Meranoplus bicolor

These amusing little ants are quite interesting to observe. One of the reasons why these are quite popular is because they are very passive creatures whose colonies stay pretty small, which is why they are often put together with other species of ants, like one from the Diacamma genus, in natural setups. These small ants can be kept with larger, aggressive species of ants because they have an entire arsenal of weapons to avoid getting killed. They have a lot of annoying hairs, are capable of producing a chemical defense that repulses predators and they know how to play dead. A combination powerful enough to allow them to live amongst other, bigger ants.

Size & colony type
Queen: aprox. 8mm – 9mm
Workers: aprox. 3mm – 5mm
Soldiers: n/a
Colony type: monogyne
Colony size: about 100 – 300 workers per colony
Keeping difficulty: Fairly easy.

Habitat
Distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: often found in forests
Natural nest: they often build their nests underground and in pieces of dead wood
Suitable formicaria: Ytong-, plaster-, 3D- and acrylicnests are all suitable for this species
Recommended humidity: 50% – 70%
Recommended temperature: 23°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
Egg to worker: 7 to 9 weeks depending on how they are being kept