Harpegnathos venator

Species at a glance

• Origin: from eastern India across Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia
• Size: queen 18–22 mm; workers 16–20 mm
• Colony: a single queen; up to 200 ants; mated workers can back up the queen
• Difficulty: high, for experienced keepers only

Care conditions

• Temperature: 22–28 °C with a gradient
• Humidity: 60–80%, never low for long
• Food: live, moving prey only: crickets, fruit flies and roach nymphs

Hibernation

Not needed, and it must not be simulated.

Farm and colony growth

The queen is semi-claustral: until the first workers appear she hunts herself, so she needs a small arena and small prey every 2–3 days. Workers are skilled escapers: use a tight lid, fine mesh on the vents and an anti-escape barrier on the arena walls.

Safety

Workers sting, and the sting is painful. Do not handle the ants, use long forceps, and if you are allergic to bee or wasp stings, choose another species.