Polyrhachis dives

General species information: Polyrhachis dives, commonly referred to as the false weaver ant or the golden weaver ant, are a super fun and beautiful species from Southeast Asia. They get their common name from their fascinating nesting behavior. They use their larvae as glue guns to weave together their nests. The reason they’re called false weavers is that unlike Oecophylla smaragdina (green weaver ant or the weaver ant), Polyrhachis dives use debris like sticks, mud, etc. in the construction of their nests. This species is fast growing and can get large colonies. They’re active and aggressive and will prove to be a joy to keep.

Temperature requirements: Polyrhachis dives like standard tropical temperatures. They will do well at 25-28 degrees Celsius.

Humidity: Polyrhachis dives don't need any humidity within their nest; as long as they have an available water source, they will fetch water and bring it to the nest themselves. However we do recommend that for smaller colonies you still use a test-tube that contains water because for smaller colonies fetching water will cost a lot of energy

Nesting recommendations: Polyrhachis dives are a bit special in their nesting requirements. Normal nests often don’t work well for them as they need a lot of ventilation. Polyrhachis dives will construct their own nest if given a frame, and as such, I can only really recommend a tubs and tubes set up, and when the colony gets larger, you can put them in a Wakooshi weaver outworld or a natural/semi natural set up with lots of nooks and crannies for them to nest in. As with any species, don’t give them a setup that’s too large for them, as they won’t feel safe, which in turn can hinder their development. A small tub with some substrate works best for smaller colonies, and we don’t recommend moving them into a larger setup until they’ve filled out at least 3 tubes. 

Diet: Polyrhachis dives have a very usual diet. They need sugars and protein. They aren’t picky whatsoever in our experience and will take basically every feeder insect you offer them; make sure you don’t live feed them, as polyrhachis dives have a strong formic acid with which they can gass themselves to death. As for sugars, they will also take everything from homemade mixtures to store bought sugar liquids. If you make your own sugarwater, be careful it doesn’t ferment over time because this can poison and kill your colony. Make sure to always provide a clean water source to avoid dehydration as well. We would recommend feeding them a lot for optimal growth. Sugars 2 times per week and protein 3-5 times per week is optimal. They might not always take the food, but as long as it is available, they will take it whenever they want and, in turn, grow as fast as possible.

Castes: Polyrhachis dives has workers, male and female alates. This species doesn’t have a major caste, but worker size may vary slightly depending on the resources available. 

Worker size: 6-8mm

Queen size: 10-12mm

Colony format: Polyrhachis dives are polygyne; this means they can have multiple fertile egg-laying queens within their nests. These queens are cared for by workers, and depending on the season and on the colony size, unfertilized male and female alates will be present too.

Max colony size: The max colony size of this species depends on which population they’re from. Some polyrhachis dives populations inbreed, and as such, they can get huge colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands. We import most of our colonies from Thailand, however, where colonies usually don’t get as large. It also depends on the number of queens, as a 1Q colony will stay smaller than a 10Q colony. We estimate that polyrhachis dives get to around 500-1000 workers per fertile queen if provided with optimal diet and care.

Development: Polyrhachis dives have a fairly quick growth rate. From a small colony, these ants can get into the hundreds, if not thousands, of workers quickly within a year as long as their conditions are adequate. Egg to workers takes around 4-6 weeks.

Defense/attack: Polyrhachis dives have a very strong formic acid, which they use to repel attackers and potential threats. They can also pinch you with their mandibles, but they won’t be able to pierce your skin.

Danger level: As long as you keep these ants away from your eyes, they can’t hurt you at all. These ants might not be very suitable for small children, but every person over the age of 12 should be able to keep them without any risk. 

Diapause/hibernation: These ants don’t typically diapause, but queens might lower production a bit at times to take a small break.

Difficulty: Polyrachis dives are a very beginner-friendly exotic that exhibits very interesting behavior. Due to their hardiness and due to their easy requirements, they shouldn’t be a huge hassle to keep. Polyhrachis dives are the perfect first or second exotic to get your hands on; they will make you gain more experience for species that are more difficult, and as such, we can only recommend them.

On a difficulty scale from 1 to 5 (5 being the most difficult), we rate this species 2 based on personal experience and customer feedback.