Pheidole pallidula Care Guide: Keeping the Mediterranean Big-Headed Ant
Updated: Oct 25
Pheidole pallidula, the Mediterranean big-headed ant, is a small ant with two kinds of workers: tiny minor workers that do most of the work, and majors with huge heads that crack open food and guard the nest. Kept warm and fed plenty of insects, a colony can grow explosively and soon becomes a busy sight. The workers are small and quick, so a well-closed setup is important, but for the rest this is a rewarding species for keepers who are ready for their next step after a beginner species like Lasius niger.
At a glance
Origin: around the Mediterranean, from southern Europe to North Africa and the Middle East
Difficulty: intermediate
Workers: two types, small minors and big-headed majors
Colony structure: one or several queens, depending on the population
Growth: fast, especially with warmth and plenty of insects
Colony size: large
Temperature: warm, heating recommended
Humidity: moderate, part moist and part dry
Winter rest: recommended
Biggest point of attention: escapes
Minors and majors
What makes this species special is its two kinds of workers. The minor workers are tiny and do the foraging and the brood care. The majors, often called soldiers, have a big head full of muscle and strong jaws. When the minors find prey that is too big to carry, they call in the majors, who cut it into pieces that can be taken home. Majors also guard the nest. Research on Pheidole pallidula has shown that colonies which run into rival colonies start raising more majors, so the colony adjusts its army to the situation around it.
Appearance and size
Workers are yellowish brown to reddish brown. The minors are very small, roughly 2 to 3 mm, and the majors are clearly bigger, with a head that looks far too large for their body. The queen is darker and much bigger than the workers. Because the minors are so small, you will mainly notice them as a busy stream of tiny ants in the outworld.
Where do they live?
Pheidole pallidula lives around the Mediterranean, from southern Europe to North Africa and the Middle East. It likes dry, warm places and often nests under stones and in walls. Depending on the population, colonies have one queen or several. After the nuptial flight a young queen starts a new colony on her own.
Founding a colony
Keep a founding queen in a closed test tube until the first workers arrive. She raises her first brood on her own reserves, so she does not need food yet. Put the tube in a warm, dark and quiet place and check it as little as possible, because a queen that is disturbed too often may eat her eggs. Our test tube guide shows how to set it up.
Growth
Under warm conditions and with plenty of insects, a colony can grow very fast and become large. Warmth and food are the two things that make the biggest difference. How fast it goes still differs per colony, so we do not give timelines. You will notice the first majors once the colony has grown a bit, and from then on prey can be cut up much more easily.
Temperature and heating
Keep them warm. Heating is recommended, because warmth makes a big difference to how fast the colony grows. Place a heat mat with temperature controller on one side of the setup, so there is a warm spot while the other side stays cooler and the ants can choose. Keep in mind that the setting on the heat mat is not the temperature inside the nest, so watch where the colony puts its brood.
Winter rest
A winter rest is recommended. From late autumn to early spring, stop heating and keep the colony a bit cooler. Feed less during this time, but always provide water. In spring you start heating again and the colony picks up speed.
Humidity and water
Keep part of the test tube or nest moist and part dry, so the ants can choose. Condensation, water drops or mould mean it is too wet. Always provide clean water as well.
Feeding
Insects: feed plenty of insects. Together with warmth, this is what makes the colony grow fast. Use fruit flies for small colonies and crickets once there are majors to cut them up.
Sugar: be careful, the workers are small and drown easily in sugar water. Use a liquid feeder or sugar jelly.
Water: always provide clean water.
Hygiene: remove leftovers so they do not go mouldy.
Read more about feeding in What do ants eat?.
Housing
Founding queen: a closed test tube until the first workers arrive.
Do not move to a nest too soon: this is the biggest mistake people make. Start with the All-In-One Test Tube Outworld and keep the colony there until the test tubes are really full.
Larger colonies: move to a nest from our Mesh Nest or Ytong Nest range. These work best for this species.
Escapes
This is the most important point with Pheidole pallidula. The minor workers are small and fast and escape very easily, even through tiny gaps. Use an anti-escape barrier such as Fluon and check stoppers and connections regularly. Our anti-escape guide explains how. The workers can bite, but they are far too small to hurt people.
Is Pheidole pallidula right for you?
Pheidole pallidula is a great next step if you have some experience and want an active colony with something to see every day. The two worker types, the fast growth and the teamwork around big prey make it very rewarding. You do need to take escape prevention seriously. Want to go one step further after this? Have a look at the giant soldiers of Pheidole rhea, or have a look at our Pheidole pallidula colonies.
Sources
Passera, L., Roncin, E., Kaufmann, B. and Keller, L., 1996. Increased soldier production in ant colonies exposed to intraspecific competition. Nature.
AntWiki. Pheidole pallidula.
Photo: © GRIMA Laurent, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Comments