Meranoplus bicolor

Species at a glance

• Origin: the warm lowlands of South and Southeast Asia, from India to the Philippines and Indonesia
• Size: queen 8–10 mm; workers 4–6 mm
• Colony: up to 3,000 workers
• Difficulty: intermediate, for keepers with some experience

Care conditions

• Temperature: 22–30 °C
• Humidity: 50–70% with a dry corner to prevent mould
• Food: freshly killed small insects 2–3 times a week; sugar water or diluted honey every other day; water from a test tube

Hibernation

Not needed: the colony stays active all year.

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.