Pheidole cursor

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Medium
• Origin & Habitat: Amazon basin rainforests of Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Guyana. Found in both terra firme and seasonally flooded rainforest, nesting in rotten wood pieces on the forest floor ^[1][2].
• Colony Type: Monogyne (single-queen colonies) ^[1].
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: Size data unavailable for body length, but inferred from Pheidole genus to be approximately 5-8 mm
  • Worker: Size data unavailable for body length, but inferred from Pheidole genus to be approximately 2-5 mm for workers ^[1].
  • Colony: Up to 300 workers ^[1].
  • Growth: Moderate
  • Development: Estimated 6-8 weeks based on typical Pheidole development patterns ^[1]. (Development time is temperature-dependent.)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Keep warm and stable, roughly low-to-mid 20s°C, as inferred from tropical habitat ^[1].
  • Humidity: Provide a humidity gradient, mostly dry nest chamber with one small moist area, as they are flood-intolerant ^[2].
  • Diapause: No, tropical species, no hibernation needed ^[2].
  • Nesting: Ground nesting in rotting wood ^[2]. In captivity, use naturalistic setup with moist substrate and wood pieces, or Y-tong or plaster nests with moisture chambers.
• Behavior: Predatory ants that hunt small arthropods. Workers are active foragers. Not aggressive toward keepers but will defend nest. Escape risk moderate, use standard barriers. Defense mechanism: sting, as typical for Myrmicinae.
• Common Issues: tropical humidity needs can be tricky, monitor for mold in enclosed nests., predatory diet means they need live prey, cannot survive on sugar alone., small colony size means slower population growth than faster-spreading species., flood-intolerant, keep nesting area dry even if outworld has water features ^[2]., wild-caught colonies may be difficult to establish due to stress from collection.

Housing and Nest Setup

Pheidole cursor naturally nests in rotting wood on the rainforest floor ^[2]. Use a moist soil/sand substrate with pieces of decaying wood or cork. The substrate should stay damp but never waterlogged. You can also use a Y-tong or plaster nest with a moisture chamber. Provide an outworld for foraging and a shallow water dish ^[1].

Feeding and Diet

These ants are strictly predatory, they hunt and kill small arthropods for food ^[1]. Offer live prey such as fruit flies, small crickets, or mealworms. Feed every 2-3 days, adjusting based on colony size. Remove uneaten prey after 24 hours to prevent mold.

Temperature and Humidity

As Amazonian rainforest ants, they need warm conditions. Keep temperatures roughly low-to-mid 20s°C, with a gradient so ants can choose their preferred zone ^[1]. Humidity should be managed with a gradient, mostly dry nest chamber with one small moist area, as they are flood-intolerant ^[2].

Colony Development

Colonies remain relatively small, maxing out around 300 workers ^[1]. Growth rate is moderate, expect several months to reach 50+ workers from a founding queen. The first workers (nanitics) will be smaller than normal workers. Major workers develop later and help with prey processing.

Behavior and Temperament

Workers are active foragers that hunt on the ground surface. They are not particularly aggressive toward humans but will bite if threatened. The presence of major workers is notable, they have distinctive enlarged heads and help process larger prey items. Escape prevention is moderate, use standard barriers. ^[1]

Frequently Asked Questions

Report an Issue

The current care sheet is based fully on literature. See inconsistencies, or something that's incorrect? Please report here, it will be resolved after review from an admin. Contributing to the blogs tab also helps providing information, to make us be able to further improve the caresheets. Thank you for your support!

References