Temnothorax duloticus

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Expert
• Origin & Habitat: Eastern United States (Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New York to Georgia) and Ontario, Canada. Found in dry oak woods and gentle slopes of open forests with shallow sandstone soil. Nests in acorns, hollow twigs, and dead sticks on the ground ^[1][4][5].
• Colony Type: Obligate slave-maker, requires host Temnothorax workers to survive. Single-queen (monogyne) colonies ^[4]. Host species include T. curvispinosus, T. longispinosus, and T. ambiguus ^[1].
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: 3.25mm ^[2]
  • Worker: 2.4-2.6mm ^[1]
  • Colony: Up to 70 slavemaker workers plus host slaves (mean ~12 workers in the wild) ^[4][1]
  • Growth: Slow, small colony size limits growth
  • Development: Unknown, likely 6-8 weeks based on related Temnothorax species (Development not directly studied. Alate pupae appear from late June to August, with adults emerging July to September ^[4].)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Room temperature (20-24°C), typical for temperate forest floor species. No specific data, monitor colony response.
  • Humidity: Moderate, keep nest substrate slightly moist but not wet, as found in eastern US leaf litter ^[1].
  • Diapause: Yes, temperate species requires winter dormancy. Provide 4-6 weeks at 5-10°C ^[4].
  • Nesting: Acorn nests, Y-tong (AAC) with very small chambers, or hollow twigs. Chambers must be tiny to suit small ant size. Naturalistic setups with leaf litter work well ^[1].
• Behavior: Fierce slave-maker that conducts organized raids on host colonies, killing defenders by stinging ^[6]. Workers are highly aggressive during raids but become indolent when slaves are present, leaving most work to enslaved hosts ^[7]. Without slaves, they cannot properly care for brood or forage ^[7]. Escape risk is high, workers are small (2.4mm) and can squeeze through tiny gaps. This species is IUCN Vulnerable, so collection and possession may be restricted.
• Common Issues: this species is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, check local laws before acquiring, collection may be restricted., you must maintain a healthy host colony (T. curvispinosus, T. longispinosus, or T. ambiguus), the slavemakers cannot survive without enslaved workers., if the host colony dies, the slavemakers will starve and die within weeks., keeping two colonies simultaneously (slavemaker + host) doubles complexity and risk., slavemaker colonies are tiny and fragile, one mistake can wipe them out., raiding behavior makes it impossible to house with other Temnothorax colonies.

Understanding Slave-Making Ants

Temnothorax duloticus is an obligate slavemaker, meaning it cannot survive without enslaved host workers. Unlike typical ants, it invades host colonies (T. curvispinosus, T. longispinosus, T. ambiguus), kills defenders, and steals pupae. The stolen pupae emerge in the slavemaker nest and become unpaid workers that do all chores: feeding, cleaning, and brood care ^[7]. Without slaves, slavemaker workers are nearly helpless, they feed larvae irregularly, move nest materials incorrectly, and ignore solid food ^[7]. This species is considered a 'primitive' slavemaker with few physical adaptations for raiding ^[8]. Genetically, it is very close to its host T. curvispinosus, indicating recent evolution from a free-living ancestor ^[3]. Slaves themselves can reproduce, they sometimes lay eggs that are accepted into the colony ^[9]. Intra-colony duels occur, with slaves occasionally attacking slavemaker workers, but no fatalities result ^[9].

Host Species Requirements

You MUST keep a healthy host colony with your T. duloticus. The preferred host is Temnothorax curvispinosus, but T. longispinosus and T. ambiguus are also used ^[1][6]. This means you are committing to keeping two ant colonies. In the wild, the ratio is about one slavemaker worker for every three slaves ^[1]. When you collect a slavemaker colony, you must also take its host colony, separating them kills both. Because T. duloticus is IUCN Vulnerable, it may be illegal to collect wild colonies in some areas. Only acquire from ethical breeders or with proper permits.

Feeding and Nutrition

In captivity, you feed the host colony, not the slavemakers directly. Slave workers forage for sugar water, honey, small insects, and protein, then bring food to the slavemakers ^[7]. The slavemakers ignore food if slaves are present. Without slaves, they will not search for solid food even when starving ^[7]. Keep the host colony well-fed with a standard Temnothorax diet: honey or sugar water twice a week, and small live prey (fruit flies, pinhead crickets) once a week. A healthy host colony is the key to keeping the slavemakers alive.

Raiding Behavior

T. duloticus is an aggressive raider. Workers conduct 'processions', moving in coordinated lines, and attack host colonies by stinging defenders to death before stealing pupae ^[6][3]. This results in local eradication of host colonies ^[6]. In captivity, NEVER introduce slavemakers to a host colony you want to keep, they will destroy it. Keep the slavemaker colony completely isolated from other Temnothorax. To expand a slavemaker colony you would need to raid additional host colonies, which is neither practical nor ethical. Most keepers maintain the colony as a stable unit without expansion.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

T. duloticus is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, meaning wild populations may be at risk. Before acquiring this species, check local laws, collecting from the wild may be illegal or require permits. It is rare in the hobby and should only be kept by experienced antkeepers who fully understand its needs. Ethically, you are maintaining a species that survives by exploiting another. Ensure your host colonies are obtained from healthy wild populations or captive breeding, and never release any ants into the environment. ^[2]

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