Myrmecocystus wheeleri

Price range: $151.11 through $239.04

Number of workers

SKU: AOTA315 Category: Ants Tags: ant, Ant Atlas, ant colony, ant on top, antontop, Atlas de hormigas, Atlas Mrówek, Camponotus cruentatus, Myrmecocystus mimicus, Queen of ants, Сephalotes minutus

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Description

Myrmecocystus wheeleri is a monogynous ant species with colonies reaching up to 6,000–10,000 workers. They exhibit a moderate development speed. Queens measure approximately 12–14 mm in length, while workers range from 4.5 to 7 mm. Their coloration is generally light to reddish-brown, with a darker, often slightly translucent gaster. Like other species in the genus, they may develop repletes—workers specialized in storing liquid food. Their diet includes small insects, sugary liquids like nectar or syrup, fruits, jelly, and protein-rich foods such as cooked chicken or egg.ir diet includes small insects, sugary liquids like nectar or syrup, fruits, jelly, and protein-rich foods such as cooked chicken or egg.

Additional information

Behavior	Moderate
Difficulty in breeding	For intermediates
Origin	North America
The size of ants	Medium
Wintering	No Wintering

Description

Myrmecocystus wheeleri

Colony Type: Monogynous
Colony Size: Up to 8,000–10,000 workers
Development Speed: Medium

Size:

• Queen: 11–13 mm
• Workers: 4–8 mm

Color: Typically golden to reddish-brown head and thorax with a dark brown or black gaster. This species has a slightly fuzzy, matte texture and is visually similar to other honey pot ants like M. mexicanus or M. kennedyi.

Nutrition

Food insects (such as cockroaches and crickets) dead, or live if colony is big
Syrup (a mixture of water and honey or sugar, with a ratio of 3 water:1)
Fruits and vegetables
Jelly
Cooked chicken without salt, shrimps
Honey

Don’t forget to check out our food products to ensure a well-balanced diet for your colony!

Temperature and Humidity

• Humidity:
Arena: 40–60%
Nest: 50–70%

• Temperature:
Arena: 24–32 °C
Nest: 23–27 °C

This is a desert-adapted species, so it prefers warm and relatively dry environments.

Unique Traits

Like other species in the genus, M. wheeleri is known for producing repletes—specialized workers that store sugary liquids in their distended abdomens. These “honey pot” ants are a key survival strategy in their native arid habitats, storing food during times of abundance.

This species is an active forager, often seen quickly exploring its environment and retrieving food sources. Colonies show strong cooperative behavior, and replete formation usually begins after the colony reaches a certain size.