Nylanderia arenivagaSpecies Introduction

Species Introduction Claustral. Founding chamber must be very humid. Native to the coastal parts of the Southeastern US. Live almost entirely underground in waterlogged soils. Rarely surface except for at night to forage. They cannot tolerate even moderately dry conditions. Get the humidity right and they're rewarding, but let it slip and you'll lose the colony. Formicarium Substrate nests with very fine chambers, they're tiny. The Substratum Nest is highly recommended for these humidity loving, subterranean ants. Warm but not hot. We suggest providing a gradient of 75–85°F. Very small — 3/8" or even smaller. They're tiny enough that standard entrances may be too large. Water & Humidity Ridiculously high humidity that is consistently high. They spend most of their time deep underground in Florida's water-logged soils, only foraging at night. They cannot tolerate even moderately dry conditions. 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 Carbohydrates are the main component of N. arenivaga's diet. Small honey-water or sugar-water drops in the outworld occasionally. We recommend providing sugar-water (we use our Ant Nectar Mix) and fresh-water liquid feeders in the outworld at all times. Protein These ants need protein 1-2 times a week. Fruit flies work quite well for them. TrapJaw Labs feeds our N. arenivaga colonies with pre-killed Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei fruit flies. Once per week Maintenance Week 1: Extremely humid, dark, undisturbed. Weeks 4–6: First tiny workers appear. Start protein once weekly; offer small sugar-water or honey-water drops occasionally. Months 2+: Cryptic lifestyle. They're small but quite busy. Workers will forage but exepct them to be quite shy. Diapause is not required for this species. Care Summary EXTREMELY humid nest Small sugar-water or honey-water drops Fruit flies 2–3×/week Moderate gradient 75–85°F Once per week: Small sugar-water or honey-water drops Twice per week: Offer pre-killed fruit flies, clear leftovers within 24h Twice per week: Top up nest water reservoir Daily: Check liquid feeders are full