{"product_id":"pheidole-californica","title":"Pheidole californica (Californian Big-headed Ant)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThese colonies are polygynous. If you would like multi-queen colonies, buy multiple colonies and specify you want them together in the order comments\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eLocated in just a short strip of land in the Okanagan Valley, \u003cem\u003ePheidole californica\u003c\/em\u003e is one of very few native Canadian big headed ant species. They’re notable for their strong polymorphism, having small minors and large majors with massive bulky heads. In the wild, minors will collect insect parts and seeds. Majors will then process these into smaller parts for the larvae to be able to eat. Excess seeds will be stored for harder times. Minors will occasionally also collect sugars, and majors will opportunistically try to take down live prey. They will also serve as a source of protection for the colony. Colonies have many queens, and in nature will often break off and move around. A colony's size is largely determined by the number of queens, with smaller single queen colonies having less than a few hundred workers at maturity, and larger dozen queen colonies having thousands of workers. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePheidole californica\u003c\/em\u003e are in the pilifera group, a group largely consisting of harvester ants. Workers and queens are red and small, with minors at 2 mm, majors at 4 mm, and queens at 6 mm. They do not need to diapause.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCare for this species is very simple. With some heat, humidity, lots of seeds and protein, they'll grow very fast. Due to their granivorous nature, depending on if they have enough seeds and water they can survive a very long time without care, however they won’t thrive without protein.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild pictures come from Josiah Kilburn and Toby\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" dir=\"ltr\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003ccolgroup\u003e \u003ccol width=\"100\"\u003e \u003ccol width=\"100\"\u003e \u003c\/colgroup\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Scientific Name:\"}'\u003eScientific Name:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole californica\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Common Name:\"}'\u003eCommon Name:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Californian Big-headed Ant\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eCalifornian Big-headed Ant\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Taxonomy:\"}'\u003eTaxonomy:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Kingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Hymenoptera | Family: Formicidae | Subfamily: Myrmeicinae | Genus: Pheidole | Species: P. californica\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eKingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Hymenoptera | Family: Formicidae | Subfamily: Myrmeicinae | Genus: Pheidole | Species: P. californica\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Care Difficulty:\"}'\u003eCare Difficulty:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole californica is a beginner leveled species. \"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica is a beginner level species.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Distribution:\"}'\u003eDistribution:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"This species can only found in 3 countries (Canada, USA, and Mexico.)  Pheidole californica can only be found in the most westren parts of these countries. As of right now, There are recorded records of P. californica in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Baja California, and Sonora. Here in Canada there is only one province where they can be found. This species has been found multiple times (although rare) in British Coloumbia, typically within the more arid regions of BC.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThis species can only be found in 3 countries, Canada, USA, and Mexico, in the most western parts of them. They're found from Central America north to just barely reaching into British Columbia, where they're found in very arid climates.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Habitat:\"}'\u003eHabitat:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"This species can be found in areas with arid conditions. They have been recorded to live in areas with sandy soils. Colonies have also been observed to nest in soil with high clay content.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThis species can be found in areas with arid conditions. They have been recorded to live in areas with sandy soils. Colonies have also been observed to nest in soil with high clay content.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Colony form:\"}'\u003eColony form:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"This species is polygynous meaning that a colony can have multiple queens. \"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThis species is polygynous meaning that a colony can have multiple queens.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Queen:\"}'\u003eQueen:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Queens of this species reach a size of around 7 mm.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eQueens of this species reach a size of around 6 mm.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Worker:\"}'\u003eWorker:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole calidornica workers are able to grow to around 1-2 mm.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica workers are able to grow to around 2 mm.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Soldier:\"}'\u003eSoldier:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Like all species of Pheidole, this species has majors (also known as soldiers). Majors of this species will range anywhere from 4-5 mm.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eLike all species of Pheidole, this species has majors (also known as soldiers). Majors of this species will range anywhere from 4 mm.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Males:\"}'\u003eMales:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"There are no recorded sizes of Pheidole californica males.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica males are 3-4mm.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Nutrition:\"}'\u003eNutrition:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole californica will eat almost anything.They will easily take most carbohydrates without issue, this includes: honey, sugar water, honey water, and sunburst ant nectar. When it comes to proteins, Pheidole californica will take almost any protein source most feeder insects such as, fruit flies, crickets, mealworms, superworms, surinam roaches, and discoid roaches. It is generally recommended to feed larger prey items pre-killed because of their small worker sizes. Colonies will most likely have issues taking down large prey items. Pheidole californica have been observed to collect seeds and eat them in the wild. It is acceptable to feed them diiferent types of seeds such as dandelion seeds, walnuts, and almonds. \"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica will eat almost anything. They will easily take most carbohydrates without issue, this includes: seeds, nuts, honey, sugar water, honey water, and sunburst ant nectar. They're largely granivorous, so when it comes to carbs seeds should be your first pick. When it comes to proteins, Pheidole californica will take almost any protein source most feeder insects such as, fruit flies, crickets, mealworms, superworms, surinam roaches, and discoid roaches. It is generally recommended to feed larger prey items pre-killed because of their small worker sizes. Colonies will most likely have issues taking down large prey items.