2 replies to this topic

[pannaking22]

This may be sort of a silly question, but what sort of lighting requirements do ants have? I know some species spend all their time underground/inside logs, so they'd be kept pretty dark, but what about the more active species one would see wandering around during the day (Pogonomyrmex seems to be the common genus here)? Would they need to have decent lighting to go about their routines, or could I keep them in the relatively dark room where I keep all my other inverts? There's enough natural light for everything to follow their normal circadian rhythms, but if I collect a species that needs more light it'll give me something to think about in terms of enclosure location. 

[CampoKing]

I think with most species, it's not so much the light as it is the heat. In nature, sunlight is always warming. This is a principle so dependable that life can base its evolution on it: if it's light, it's warmth. Living things act accordingly.
Harvester ants, for example, are known to locate their nests and shape their mounds to take advantage of morning sunlight heat. The research is here:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3672904

Many ant species that build mounds do so specifically to raise their brood near the top of the nest in the warmth from sunlight shining on the mound.
So, as far as lighting goes for ant colonies, what they benefit from the most is a heat lamp.

[pannaking22]

I think with most species, it's not so much the light as it is the heat. In nature, sunlight is always warming. This is a principle so dependable that life can base its evolution on it: if it's light, it's warmth. Living things act accordingly.
Harvester ants, for example, are known to locate their nests and shape their mounds to take advantage of morning sunlight heat. The research is here:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3672904

Many ant species that build mounds do so specifically to raise their brood near the top of the nest in the warmth from sunlight shining on the mound.
So, as far as lighting goes for ant colonies, what they benefit from the most is a heat lamp.

 

That's really interesting, thanks for linking the paper. I guess that makes things easier then since I have an extra heat lamp right now, plus I believe an extra heat pad too. The pad would go on the side of whatever enclosure I end up using so I don't accidentally cook them.