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

Strumigenys precava

Non-Parasitic Queen No Gamergate
Sci. Name
Strumigenys precava
Tribe
Attini
Subfamily
Myrmicinae
Author
Brown, 1954
Distribution
Found in 7 countries
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Introduction

Strumigenys precava is a predatory dacetine ant native to the Neotropics, found from Costa Rica through Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, Bolivia, and Venezuela . Workers are relatively large for a Strumigenys species, measuring 3.1–3.8 mm in total length, with a distinctive deeply concave head shape in front of the eyes and long, wispy (flagellate) hairs on the gaster . They nest in red- or chocolate-rotten logs on the forest floor and are specialized hunters of tiny arthropods, especially springtails .

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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: Medium
  • Origin & Habitat: Tropical rainforests of Central and South America. In the wild, they nest in rotting (red- or chocolate-rotten) logs on the forest floor [7]. They are leaf-litter ants typically found in humid forest environments.
  • Colony Type: Unconfirmed – likely single queen based on typical Strumigenys patterns, but no direct evidence of colony structure has been published.
  • Size & Growth:
    • Queen: unknown – no measurements available
    • Worker: 3.1–3.8 mm (total length) [7]
    • Colony: Up to over 1000 workers in established colonies [7]
    • Growth: Moderate – based on typical dacetine development patterns
    • Development: Estimated 6–8 weeks at optimal tropical temperatures (based on genus-level data for Strumigenys) (Development time is estimated from related species – direct measurements for Strumigenys precava are not available)
  • Antkeeping:
    • Temperature: 24–28°C – these are tropical ants requiring warm, stable conditions [7]. Room temperature may be sufficient in warm homes, otherwise use a heating cable on one side of the nest.

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References

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This caresheet is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 .