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
Quick browse
50 species
Southern Shield Ant
Meranoplus mucronatus
A shield ant with a black head and gaster contrasting a red-brown thorax. Moves slowly, relying on chemical defenses. Easy to keep, well suited to planted tropical setups.
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.
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.
Monster Head Carpenter Ant
Camponotus auriventris
Nicknamed the "Monster Head" carpenter ant abroad for its oversized soldier heads, which defend the nest with striking efficiency.
Silky Carpenter Ant
Camponotus sericeus
Unlike most carpenter ants, this species forages in broad daylight. Its body is covered in shimmering golden hair, and it thrives in dry, semi-arid habitats across Africa and Asia.
Yellow Jumping Trap-Jaw Ant
Odontomachus rixosus
A yellow-orange trap-jaw ant known for its long snapping mandibles and its ability to jump up to 20 cm to escape danger. A specialized termite hunter beloved by ant keepers.
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.
Mountain Trap-Jaw Ant
Odontomachus monticola
A matte-black trap-jaw ant from Asia's mountains with one of the fastest strikes in the animal kingdom, used both to hunt and to catapult itself away from danger. For expert keepers only.
Mexican Twig Ant
Pseudomyrmex gracilis
A slender, wasp-like twig ant from Mexico and tropical America, orange and black with sharp eyesight and a talent for escaping. Best suited for experienced keepers.
Giant Forest Ant
Dinomyrmex gigas
Thailand's largest ant, with soldiers nearly 3 cm long, was only recently confirmed living in a Songkhla forest. A master-level species that needs serious space and humidity.
Black Garden Ant
Lasius niger
One of the most common ants in the world and the classic starter species for new ant keepers. Extremely hardy and tolerant of imperfect conditions.
Black Tyrant Ant
Iridomyrmex anceps
A small, fast-moving black ant that builds colonies quickly, the Black Tyrant Ant is easy to keep but demands an escape-proof setup for its unusually agile workers.
Browse by genus(30)
P
This page is husbandry information only — live ants aren't sold on the site, for the animals' safety in transit.