The Myrmecocystus romainei is a fascinating North American honeypot ant, prized by specialist keepers for its unusual biology and distinctive desert nesting behaviour. Native to the western and southwestern United States, this intriguing species has been recorded across a variety of habitats, from arid shrublands and desert washes to grasslands and woodland environments.
What makes this species particularly interesting is its association with deep, loose sandy soils, where colonies construct distinctive, crater-shaped nest entrances. These irregular sand mounds can reach approximately 20cm in diameter, giving the colony a recognisable presence in its natural habitat.
Unlike the more commonly discussed honeypot ants, Myrmecocystus romainei has relatively limited published information about its captive behaviour. Scientific observations describe its unusual nesting structure, with narrow tunnels descending into deep sand. This makes it an especially intriguing species for enthusiasts interested in the natural history of North American ants.
Beyond its nesting behaviour, this species belongs to a genus renowned for its remarkable adaptations to unpredictable food availability. Honeypot ants are famous for their specialised food-storage workers, known as repletes, which can store liquid nourishment within their greatly enlarged gasters. However, repletes have not been documented for M. romainei specifically, so this characteristic should not be assumed for this species.
Due to its distinctive natural history, attractive scientific interest and relative obscurity within the ant-keeping hobby, Myrmecocystus romainei is an intriguing choice for enthusiasts looking to explore less commonly encountered North American ant species.
Key Features
Unusual North American species with fascinating natural history.
Native to the western and southwestern United States.
Known for distinctive crater-shaped nest entrances in sandy habitats.
Adapted to a variety of dry and semi-arid environments.
An interesting species for experienced keepers seeking something less commonly encountered in the hobby.
Keeping difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced (recommended for keepers with previous experience maintaining exotic ants)
Colonyform: Monogyne presumed; species-specific confirmation is limited.
Queen size: Approximately 16–19mm (estimate; confirm with supplier before listing)
Worker's size: Approximately 3–7mm (estimate; varies by worker caste)
Food: Insects, sugar water and honey water. Species-specific dietary research is limited.
Temp: Warm conditions; approximately 22–28°C as a provisional starting range.
Humidity: Moderate, with a relatively dry nest and access to moisture. Exact species-specific requirements are not established.
Founding: Claustral founding is plausible based on related species, but should be confirmed for M. romainei before relying on a no-feeding founding setup.
Colonysize: No reliable species-specific maximum established.
Hibernation: 6-8 week diapause is recommended
 
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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.
Be aware of sellers only using the Live arrival guarantee and not the 14-day additional warranty on European ant species it might be slightly cheaper but could end up paying more in the long run, also all our products are sold as starter kits including food and a pipette.
We do require photographic evidence of the queen in the original test tube for validating the guarantee once outside the test tube and in a nest the environment is outside of our control.
It is illegal to release non-native species of ants into the wild and could damage the local ecosystem so bare this in mind we have a duty to our environment.
Live arrival guarantee we ensure the live arrival of the queen only upon delivery contact us within 24-48 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.