stone or natural terra

Nest size for adult colony: M - L

Substrate for terra: sand and clay

Planting: similar to meadow and savannah

Decoration: branches, roots, leaves,

Description: These beautiful ants are known for their jars of honey. it is a castre of specialized workers used as a food reserve. They are very active and aggressive, but show at first a slow development of the colony.

Foundation: cloistral (without food) in a test tube with a little sand

Adult colony size: up to 10,000 individuals