Myrcidris epicharis

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Expert
• Origin & Habitat: Amazon rainforest in Amazonas and Mato Grosso, Brazil, living in swollen terminal stems of Myrcia sp. (Myrtaceae) trees. Climate is tropical humid with average temperature 24°C, humidity 85%, and annual rainfall 2,300 mm ^[1][2][3].
• Colony Type: Unconfirmed, but likely single-queen colonies based on typical Pseudomyrmecinae patterns. Colonies are observed in multiple host plants, with over 50 individual Myrcia plants hosting colonies ^[1].
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: Size data unavailable, no total length measurements provided in research context
  • Worker: Size data unavailable, no total length measurements provided in research context
  • Colony: Unknown, no specific colony size data available
  • Growth: Unknown, no data on growth rate
  • Development: Unknown, no development data available for this species (No direct studies on development, estimates would require further research)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Keep warm and stable, around 24°C based on habitat data, with a gentle gradient if possible ^[2].
  • Humidity: Keep the nest substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged, as this species lives in humid rainforest environments ^[3][2].
  • Diapause: No, this is a tropical species that does not require winter diapause ^[2].
  • Nesting: Critical challenge: in nature, they live inside hollow swollen stems of Myrcia plants. In captivity, providing live or artificial Myrcia stems or a very small setup scaled to their size is necessary, but this has never been attempted ^[3][4].
• Behavior: These ants are shy and non-aggressive, spending most time inside host plant stems. They have a painful sting but rarely use it, relying on the protected plant environment ^[3]. Escape prevention is critical due to their tiny size, they can squeeze through small gaps.
• Common Issues: this species is extremely difficult to obtain and has never been documented in the antkeeping hobby, the specialized host plant relationship makes captive maintenance nearly impossible without Myrcia plants, tiny size means escape prevention must be excellent, standard formicarium gaps may allow escape, no captive breeding history exists, all attempts would be experimental, wild-caught colonies may fail to adapt to artificial housing and may decline rapidly

The Myrmecophyte Relationship

Myrcidris epicharis has an extremely specialized relationship with its host plant, Myrcia sp. The ants live inside swollen stems (domatia) and tend scale insects for honeydew, providing some defense to the plant ^[3][4]. This dependency means that keeping this species would require maintaining live Myrcia plants or an artificial equivalent, which has never been done in antkeeping ^[1].

Distribution and Habitat

Myrcidris epicharis is known from only a few locations in the Brazilian Amazon, including near Manaus and the Juruena River region ^[1][2]. A single specimen was collected in Colombia, but this may be accidental ^[2]. The species inhabits lowland tropical rainforest with low light levels, warm temperatures, and high humidity ^[2]. It has never been recorded in forest fragments, suggesting it requires continuous primary rainforest ^[5].

Taxonomy and Evolution

Myrcidris epicharis is the sister group to the genus Pseudomyrmex, diverging about 40 million years ago ^[6][7]. The genus Myrcidris contains only two described species, making M. epicharis a relict lineage ^[1]. Workers have unique features like a basitarsal sulcus gland absent in Pseudomyrmex ^[4].

Why This Species Is Not Suitable for Most Antkeepers

Myrcidris epicharis is not suitable for captivity due to its extreme specialization. It depends entirely on a specific host plant and has no established care protocols. The species is rare in the wild and has never been kept in captivity, making it impractical for antkeepers ^[1][2][3].

Frequently Asked Questions

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References