Monomorium hiten

A beautiful, very small Monomorium species, which characteristically bears two dark spots ("eyes") on its abdomen. It is extremely uncomplicated to keep and is satisfied with little.

Temperatures between 22–29 °C are easily accepted, and it places no special demands on humidity either. In nature, they prefer to nest in wood, but they accept almost any substrate and are also not light-shy. A test tube is sufficient for keeping them, in which several thousand individuals can find space. Due to their tiny size, they should only be kept in closed test tubes or absolutely sealed containers with very fine mesh for ventilation.

It is remarkable that this species reproduces exclusively by parthenogenesis (virgin birth). This means that all queens are unfertilized and clone themselves to produce offspring. As a result, colonies grow very quickly, and the resulting pile of brood usually looks like a huge white mound. Males appear extremely rarely and apparently play no role in reproduction.