Myrmecocystus placodops are the largest honey pot ants in the USA. They are one of nature’s most extraordinary creations and a great example of Charles Darwins theory of evolution, the giant bicoloured Honeypot Ant is among the largest of its kind, with queens reaching an impressive 15–16 mm in length. True to its name, this species displays a striking colour contrast: a vivid red head paired with a sleek, glossy black body. Commonly referred to as a Desert Honeypot Ant, it thrives in the sagebrush and saltbush deserts, where conditions are as demanding as they are unforgiving. Intriguingly, many ant keepers in the United States have observed this species exhibiting polygyny, with multiple queens coexisting within a single colony.
Surviving in such harsh, arid environments requires remarkable adaptations—and this species delivers one of the most fascinating in the insect world: the repletes.
Repletes are specialised workers that act as living storage vessels for the colony. Unlike their more mobile sisters, these ants gorge themselves on nutrient-rich liquids—sugars, fats, and water—until their gasters swell dramatically, sometimes reaching several centimetres in diameter. In this engorged state, movement becomes difficult or impossible, and they remain suspended within the nest, effectively serving as biological reservoirs during times of scarcity.
What makes this even more impressive is their ability to cling to the wall of their chambers for extended periods, holding vast reserves of sustenance. When food becomes scarce, they regurgitate these stored nutrients to feed the colony, including workers, brood, and the queen—an elegant and highly efficient survival strategy.
In terms of behaviour, worker ants can be assertive, though they tend to avoid tackling prey larger than themselves. Instead, they excel as opportunistic scavengers, readily accepting a wide range of food sources including insects, fruits, and sugary liquids.
In more extreme cases, observations have shown workers collecting the head capsules of dead Pogonomyrmex ants as a potential food source—an indication of just how resourceful (and relentless) they can be in the face of scarcity.
Colony form: Queen
Difficulty keeping: Advanced (Experience with at least two exotics is recommended)
Queen size/Gamergate: 15-16mm Shiny black
Worker’s size: 5-12mm shiny black highly polymorphic (different size workers)
Food: seeds, honey water and insects
Temp: 24-28°C
Humidity: 40-60%
Founding: clasutral without feeding
Colony size: 1-10000 workers
Hibernation: No
Live arrival guarantee:
We guarantee the live arrival of your Queen they come well packed in our jiffy bags which have two-sided padding as well as an additional layer of bubble wrap around our test tubes. We are the only company in the United Kingdom to offer our live arrival guarantee of your queen as well as an additional 14-day guarantee if the colony if kept in the original test tube for all our European species. Why do we do this? We are confident with our colony’s health and our packaging process as well as our care guides, we also believe in our customers and making sure they have a good ant keeping experience.
Live arrival guarantee we ensure the live arrival of the queen only upon delivery contact us within 24 hours of receiving the Queen dead on arrival with a picture of the dead queen and the original workers. DO NOT TRANSFER THE DEAD QUEEN OR WORKERS TO A NEST AS THIS VOIDS YOUR WARRNTY. For our additional 14-day guarantee for European species the Queen and workers must be kept in the original test tube sealed with the cotton and care sheet instructions followed if you want to keep this additional guarantee do not transfer to a nest or your warranty is VOIDED (we recommend you keep the 14-day warranty).
We have no control over the environment outside the test tube and have no influence in the conditions the responsibility once placed outside the test tube within the 14-day period the responsibility is with the buyer. 9 times out of 10 colonies die in the nest due to lack of water access, food, temperature, oxygen or stress due to vibrations or exposure to excess light. If your colony does fail inside a nest contact us, we can advise what went wrong but it is up to you to buy another ant colony, you will succeed but sometimes it does not work the first time. Research is key to success with ant keeping and follow our guides.
