Cataulacus horridus

The spines are the whole appeal. This Bornean canopy ant carries a heavily sculptured, spiky exoskeleton that makes it one of the most distinctive ants you can keep, and the slow buildup toward a properly populous colony rewards patience. It lives in the trees of Southeast Asia, so it needs steady warmth and humidity all year, but it does not demand expert-level handling beyond that. For a keeper who already understands heating and moisture and wants a showpiece species with real presence, it is a memorable choice that stays easy to observe.

An arboreal omnivore that collects sugars and honeydew in the canopy and takes small insects to feed the brood, working its arena by day. Keep a sugar source out at all times and offer protein two or three times a week.

★★★ readily · ★★ moderately · ★ occasionally · ✗ not eaten

Start a young colony in a test tube and upgrade once the first workers floor it. This spiny arboreal ant nests in hollow branches, so it wants a well-ventilated nest that holds humidity without going stale, an aerated-concrete or wood-cavity design kept warm and damp, alongside a generous arena. Workers climb readily, so keep escapes in check with fluon (PTFE), a light oil line, or talc and water on the rim. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits cover this warm, humid tropical setup as a ready package.

Warm and humid all year. Aim for a nest at 24-27 °C and an arena at 25-29 °C, with humidity high at 70-85% in the nest and 60-75% in the arena. Set a warm-to-cool gradient across the arena so the colony self-regulates instead of baking in one corner. This is a tropical species with no hibernation, so keep it active, warm and moist throughout the year.

Tropical arboreal colonies build at a measured pace rather than overnight, and this one can reach up to 5,000 workers in time. Hold the warmth and humidity steady and the population trends upward without dramatic spikes. You receive a queen with workers and brood, ready to grow into a humid, well-ventilated setup.

• The name horridus refers to the bristling spines and rough armour that cover the body, a defining look of this genus.
• Cataulacus ants nest inside hollow stems and twigs and can plug an entrance with the armoured head or body of a worker.
• When knocked from a branch, ants in this genus tend to glide or drop in a controlled way, righting themselves back toward the trunk rather than tumbling to the ground.

Is Cataulacus horridus good for beginners?

It is rated Intermediate, so it suits a keeper who can already hold steady heat and high humidity.

Does it need hibernation?

No, it is tropical and stays active year-round with no cool rest.

Does it sting?

It has a sting and a mild bite, but it is not an aggressive species toward keepers.

How big can the colony get?

Up to 5,000 workers from a single queen.

How big is the queen?

The queen measures 7-9 mm; workers are 3.5-6 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Expect a steady tropical build rather than a fast boom, trending upward as the queen establishes.

What does it eat?

Sugar water or nectar for carbs plus insects like crickets and flies for protein.

Will it arrive alive?

You get queen, workers and brood with a heat or cool pack, dispatched within 24 h with tracking for a safe live arrival.

Escape prevention. Coat the inner rim of every open arena with fluon (PTFE), or use talc-and-water or an oil barrier as a backup, and keep a tight, fine-mesh lid on top. Check the barrier regularly, since dust, condensation and feeding debris break a fluon line over time. Keep tubing connectors tight and seal any gaps in the nest.

Keeping reminders. Always offer fresh water and never let the nest dry out completely. Give carbohydrates continuously and protein a few times a week, and remove uneaten insect prey within 24 hours before it moulds. Keep the formicarium out of direct sunlight and away from constant vibration, which stresses a young colony. A water-filled test tube plugged with cotton makes an ideal spare incubator whenever you need one.

Before you buy – do not rehouse too early. Have a test-tube setup or a small formicarium with an outworld and a working barrier ready before your colony arrives. A founding colony grows slowly at first, which is normal. Moving a small colony into a large nest too soon invites mould, mites and stress, and the workers die off one by one. Keep the colony in its open test tube on the arena, plug the nest entrance with cotton, and open up the next chambers only once the colony fills roughly 10-15% of the space.

What we ship. Every colony ships with a live-arrival guarantee, backed by our 24h unboxing-video guarantee: if the queen does not arrive alive, we reship free. Parcels travel with DHL, InPost (PL) or EMS, with a heat or cold pack to suit the season, packed discreetly and securely. We ship across the EU and worldwide, with free shipping over the Europe threshold.