Honeypot ants are insects known for their unique method of food storage. Unlike most ants that store food in external chambers, some honeypot ant species utilize specialized worker ants, called “repletes.” These repletes consume large amounts of liquid food, such as nectar and honeydew, until their abdomens swell to many times their normal size. This adaptation allows the colony to create a living pantry, providing a food source during periods of scarcity.
Worldwide Presence
Honeypot ants are found in arid and semi-arid regions across several continents. They are found in North America, particularly in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Specific species like Myrmecocystus mexicanus are found in these regions.
Honeypot ants are also found in Australia and parts of Africa. Their presence highlights their adaptation to diverse dry environments. Various genera, including Camponotus and Melophorus in Australia, and Anoplolepis in South Africa, inhabit these regions.
Environmental Preferences
Honeypot ants prefer arid and semi-arid biomes. These include deserts, dry grasslands, sage scrubs, and juniper woodlands. These warm, dry environments suit the ants’ survival.
Their ability to store liquid food internally is a direct adaptation to unpredictable resource availability in dry climates. During periods of abundant rainfall, worker ants collect nectar and honeydew, which are then stored by the repletes. This stored food becomes a reserve when dry seasons arrive and external food sources become scarce. The stable ground found in these regions also provides suitable conditions for their underground nest construction.
Subterranean Structures
Honeypot ants construct underground nests for their survival and food storage. These nests have a network of descending tunnels connecting various chambers. Basic units involve vertical tunnels leading to flattened, horizontal chambers.
Within these structures, chambers house the repletes. These specialized ants, with distended abdomens, hang immobile from the ceilings. This allows them to function as living larders, providing stored liquid food for the colony. Nests can extend almost 1.7 meters deep, with tunnels stretching up to 2.4 meters from the entrance.
Honeypot ants prefer sandy or loamy soils for nest construction, as these allow for stable tunnels and chambers. The nest entrance is often a rounded crater of pebbles and soil, found in open areas or near plants. The deepest parts of the nest, where repletes are found, retain moisture, which helps prevent fluid loss.