Dorymyrmex bossutus Species Introduction

Species Introduction Fully claustral. A single newly-mated queen founds the colony alone. Their nuptial flights happen on hot Florida afternoons. Native to Florida's open, sandy habitats. In the wild they nest in open sand that is quite wet beneath their surface; their iconic 'volcano' sand-mound entrances mark colony locations. Diurnal, peak activity at 90°F+. These ants can sometimes resemble Dorymyrmex flavopectus, but typically have much smaller workers. Unlike most Dorymyrmex, bossutus is relatively cryptic, maintaining small colonies with less activity. Expect lots of foraging. They burn through energy fast, making them hungry for both protein and sugar. Keep the nest humid, the food stocked, and they will entertain you constantly while giving you a more laid back experience than most Dorymyrmex. Formicarium Substrate nests (sand-based) replicate their natural habitat and let you watch the volcano-mound behavior. Moderately warm. They prefer to be active at 90°F+, but construct their nests in the wild to keep the colony itself relatively cool. We suggest a gradient of ~75°F to ~90°F across the setup. 3/8" is right for this small-bodied species. The foraging area can be lit with a heatlamp or bright light, they love that. Water & Humidity Very humid. Nests in moist, sandy soils in the wild. They can handle low humidity in the foraging area but the nest environment must be humid at all times for the health of the brood and colony. Recommended to use TrapJaw Labs PVA sponges for founding due to improved humidity. Keep a liquid feeder with water (distilled, purified, or spring) in the foraging area at all times. Carbohydrates Carbohydrate-loving. In the wild the workers spend their days zooming around on the hot sand of the Coastal Plains and burn through a lot of energy. These ants will perish without constant access to carbohydrates. Honeydew Honey or basic sugar water both work; honeydew honey better matches their wild micronutrient profile. We recommend providing sugar-water (we use our Ant Nectar Mix) and fresh-water liquid feeders in the outworld at all times. Protein We suggest feeding D. bossutus colonies fruit flies 2–3 times a week. The more frequent, the better. TrapJaw Labs feeds our D. bossutus colonies with pre-killed D. melanogaster and D. hydei fruit flies. Twice per week. Increase amounts to scale with brood development. Maintenance Week 1: Settle the founding queen somewhere dark and undisturbed. Stress from disturbance can cause her to consume her own brood, so avoid checking on her during this process. If founding in a test tube with a TJL sponge, humidity and water will be maintained throughout this process. Weeks 2–4: First workers appear. Start feeding protein (2–3×/week) and put out a 24/7 sugar feeder. You'll quickly see them take advantage of the food they're given and the colony will increase in size. Months 2+: Maintain humidity and liquid feeders 24/7. Consider a larger humid nest upgrade and more outworld space; optional supplemental heating speeds growth (but don't overdo it). Diapause is not required for this species. Care Summary Very humid nest environment Liquid feeder kept full High protein requirements Room temp can work; a gradient of 75-90°F significantly accelerates growth Every day: Check liquid feeder is full Two to Three times per week: Offer pre-killed protein, clear leftovers within 24h Every other week: Top up nest humidity