Carebara longii

Carebara longii

Carebara longii is the only North American species in the genus Carebara, making it a truly unique find for antkeepers on the continent. These tiny ants measure just 2mm for workers, with a yellowish, smooth and shining body. They have remarkably reduced eyes, just a single lens (ommatidium), which tells you they're adapted to life underground or in dark microhabitats. Their 11-segmented antennae end in a 2-segmented club. Males are considerably larger at around 10mm ^[1].

What makes this species particularly interesting is its lifestyle as a thief ant, it likely lives in the nests of other ants or termites, feeding on their brood or resources. This parasitic relationship means they're rarely encountered and were only collected once in Denton, Texas back in 1902 ^[2]. The lack of major workers (soldiers) in collected specimens is also unusual for this genus, which is typically dimorphic ^[3].

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Expert
• Origin & Habitat: Central Texas (Denton County), with records from Oklahoma. This is the only known North American Carebara species, found in the Nearctic region ^[1][4]. They appear to be hypogaeic (subterranean) ants based on their reduced eyes.
• Colony Type: Unconfirmed colony structure. No data on whether they are single-queen (monogyne) or multi-queen (polygyne). The thief-ant lifestyle suggests they may have unusual social structure.
  • Queen: Socially parasitic
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: Not specifically measured in available literature, estimated 4-5mm based on genus patterns
  • Worker: 1.8-2.2mm total length (TL 2.13mm measured) ^[1]
  • Colony: Unknown, likely small colonies based on typical thief-ant patterns
  • Growth: Unknown
  • Development: Unknown, no development data available for this species (No direct measurements exist. Related Carebara species typically develop in 4-8 weeks at warm temperatures. This is an estimate based on genus patterns.)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Aim for 22-26°C. Texas species likely tolerate warmer conditions, but avoid overheating. A gentle gradient allows workers to self-regulate.
  • Humidity: Keep substrate moderately moist. These are subterranean ants that likely prefer damp soil conditions. Allow some drying between waterings but don't let it fully dry out.
  • Diapause: Unknown for this species. Texas climate suggests they may tolerate cooler winter temperatures but likely remain active year-round if kept warm.
  • Nesting: Use a test tube setup with moist cotton or a small soil chamber. Their tiny size and subterranean nature mean they need tight, humid enclosures with minimal light exposure. A naturalistic setup with soil works best.
• Behavior: Extremely secretive due to their hypogaeic lifestyle. Workers are tiny and likely avoid light, remaining in dark chambers or under cover. Their reduced eyes confirm they're not surface-active. As thief ants, they would be non-aggressive and likely flee from confrontation. Escape prevention is critical due to their minute size, they can squeeze through standard test tube barriers. Use fine mesh and tight-fitting lids.
• Common Issues: thief-ant biology makes them extremely difficult to keep, they may refuse to establish without a host colony, tiny size means escapes are likely without fine mesh barriers, very limited distribution data means care requirements are largely inferred, not confirmed, no documented captive breeding success, this is an expert-only species, wild-caught colonies are exceptionally rare and may have parasites

Understanding the Thief Ant Lifestyle

Carebara longii is believed to live as a thief ant (or inquiline) in the nests of other ants and termites ^[2]. This means they don't build their own colonies but instead live as guests in host nests, feeding on the host's brood or resources. This lifestyle explains why they're so rarely encountered, they spend their lives hidden in the dark chambers of other species' nests. For antkeepers, this presents an enormous challenge: keeping them may require maintaining a host colony, or they may refuse to establish without proper social integration. This is not a species you can simply collect and house like a typical ant. Their entire biology is adapted to living alongside other species.

Housing and Nest Setup

Given their hypogaeic (subterranean) nature and reduced eyes, these ants need dark, humid housing. A standard test tube setup works for founding colonies, but you must keep it wrapped in aluminum foil or placed in a dark container to block light. The chamber should be small, these are tiny ants that feel exposed in large spaces. Use moist cotton or a small soil chamber to maintain humidity. Because they're thief ants, you might consider a naturalistic setup with a small host colony, though this is experimental. Escape prevention is critical: their minute size allows them to squeeze through gaps that larger ants cannot. Use fine mesh (at least 0.5mm) on any ventilation and ensure all connections are tight.

Feeding Challenges

As thief ants, their diet in the wild consists of brood or resources from host colonies. In captivity, this presents a major challenge. They likely won't accept standard ant foods immediately. You might experiment with very small protein sources like micro-arthropods (springtails), but success is uncertain. Sugar acceptance is unknown, some Carebara species feed on honeydew from aphids, but this species may be entirely predatory or scavenge on host resources. Do not expect straightforward feeding behavior. This is a species for advanced keepers willing to experiment, not for those wanting predictable feeding schedules.

Temperature and Seasonal Care

Based on their Texas distribution, these ants likely tolerate warm conditions. Aim for 22-26°C as a starting point, this aligns with typical Carebara preferences and matches Texas summer temperatures. Avoid temperatures above 30°C. Whether they need a winter cool-down period is unknown. Texas doesn't experience harsh winters, so they may remain active year-round if kept warm. However, you might reduce feeding and slightly lower temperatures (to around 18-20°C) during winter months to simulate natural seasonal cycles. Monitor colony activity, if they become sluggish, they may be responding to cooler conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

References