Leafcutter Ant Care

General care instructions for Acromyrmex striatus

A rare and small colony species of South American leafcutter ant. of the 24 Acromyrmex species the Acromyrmex striatus are an ideal species for the hobby keeper as they remain in number of a few thousand compared to the million ant colonies of the Atta sp. Easy to care for, feed and maintain. Keep a tight control of temperature and humidity and the ants will do their thing.

TEMPERATURE

Around 25 Degrees with a few degrees of variation. Temperatures above 30 degrees will prevent the queen from laying eggs. Humidity should be

maintained around 80-95% as this is a tropical species.

LIGHTING

Well lit enclosures.

Avoid direct sunlight

HOUSING

There are several ways of housing leafcutter ants, but by far the easiest and best method for the ants is in a large tank half filled with peat moss soil. around 30x30x30 at minimum. Only half fill as the ants will excavate and grow fungus to

fill the tank. Provide tubes or rope from the nest to the feeding areas. These tanks

are often worthwhile being kept on a water moat to avoid escape. Be sure to have an airline

in the water to prevent a film appearing on the surface or the ants dumping substrate to

build a bridge.

FEEDING

Not a huge amount has been documented in this species. Moisten leaves before feeding. However below are a few examples of readily accepted food plants:

Raspberry Leaves

Buddlea

Mango Leaves

Dandelion & Plantain

Black Grapes

Rose Leaves

Ivy

Rose Petals

Holly Leaves

Mixed Flowers

Oak

Cabbage

Rhododendron Leaves

Privet Leaves

Any fruit tree leaves

Most non-toxic house plants

Elderberry

Banana leaves and skins

Lime Tree

They are also known to enjoy the following:

Coconut

Orange Peel

Brussel Sprouts

Shelled Sunflower Seeds

Flakes maize

Rolled Oats

THE QUEEN & COLONY

The queen is a nice light brown colour and sits around 12-15mm. A queen can live 8-15 years on average

GENERAL

Ensure you have 3 areas for the ants to use. One for the nest, one for the rubbish they kick out of the nest and one for feeding. Unlike the Atta sp, Acromyrmex need to walk long distances to collect food. This is believed to be

essential for their optimal development and social heirarchy.

This species is not native to the UK and therefore it is illegal to release these into the wild. Should you have any issues with your ants or wish to rehome, please contact us and we can advise.