Formica subsericea

Formica subsericea is an easy-to-keep species. The queen and workers are both black with a silver shine.

 

This species enjoys sugars to a degree, but also loves protein, especially fruit flies. They will take honey, sugarwater, fruit flies, crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, etc. 

 

Formica subsericea loves to heat their brood. A good temperature for them would be around 82 degrees fahrenheit. Sometimes the workers don't like to be heated, so provide a heating gradient in the nest. 

 

This species requires a diapause period. This period should last 3-4 months ideally. During this time, the ants need to be cooled down to a low temperature. Around 40 degrees fahrenheit is best. You can achieve diapause by placing the ants in a controlled cooling unit, such as a wine cooler, mini fridge, or regular fridge if temperatures are safe. If you cannot use any of these, a non-heated room which stays above freezing could work. 

 

Brood development takes between 4-7 weeks, usually around 6 weeks. Colonies grow slow for the first year, but can get into the dozens by the second year and hundreds or thousands after that. 

 

Queen size: 9-13mm

Worker size: 5-9mm

If ants arrive in bad condition, contact us for help. Live arrival is guaranteed.

Shipping happens from Monday-Wednesday. During the winter, shipping may cost more due to the need of a heat pack.