Description

Monogynous (single-queen), independently founding ant species from Southern Europe and Northern Africa. The queen and workers are both dark in color with a slight brownish-red tint. The workers travel in line along paths marked by their pheromones and nest in tree cavities in nature. They can easily inhabit any piece of furniture, making them suitable for placing in terrarium decorations. They tolerate dryness well. Although they are not a nervous species, but  they will aggressively defend themselves when get attacked. In such cases, they raise their flexible, abdomen and spray formic acid into the air, allowing them to defeat their attackers without any losses. They establish small colonies consisting of a few hundred workers.
Feeding: Honey and insects, but occasionally oily seeds (walnuts, hazelnuts) are also recommended.
Reproduction: In the first year, they raise at most 10-15 workers, but from the second year, the colony size can reach 100 workers. A mature colony consists of several hundred workers.
Hibernation: Requires hibernation at 15°C, from the end of November to February. For more information on hibernation, see this video.