Prenolepis naoroji

Prenolepis naoroji (Asian Replete Ant)

This small, palaeotropical species of ant is commonly known as a the Asian counterpart of the 'fake' European honeypot ant known as Prenolepis nitens. Much like its orange relative, workers will engorge themselves on liquids, often so much that their gaster becomes "balloon" shaped. These workers therefore, almost act as walking food dispensers. Often sharing these nutrients via a process of regurgitation between each other, known as trophallaxis.

In terms of feeding, these ants will accept a range of insects, from mealworms to crickets to fruit flies. Additionally, they will actively forage for sweet liquids such as honey water or sugar water. Within the hobby, it's quite common to add coloured dyes (non-toxic variety used for human consumption) to these fluids as you can clearly see it being ingested through their translucent, distended gasters. 

As a tropical species of ant, these should be kept between 20-25C with a humidity of 50-70%. 

Colonies in the wild are often quite large (into their thousands) and will not hesitate to spray formic acid as a natural warning and deterrant to potential predators. These are found in a variety of places, from crevices in walls to stones within small forests.

A small, nimble and unusual looking species of ant suitable for most, as long as, their setup is suitable for species this size. 

It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.