Pheidole obscurithoraxSpecies Introduction

Species Introduction Claustral. Single queen, sealed founding chamber, no outside food needed for the first generation. Native to South America and Invasive to the Eastern US. Generalists that love protein. Distinct dimorphic worker caste: small minors handle daily tasks while majors with disproportionate heads help with food-storage, colony defense, and processing food items. Fast-growing, while having relatively small colonies. This species can reach its max colony size of a few thousand individuals within their first year! These protein hungry ants will readily swarm out of the nest upon feeding and drag whatever prey into the nest. Just keep them well fed and they will thrive. Formicarium Substrate or hydrostone nests work fine. A clear nest shows off the major/minor caste contrast. A secure nest and a fluon barrier for the outworld is recommended for these small ants. Warm. We suggest a gradient of 75–88°F across the setup. 3/8" works well for this smaller species. Water & Humidity Humid. Pheidole obscurithorax are commonly found nesting under rocks and in open soil. Recommended to use TrapJaw Labs PVA sponges during founding for improved success rates and more nanitics. Keep a liquid feeder with water (distilled, purified, or spring) in the foraging area at all times. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are recommended for Pheidole obscurithorax. Sugar feeder in the outworld 24/7. Occasional small honey drop in the outworld is fine. We recommend providing sugar-water (we use our Ant Nectar Mix) and fresh-water liquid feeders in the outworld at all times. Protein Very protein-loving. We suggest feeding protein 2–3 times a week. The more frequent the better. TrapJaw Labs feeds our P. obscurithorax colonies with pre-killed D. melanogaster and D. hydei fruit flies as well as pre-killed and cut mealworms. These ants will take most feeder insects. Two to three times per week. Increase amounts to scale with brood development. Seeds This species will rarely consume seeds if the opportunity presents itself but it is not a major component of their diet, typically. You can offer them seeds if you'd like to but it's completely optional. This species prefers small seeds that are easy for them to handle. The TJL Seed Mix is a good place to start if unsure of what kind to offer. Once per week Maintenance Week 1: Dark, warm, humid, and undisturbed. No food yet. Weeks 2–4: First workers appear. Start protein 2–3×/week and provide sugar feeder in outworld. You may not see majors until the colony is larger. Months 2+: Rapidly growing colony, make sure feeder is stocked. Majors begin appearing. They'll handle a lot of protein and grow accordingly. Diapause is not required for this species. Care Summary Protein 2–3×/week (more is better) Sugar via feeder 24/7 Humid Gradient 75–88°F Wait for the majors to arrive Mon/Wed/Fri: Offer pre-killed protein, clear leftovers within 24h Once per week: Make sure feeder is full Every other week: Top up nest water