Carebara affinis - Pheidologeton affinis
Video:
| Latin Name: |  |
Carebara affinis Synomym: Pheidologeton affinis |
| Trivialname: |  |
Marauder ants, Asian Army ants |
| Taxonomy: |  |
Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribe: Solenopsidini |
| Keeping Level: |  |
(3) shows highest requirements to climate, nutrition and escapeprevention |
| Distribution: |  |
Southeast Asia |
| Habitate: |  |
open sunexposed but moist areas, cropping areas like ricefields |
| Colonyform: |  |
polygyne (up to 16 queens) |
| Queen: |  |
Size: 14 - 16mm Colour: chestnut brown to black |
| Worker: |  |
Size: 2 - 2,5mm Colour: chestnut brown to black, extremly polymorph |
| Soldier: |  |
Size: 5 - 11mm Colour: chestnut brown to black, work as foodstorage |
| Males: |  |
Size: 10mm Colour: darkbrown, legs reddish brown |
| Nutrition: |  |
honeywater, insects (small fruit flies, houseflies and small crickets), grains e.g. sesame, amaranthus or millet, nuts, also tuna in oil, biscuits and ricecrisps, fruits like grapes or apples |
| Airhumidity: |  |
Arena: 50 - 70% Nestpart: 50 - 80% there should be a permanent offering of watertubes or something similar |
| Temperature: |  |
Arena: day: 28- 30°C night: 24 - 28°C Nestpart: 28 - 30°C with a small temperature gradient |
| Hibernation: |  |
even when they are tropic they will benefit from a small winterrest. there should be a cooldown for ca. 6 weeks where the nighttemperature is set to 20 °C this allows the queen to regenerate and slow down the brooddevelopment |
| Nestform: |  |
nest in soil, using lost burrows of other animals but also excavate on their own |
| Kind of Formicaria: |  |
Farm, Farmbasin, Basin, Framebasin, Island, Acrylcylinder,Ytong/Plaster |
| Formicaria size: |  |
Size: M - XL |
| Substrate: |  |
Farm: Sand-loam Arena: Sand-loam |
| Planting: |  |
similar to meadows |
| Decoration: |  |
stones, Leaflitter, cork , branches |
| Description: |  |
Carebara affinis (Pheidologeton affinis) is mainly known for having the biggest size differences between the minor and the major workers. They are high aggressive ants which attack everything within their territorium. Pheidologeton need a high amount of nutrition. During the drier season their diet persists up to 50% of small seeds. Pheidologeton is very prone to mites so old food must always be taken out of the arena. The balance between humidity and ventilation is very fragile and should always be controlled to avoid mold and mites. |
| Development: |  |
matingflight: dry areas once a year, wetter areas every three month possible founding: claustral but also budding and adoption are possible. Broodcycle: minors :egg to larvae 9 days, larvae to pupae 9 days, pupae to worker 10 days. Majors need a little bit longer with approx. 45 days of development. colonysize: monogyne 20. 000 to 30. 000, polygyne up to 50.000 workers |
| Quantity: |  |
one fertilized queen with workers (see selection); brood (depending on the season and development) |
| Weblinks: |  |
- Forum - Reference |