Anoplolepis gracilipes

This ant species is yet another big player in the antkeeping world. They are perhaps more commonly known as ‘YCA’ or Yellow Crazy Ants because of the erratic way they move. But make no mistake; this species is not suitable for beginners. They are very good at escaping, they grow quite fast and colonies of this species can become quite humongous. There are colonies known to have over a thousand queens and countless amounts of workers.

Size & colony type
Queen: aprox. 15mm
Workers: aprox. 5mm
Soldiers: n/a
Colony type: polygyne
Colony size: Unclear. They are capable of having tens or even hundreds of thousands of workers per colony
Keeping difficulty: Moderate. They require higher temperatures and top-notch anti-escape measures

Habitat
Distribution: Africa, America, Asia, Australia
Habitat: often found in damp outcrops or rocky area’s
Natural nest: they often build their nests in crevices in rocky area’s or in abandoned ant nests
Suitable formicaria: Ytong-, plaster-, 3D- and acrylicnests are all suitable for this species
Recommended humidity: 60% – 80%
Recommended temperature: 22°C – 28°C
Nutrition: a sugar source such as honey or sugarwater and a protein source such as prey insects like crickets or fruitflies. Insect jelly is also a suitable feeder since it contains both sugar and protein and varius other beneficial components

Misc
Hibernation: no
Claustral: yes, no need to feed until the first workers arrive
Matingflight period: june – july after the sun goes down
Egg to worker: 7 to 9 weeks depending on how they are being kept