Acromyrmex versicolorSpecies Introduction
Semi-claustral. Founding chamber must be very humid to accommodate the fungus. After digging their founding chamber in the wild, the queen regurgitates her fungal pellet from her infrabuccal pouch. She then forages for plant detritus, using it to grow her pellet into a tiny garden that can sustain her and the nanitic workers she is simultaneously rearing.
Native to the southwestern United States. Prefers sandy, well-draining soils to dig their nest in. Mature colonies reach thousands of workers. Most often active from dusk throughout dawn in the summer while also being active during daytime in the cooler months. Most populations, found in the colder climates, diapause in the winter and are active during the daytime.
They need high humidity for themselves and their fungus, and may become picky about foods used repeatedly. The TJL Fungus-Farmer Diet provides a diversity of food sources for them to choose from.
We keep and ship this species.
See Acromyrmex versicolor coloniesFormicarium
Substrate nests, petri-dish style nests, or fungus-grower specific formicaria.
Water & Humidity
High humidity that is consistently high. These are fungus-farmers. While the ants may be more capable of tolerating dry conditions, their fungus is not. It will quickly perish if humidity drops too low.
Not applicable. We do not suggest founding A. versicolor in test tubes.
Water-only liquid feeder in outworld highly recommended.
Plant Material
These ants get all of their nutrition from whatever plant material they are able to scavange.
These ants will cut leaves, but especially when the colony is small, they prefer to gather small pieces of plant material that they don't need to cut. If you're not sure where to start we suggest our TJL Fungus-Farmer diet.
These ants will feed from sliced, organic fruit as a supplemental source. They are big fans of citrus, but outer peels should be removed to prevent pesticide/fungicide contamination.
Once per week
Maintenance
Week 1: Extremely humid nest, foraging area provided, regular feeding.
Weeks 4–8: First workers appear. Continue feeding regularly while increasing portions.
Months 2+: Your colony is continuing to grow their garden and all is well. Keep their nest hydrated and provide ample food in the foraging area!
Care Summary
- Extremely humid nest
- Give plant detritus, fresh leaves, or dried leaves once a week
- Moderate temps (68-84F)