Giant Velvety Ants (Liometopum apiculatum)

General: Liometopum apiculatum is a species of ant from the south-central United States, known to have giant queens capable of producing massive colonies. Workers range from 3-6mm, and these ants are voracious eaters. They will break down protein into a powder. These ants need heat. Workers are dark brown at first, but as the colony ages they are more orangish-brown. It is recommended to have a nest or outworld ready for these ants!

Diet: Liometopum apiculatum is a very generalist eater. These ants will eat any sugar such as sugarwater or honeywater, and eat any insect such as mealworms, crickets, fruit flies, roaches, etc. A basic diet of simple sugars and proteins frequently will allow these ants to grow well! It’s always better to feed them more rather than less if you intend to grow them large. Excess food becomes excess eggs! These ants can die pretty quickly if they don’t have sugar, so it’s good to provide it daily or constantly.

Temperature: Liometopum apiculatum needs heat to grow. It is best to have part of the nest be around 85 degrees, but also to have a gradient including a section that is much cooler for eggs and larvae to be stored. A heating cable, heat mat, or incubator works for these ants.

Diapause: Liometopum apiculatum can go into a brief optional diapause at cooler temperatures. However, it is recommended that you continue feeding sugars to supplement the ants. Do not diapause them for more than 8-10 weeks. If the ants appear to want to diapause, allow them to! They can diapause at temperatures just below room temperature (60-68 is ideal). After around 8 weeks, begin heating them again and offer protein, and they should continue laying eggs and growing!

Growth: Liometopum apiculatum can grow stunningly fast if you prefer them to. By always offering heat and a large amount of protein, you could grow them into the tens of thousands within a year. The more excess protein the colony has, the more eggs the queen may lay. This is why the queen is so large compared to the workers! She is an egg-laying machine. Brood development typically takes 4-6 weeks with ample heat and food.

Queen size: 16-17mm

Worker size: 3-6mm

If ants arrive in bad condition, contact us for help. Live arrival is guaranteed.