Polyrhachis laevissima

The smooth, high-gloss finish is laevissima’s signature, a clean look that sets off the armoured, hooked body the genus is prized for. It is a gentle entry into spiny ants, with a calm pace and forgiving care that suit a first tropical colony. From Bornean rainforest, it stays active year-round, so there is no cold rest to schedule and the colony keeps foraging. Go for it if you want a striking, polished ant without a demanding routine.

Laevissima feeds as an arboreal omnivore, keeping sugar and protein separate: foragers sip sweet liquids for energy and bring insect prey back to the brood. Keep carbohydrate constantly on offer and add protein two or three times a week.

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

Begin a young colony in a test tube or compact starter nest, letting workers keep a chamber damp while brood settles. Step up a size once the first nanitics cover the floor and the nest fills. Aerated ytong or acrylic holds the humidity these arboreal climbers prefer, so choose that over a dry block. Dress the arena rim well with fluon (PTFE), oil, or talc and water, as the smooth-bodied workers climb quickly. ANTonTOP formicaria and starter kits arrive as a matched humid nest, arena and barrier, ready from the first day.

Heat one end only so the ants can choose a spot along a warm-to-cool gradient. Set the nest to 20-26 °C and the arena to 22-32 °C, with nest humidity around 55-70% and a drier 40-60% in the arena. No winter rest applies; this tropical species stays active and feeding all year.

Growth is slow and steady toward a mature colony of 500-5000 workers. You receive a queen with workers and brood, ready to settle into a humid nest paired with a roomy arena.

• The name laevissima points to a smooth, polished cuticle; surface sculpture and shine vary widely across Polyrhachis and help separate the many species.
• The genus is one of the largest in the ant family, with the bulk of its diversity in the Asian tropics.
• Like all its relatives it is stingless, leaning on formic acid, mandibles and body spines for defence.

Is Polyrhachis laevissima good for beginners?

Yes, Beginner-rated, single-queen and easy-going, it suits a first colony.

Does this glossy Bornean spiny ant need a winter rest?

No, it is tropical and active all year, with no cold period required.

Does Polyrhachis laevissima sting or bite?

No, no sting, just a mild bite.

How large does a laevissima colony get?

Up to 500-5000 workers over time.

How big is the queen?

Around 11 mm; workers are 6-9 mm.

How fast does this spiny ant grow?

Slowly and steadily rather than in bursts.

What does it eat?

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

Will it arrive alive?

Yes, a queen with workers and brood ships 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.