Popular and easy-to-breed feeder roach with a soft body and no climbing ability, making it hard for it to escape smooth-walled containers. Available in a wide range of sizes across its life stages, making it suitable for many ant species. Has a fairly hard exoskeleton, so cutting it open is recommended when feeding smaller colonies.

House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) No ratings yet

Popular and highly accepted feeder insect across most ant species. Available in a range of sizes, making it easy to match prey size to colony size. Best offered freshly killed or pre-crushed for smaller species, as live crickets can injure ants or escape into the formicarium.

Housefly (Musca domestica) No ratings yet

Common feeder fly, usually bred in flightless ("curly-wing") strains for safe use in formicaria. Good all-round protein source; larvae (maggots) can be offered too.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) No ratings yet

Large feeder roach with a notably thicker exoskeleton than Argentine wood roaches, so cutting it open before feeding is essential. Due to their considerable size, best suited for large colonies with a high protein demand. Nymphs can be used for smaller colonies, though cutting is still recommended.

Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) No ratings yet

Larval stage of the mealworm beetle, widely available and easy to store. A good staple protein source for larger ant species; the tough exoskeleton can be harder for smaller species to open, so crushing or cutting is recommended for them. Pupae and adult beetles can also be offered.

Silent Field Cricket (Gryllus assimilis) No ratings yet

Also known as the Jamaican field cricket. Larger and more robust than house crickets, making it well suited as prey for bigger ant species. Much quieter than other cricket species, which makes it a more pleasant choice for keeping as feeder stock at home.