Harpegnathos venator

This species of the Harpegnathos genus is probably one of the most wanted species of ants in the antkeeping hobby. The reason why is rather obvious; they look incredible. They have big, powerful mandibles that really makes them stand out. Their impressive mandibles aren’t their only weapons though. They have excellent vision and tremendous jumping power that allows them to jump 8 to 10 centimeters. That’s 5 to 6 times their own body length! They use that impressive jumping power of theirs to hunt prey and escape dangerous situations.

The reason why these ants are quite difficult to keep is because their rate of brood development is quite slow and they are quite tricky to feed. They only accept feeder insects and they certainly don’t accept prekilled feeder insects. It’s possible for them to reject insects if their prey item doesn’t move enough. That is why fruitflies come highly recommended as they move quite a lot and can safely be fed while they are still alive. Roaches are also a  good option if you cut off their head(s) right before you feed them to your ants to avoid your ants getting hurt. Every colony is a bit different so feel free to experiment with feeder insects and see what works for you.

Size & colony type
Queen: aprox. 14mm – 16mm
Workers: aprox. 14mm – 16mm
Soldiers: n/a
Colony type: polygyne
Colony size: about 200 – 500 workers per colony
Keeping difficulty: Fairly difficult. Requires higher temperatures and different kinds of nutrition

Habitat
Distribution: Asia
Habitat: often found in tropical rainforests
Natural nest: they often build their nests underground
Suitable formicaria: Ytong-, plaster-, 3D- nests are all suitable for this species
Recommended humidity: 50% – 80%
Recommended temperature: 24°C – 28°C
Nutrition: insects such as crickets, roaches, fruitflies, grasshoppers, etc

Misc
Hibernation: no
Claustral: no, you will need to feed regularly
Matingflight period: beginning of the monsoon season
Egg to worker: 9 to 12 weeks depending on how they are being kept