Paratrachymyrmex bugnioni

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Medium
• Origin & Habitat: Tropical rainforests of Central America (Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala) and northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Trinidad). Found in leaf litter, primary and secondary forests, and forest edges at elevations up to 980m ^[4][2][5].
• Colony Type: Single-queen colonies (haplometrotic). Queens found nests alone and must forage during founding (semi-claustral).
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: Size data unavailable, no total length measurements in research context
  • Worker: Size data unavailable, no total length measurements in research context
  • Colony: Up to 3000 workers ^[1]
  • Growth: Moderate
  • Development: Unknown, no direct data on development time (Development time may vary with temperature and fungus health)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Keep at 24-28°C based on tropical habitat ^[5]
  • Humidity: Keep substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged based on forest floor habitat ^[5]
  • Diapause: No, tropical species do not require hibernation ^[5]
  • Nesting: Use a naturalistic setup with soil or Y-tong/plaster nest. Provide small chambers about 25-30mm deep with tiny entrances (~2mm) and surfaces for fungal garden attachment ^[6]
• Behavior: Generally peaceful and not aggressive. Workers forage for plant materials to feed their fungal garden. Queens must leave the nest to forage during founding ^[7]. Escape risk is moderate due to small size, use standard barriers.
• Common Issues: fungal garden collapse from contamination or improper humidity can starve the colony, semi-claustral founding means foundresses need to hunt, they cannot survive on stored fat alone, wild-caught colonies may have parasites like Escovopsis fungus that can devastate captive colonies ^[9], temperature drops below 22°C can slow colony growth

The Fungus-Growing Lifestyle

Paratrachymyrmex bugnioni belongs to the Attini tribe, the fungus-growing ants. These ants cultivate fungi as their primary food source. The ants feed the fungus with plant materials, and the fungus serves as food for larvae and adult workers ^[3]. The fungal garden is essential to colony survival. Higher attine ants like this species practice vertical cultivar transmission, the queen carries a piece of the parent fungus in her infrabuccal pocket when establishing a new nest ^[3].

Nest Setup and Chamber Design

In the wild, foundress queens use small chambers about 27mm deep on the forest floor. They attach fungal gardens to roots, rock surfaces, or soil ^[6]. For captivity, replicate with soil or Y-tong/plaster nests. Entrances are tiny, about 2mm in diameter ^[6]. Provide rough surfaces for fungus attachment. Keep humidity high but ensure ventilation to prevent mold.

Feeding Your Colony

Feed the fungus, not the ants directly. Workers collect plant materials like flowers, dead leaves, and insect feces ^[8]. In captivity, offer small pieces of fresh flowers, crushed dry leaves, or grain materials. The fungus should appear white and healthy. Never feed sugar water or honey, ants cannot digest these directly.

Colony Founding

This is a semi-claustral species, queens must forage during founding ^[7]. Research shows 100% of wild nests have a single foundress ^[6]. Do not combine multiple queens. The queen establishes a small chamber, plants her fungal garden, and raises first workers while continuing to forage.

Defense and Health

Fungus-growing ants carry beneficial bacteria that produce antibiotics to suppress harmful fungi like Escovopsis ^[9]. Escovopsis affects about 51% of Trachymyrmex colonies in the wild. Maintain clean conditions to protect the fungal garden. The ants are small and not aggressive, relying on fungal defenses and cryptic nesting.

Temperature and Seasonal Care

As a tropical species, keep temperatures at 24-28°C for optimal fungus growth ^[5]. Use a heating cable for a gentle gradient. No diapause is needed, maintain stable temperatures year-round ^[5]. Humidity should be high to keep the substrate moist ^[5].

Frequently Asked Questions

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References