Oecophylla smaragdina

Species at a glance

• Origin: from India across Southeast Asia to northern Australia; tropical forests and orchards
• Size: queen 20–25 mm; workers 5–10 mm, minors and majors
• Colony: a mature colony has hundreds of thousands of ants
• Difficulty: high, for experienced keepers only

Care conditions

• Temperature: 24–32 °C with a gradient
• Humidity: 60–80%, never below 60%
• Food: live insects 2–3 times a week and liquid sugars daily; fresh water at all times

Hibernation

Not needed: temperature and humidity must stay stable all year.

Farm and colony growth

On arrival the queen needs about two days of rest before being offered sugar water. Workers are aggressive, biting and spraying formic acid, and they are skilled escapers.