Scientific illustration of Rhopalothrix ciliata ant - showing key identification features including head, thorax, and gaster.

Rhopalothrix ciliata

Non-Parasitic Queen No Gamergate
Sci. Name
Rhopalothrix ciliata
Tribe
Attini
Subfamily
Myrmicinae
Author
Mayr, 1870
Distribution
Found in 2 countries
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Introduction

Rhopalothrix ciliata is a tiny leaf litter ant from the cloud forests of the northern Andes. Workers measure 2.6–3.1 mm in total length, with a rusty-brown colour and a dark band on the abdomen . Their face is covered with flat, scale-like hairs that form an arch across the head, and they also have long, club-shaped hairs on the body . These ants belong to the Rhopalothrix genus-group, which are small predators that live in forest leaf litter . One remarkable aspect of this species is its adaptability: while it naturally inhabits high-altitude cloud forests above 1500 m, it is also very abundant in modified environments like coffee plantations that include native trees . They are collected by sifting leaf litter, showing they forage deep in the forest floor layer .

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Status by country, from Kass et al. 2022 & Wong et al. 2023

Native Invasive Introduced (indoor) Intercepted Unknown
Data Sources
Year Range 2000 - 2026

Quick Summary

  • Difficulty: Hard
  • Origin & Habitat: Cloud forests and montane evergreen forests of the northern Andes, found at altitudes above 1500 m in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. They thrive in humid, shaded forest floor environments and are surprisingly abundant in agroecosystems like coffee plantations with native trees [2].
  • Colony Type: Unconfirmed. No data on queen number or social structure.
  • Size & Growth:
    • Queen: Unconfirmed – no queen has been described in the literature.
    • Worker: 2.6–3.1 mm total length [1][2]
    • Colony: Unknown – no wild colony data available
    • Growth: Unknown
    • Development: Unknown – no direct data. Based on similar small leaf litter predators (2–5 mm), a rough estimate is 6–10 weeks at optimal temperature [4]. (Development timeline is unconfirmed. Rhopalothrix ciliata are leaf litter specialists, but no specific studies exist.)
  • Antkeeping:
    • Temperature: Keep at cool mountain conditions: aim for 18–22°C. These are high-altitude cloud forest ants, so they prefer cooler temperatures than most tropical ants. Avoid sustained temperatures above 25°C [2].
    • Humidity: High humidity – keep the nest substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged, with good ventilation. Mimic the damp forest floor they come from [2].
    • Diapause: Unknown – no specific data. Given their high-altitude origin, a cool period may be beneficial but is not confirmed.
    • Nesting: A naturalistic setup with a deep leaf litter layer works best. Use a Y-tong nest or plaster nest with moist chambers, and an outworld with damp leaf litter or coco fiber. They are leaf litter foragers

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References

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This caresheet is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 .