{"product_id":"myrmecia-simillima","title":"Myrmecia Simillima","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMyrmecia simillima\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the largest Bull ant species in Australia - \u003cem\u003eMyrmecia simillima \u003c\/em\u003eare most certainly not for the feint hearted. Queen ants of this species are very similar to \u003cem\u003eMyrmecia nigriceps,\u003c\/em\u003e often reach an astonishing 23-24mm in size, with workers also reaching lengths of 19-23mm. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, it's not only its size and large frame that make this a fearsome species of ant. In fact,\u003cem\u003e Myrmecia simillima \u003c\/em\u003ehave unusually large eyes which can be easily seen with the naked eye. These allow queens and workers to distiniguish objects that are anywhere between 5-80cms in their field of vision. Coupled with their long, strongly toothed mandibles and a powerful stinger, it's no wonder why this species is so well adapted to its environment. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIts innately aggresive nature means that feeding and maintaining can be tricky. Therefore, it's often advised that hobbyists have a degree of experience prior to keeping this species.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe founding stage is lengthy and arduous with eggs taking as long as six months to develop into young worker ants. However, that being said - colonies can reach impressive sizes upto a thousand workers. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQueens of this species should be considered semi-claustral and as such, need to be supplemented with freshly killed insects and sugar water which will provide necessary protein and sugars for herself and her growing larvae. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the foundation stage, it is incredibly important to limit physical interactions as much as possible as queens will often consume their brood in response to stress. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYoung queen's should be housed in a setup that will enable you to feed them without having to disrupt their founding\/claustral chamber. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost importantly, temperature parameters should be set between 24-26C and a humidity level of 50% should be observed.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLastly, one should consider having substrates such as cocoa fibre\/lignocel\/coarse sand to ensure that larvae are able to pupate properly and therefore, eclose successfully into a young worker ant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll in all, a truly charismatic species of ant that if cared for properly, will provide countless opportunities of rare and fascinating behaviours not seen in many other species. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith all of that being said.... \"Of course it had to be Australian, eh?!\". \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is \u003cstrong\u003eillegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AntsHQ","offers":[{"title":"1 queen \u0026 brood","offer_id":64156538405213,"sku":null,"price":245.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1058\/4109\/9101\/files\/MyrmeciaSimillima_bd2fc440-d900-41a0-97c0-9ff1fcb1090d.webp?v=1776145477","url":"https:\/\/www.antshq.co.uk\/products\/myrmecia-simillima","provider":"Ants HQ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}