Species & care sheets
Explore Ant Species
Discover and explore ant species from the Antverse — by name, genus, habit or how hard they are to keep.
Popular searches:CamponotusPolyrhachisMeranoplusCrematogaster
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50 species
Red Ox Spiny Ant
Polyrhachis abdominalis
A spiny ant from Borneo's rainforests with a shiny, gold-tinted black body and sharp thoracic spines. Easy to keep, no sting, great for spiny-ant beginners.
Asian Marauder Ant
Carebara diversa
Supermajors 100× the size of minors. Explosive growth — plan for huge numbers.
Big-headed Ant
Pheidole megacephala
Named for its soldiers' oversized heads, the Big-headed Ant grows fast and is hard to contain — a moderate-difficulty species that should never be released outside its range.
California Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex californicus
A reddish-orange seed harvester from the American deserts with a beard of hairs under its head for carrying seeds. Delivers a very painful sting and fiercely defends its territory.
Golden Weaver Ant
Polyrhachis dives
Silk-weaving nest builders, polygynous and fast-growing. Beautiful and very active.
Spiny Weaver Ant
Polyrhachis illaudata
A spiny ant that weaves silk nests using its larvae as living glue guns, covered in sharp spines for defense. A favorite among keepers for its remarkable weaving behavior.
Malaysian Exploding Ant
Colobopsis saundersi
A carpenter ant with an extraordinary defense: it can rupture its own abdomen to spray sticky toxins on enemies to protect the colony. One of the most famous ants in the world among keepers.
Bornean Queenless Ant
Diacamma rugosum
No true queen (gamergate system). Small colonies with fascinating hunting behavior.
Acrobat Ant
Crematogaster coriaria
Famous for flipping its heart-shaped gaster overhead like an acrobat when startled, this species is beginner-to-intermediate friendly and grows quickly — a great pick for a first arboreal ant.
Steppe Harvester Ant
Messor structor
A seed-harvesting ant from the European steppes with big-headed major workers that grind grain. Famous for making 'ant bread' from chewed seeds and saliva.
Pharaoh Ant
Monomorium pharaonis
A tiny yellow-brown ant with a highly complex multi-queen society, expanding colonies remarkably fast through budding. Found in homes across the tropics worldwide.
Fire Ox Spiny Ant
Polyrhachis bicolor
A two-toned spiny ant from Borneo, dark body contrasting with reddish-brown legs and antennae. An easy-going spiny ant well-suited for beginners.
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This page is husbandry information only — live ants aren't sold on the site, for the animals' safety in transit.