Polyrhachis arcuata

The draw is scale paired with looks: a hardy tropical spiny ant that can build a single nest into a large, lively display over time. The workers carry the genus’s well-built spined armour, and with no sting and only a mild bite the colony stays calm to handle and watch. It is forgiving for a first attempt, so the growth potential comes without a steep difficulty step. A good choice for a beginner who wants armoured workers and real long-term scale from one colony.

Arcuata is an omnivore with the genus’ typical sweet tooth, tending honeydew and sugary liquids and taking insects to raise the brood. Keep a carbohydrate source on offer at all times and feed protein two to three times a week; seeds are left alone.

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

Raise the queen in a test tube and transfer once founding workers carpet the floor. From the wet Bornean rainforest, this species wants a high-humidity nest that holds moisture, so aerated concrete (Ytong), gypsum or a hybrid box kept reliably damp suits it. As a keen climber it favours a moist or planted arena with bark and branches. These agile climbers escape easily, so keep a firm fluon (PTFE) or oil rim, or talc and water. An ANTonTOP formicarium or starter kit arrives humidity-matched with arena and barrier included.

With no cold rest needed, keep it warm, humid and active all year. A Bornean rainforest species, arcuata wants warmth and damp air: nest 24-27 °C, arena 25-29 °C, with nest humidity 70-85% and arena 60-75%. Warm one end of the arena to set a gentle gradient the colony can choose along.

Spiny ants build up at a moderate tropical pace, and a single queen can take this colony toward as many as 10,000 workers over time, enough for a large, lively display. Your colony arrives as the queen with her workers and brood, ready for a humid nest.

• Polyrhachis is one of the great Old-World ant genera, with hundreds of species and a striking variety of spine shapes from one species to the next.
• The curved spines hinted at by the name arcuata are defensive structures that make workers hard for predators to handle.
• Many species in the genus build silken nests, recruiting their own larvae as silk dispensers to stitch leaves together.
• These ants pair an intimidating, spiky appearance with a complete lack of sting, a bluff backed only by armour and a mild bite.

Is this a good beginner ant?

Yes. It is rated Beginner, hardy and has no sting.

Does Polyrhachis arcuata need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical, so keep it warm and active year-round.

Does this Bornean spiny ant sting or bite?

No, there is no sting and only a mild bite.

How large can an arcuata colony grow?

A single-queen colony can grow up to 10,000 workers.

How large is the arcuata queen?

The queen is 10-12 mm, with workers at 7-9 mm.

How fast does it grow?

Growth is moderate for a tropical spiny ant.

What does Polyrhachis arcuata eat?

Sugar water, nectar or jelly and fresh insects; it does not take seeds.

Will the ants arrive alive?

Yes. Queen, workers and brood ship with a heat or cool pack, dispatched within 24 h with tracking.

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.