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Air humidity:\"}'\u003eAir humidity:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole californica should be kept at humidity levels around 65%. \"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica should be kept at humidity levels around 65%.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Temperature:\"}'\u003eTemperature:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"This species is a warm loving species. It is recommended to keep colonies above 28C for optimal growth. \"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThis species is thermophilic. It is recommended to keep colonies above 28C for optimal growth.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Hibernation:\"}'\u003eHibernation:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Hibernation is not needed nor recommended for this species. Colonies can grow all year long. \"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eHibernation is not needed nor recommended for this species. Colonies can grow all year long.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Nesting Habits:\"}'\u003eNesting Habits:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"In the wild they have been observed to nest in sandy soil under objects such as wood, rocks, and other cover.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eIn the wild they have been observed to nest in sandy soil under objects such as wood, rocks, and other cover.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Kind of Formicaria:\"}'\u003eKind of Formicaria:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole californica will do well in most formicaria. It is recommended to avoid wood nests for this species. Colonies will do well in any Tarheel ants, Por amor, and Buckeye Myrmecology nest. Due to their small size, it is recommended to keep them in a nest with tight fitting glass to prevent escapes.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica will do well in most formicaria except it is recommended to avoid wood nests. Colonies will do well in any Tarheel ants, Por Amor, and Buckeye Myrmecology nest. Due to their small size, it is recommended to keep them in a nest with tight fitting glass to prevent escapes.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Formicaria size:\"}'\u003eFormicaria size:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Colonies will often stay relatively small maxing out at a few thousand workers. Due to their small size, colonies can be kept in a small formicarium for the majority of their life.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eColonies will often stay relatively small maxing out at a few thousand workers. Due to their small size, colonies can be kept in a small formicarium for the majority of their life.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Description:\"}'\u003eDescription:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Pheidole californica is an amazing beginner species perfect for someone who is looking for an entertaining desk top ant species. Due to their small size, they can be kept in small formicaria making them not take up a lot of space. Colonies will swarm food making it very entertaining to watch as you see large headed soldiers and smaller sized workers consume and break down their food.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePheidole californica is an amazing beginner species perfect for someone who is looking for an entertaining desk top ant species. Due to their small size, they can be kept in small formicaria making them not take up a lot of space. Colonies will swarm food making it very entertaining to watch as you see large headed soldiers and smaller sized workers consume and break down their food.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Development:\"}'\u003eDevelopment:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Colonies will have their nuptioal flights during April, May, and June, primarly after a rain fall or high humidity.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eColonies will have their nuptial flights during April, May, and June, primarily with high humidity and heat.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Offering quantity:\"}'\u003eOffering quantity:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Queen,  Queen + 1-5 workers, Queen + 5-10 workers, Queen + 10-25 workers, Queen + 25-50 workers, Queen + 50-100 workers.\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eQueen, Queen + 1-5 workers, Queen + 5-10 workers, Queen + 10-25 workers, Queen + 25-50 workers, Queen + 50-100 workers.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Weblinks:\"}'\u003eWeblinks:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Pheidole_californica\"}' data-sheets-hyperlink=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Pheidole_californica\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ca class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Pheidole_californica\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Pheidole_californica\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eShipping Conditions\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003eThis species comes from more warm areas than Canada, and are not cold-tolerant. Thus, we will not ship them in the winter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust a warning, we will NOT ship live ants into the US unless the receiver has a permit. If such an order is made, it will be refunded, minus a 10% processing fee and restocking fee\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis product is from Canada Ant Colony. The full catalogue, including all variants, can be found at https:\/\/canada-ant-colony.com\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 id=\"isPasted\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor US Ant Keepers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe can't ship live ants to the US, but we've partnered with \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.statesideants.com\/?ref=DOWNTHEANTHILL\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStateside Ants\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e to help spread ant keeping. They're a highly reputable ant store and ship to all states in the lower 48. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou can check them out \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.statesideants.com\/?ref=DOWNTHEANTHILL\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehere\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e and use code DTAHAFFIL for 10% off\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canada Ant Colony","offers":[{"title":"1 Queen + 10-20 workers","offer_id":48413368451294,"sku":null,"price":195.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2 Queen + 10-20 workers","offer_id":48017672667358,"sku":null,"price":394.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 Queen + 15-30 workers","offer_id":42422588178654,"sku":"2588178654","price":469.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5 Queen + 25-50 workers","offer_id":42422588342494,"sku":"2588342494","price":519.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Queen + 50-100 workers","offer_id":42422588506334,"sku":"2588506334","price":899.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0081\/8928\/0333\/files\/pheidole-californica-californian-big-headed-ant-486318.jpg?v=1729700891","url":"https:\/\/canada-ant-colony.com\/fil\/products\/pheidole-californica","provider":"Canada Ant Colony","version":"1.0","type":"link"}