Prenolepis Imparis

[CombinedHalo467]

ok so I have browsing the GAN for ants and Iv decided to get a prenolepis imparis colony with 15-20workers so my question is from what I have heard they are a decent beginner species but I am wondering if they have any special needs and how easy they are to keep because when I researched them it gave me kind of vague answers. Thanks in advance

[AntsLuxembourg]

ok so I have browsing the GAN for ants and Iv decided to get a prenolepis imparis colony with 15-20workers so my question is from what I have heard they are a decent beginner species but I am wondering if they have any special needs and how easy they are to keep because when I researched them it gave me kind of vague answers. Thanks in advance

Hey,
So I have been looking around a little bit and found 2 links that may be of interest for you.

Got the text in German but is mostly correct.
https://www.antstore.net/shop/de/Ameisen/Ameisen-aus-Amerika/Prenolepis-imparis.html
The only thing that seems incorrect is that they are actually polygynous. Meaning they can have more than one queen. But that doesn't have to mean much.

Got the text in English
https://www.antshop.at/shop/en/ants/Ants-from-America/Prenolepis-imparis.html

Summary:
Claustral
Polygynous
Keeping level 3 (according to the stores) which means they like to escape.
Eats Honey, Flies, Mosquitos. I would also try mealworms, just to see if they take them or not.
They are active during winter, from what I can read and they hibernate during summer. Can forage at 0°C and have repleads. Apparently they are also known as false honeypot ants.

For their setup I would recommend either a sealed tubing nest or a nest where the outworld is closed by a lid with a grid for ventilation and the walls / rim can be covered by fluon or a baby powder barrier.

For the rest I will gladly assist you if you have additional questions.

[antnest8]

ok so I have browsing the GAN for ants and Iv decided to get a prenolepis imparis colony with 15-20workers so my question is from what I have heard they are a decent beginner species but I am wondering if they have any special needs and how easy they are to keep because when I researched them it gave me kind of vague answers. Thanks in advance

Ok, so I have raised Prenolepis Imparis several times and they are usually a great species to keep! First of all, they are the first species to fly every year and they generally mark the beginning of the ant-keeping season in the northern hemisphere. Also they are polygenous so they can have more than one queen. This doesn't mean it always works out though.

Prenolepis Imparis are kind-of sensitive to movement in the claustral stage, but not as much as Crematogaster is. Special Care is needed because they didn't get their nickname "The Winter Ant" for no reason! P. Imparis go into a summer diapause (hibernation) if it gets too hot and are most active during the spring and fall seasons. They love sugar and have repleats giving them the name "False Honey Pot" ants. Finally, their colonies grow a tad on the slower side and are not as aggressive as ants belonging to the Myrmicinae sub-family.

Here is their ant-care sheet from my care sheets topic here ---> https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.phpf=6&t=5675&start=20


Prenolepis imparis
****
Claustral-fully
Queen Size- medium
Diet- honey, sugar water, worms, some plants sap, fruit
Care level- moderate to easy
Polygynous-yes
Aggressive-no
Natural nesting materials-dirt, woodchips, leaflitter
Colony size- medium to small (1,000-10,000)
Moister level-medium to high
Nuptial flights- first flyers and will fly from early march to late April.
Escape artists- no
Parasitic species-no
Polymorphic-no
Strong bite-no
Formic acid-none that affects humans
Sting-none
Special care- ants like the cooler weather so about 80 degrees at max down to 40 degrees and are very sensitive to distubences in the founding stage

[CombinedHalo467]

Thank you for your your informational posts!