Carebara Diversa

Carebara Diversa, also known as the Asian marauder ant, is commonly recognised for many reasons, whether it be their long trails to food, large majors + small workers + large queens, or rapid growth rate, most people know them, and most people want them.

With most Carebara species, queens have a tendency to drop dead, and in captivity, this is mostly determined by the colonies stability (worker count). The higher the worker count, the more stable the colony, so for first time keepers of this species, we recommend around 1,000 workers, and no less than 500, and in terms of queens, the more the merrier, as egg production is incredibly important for this species. Please note that the lower end of that range is more challenging, though if you like risks, 500-750 is the right worker count for you.

This stability is caused by minor workers of this species usually living for a very short period, however this is negated by a short egg to worker time of about 30 days, so for the colony to be stable, the queen/queens must lay a lot of eggs (more eggs than the current worker count) to do well, hence why we suggest 500-1,000 workers, as this is the optimal range where the colony isn't too big, but has a good chance of doing well.

This species is incredibly hungry, and they use all of their food to sustain their large (2.5cm) queens, and to grow their huge (2cm) supermajors! So ensure you have a constant supply of sugar water and protein to keep the egg production steady.