Myrmicaria brunnea

     This species natural habitat is an open sparse forest in mountainous areas; however, it is quite adaptable and can also be found in fruit orchards and at the edge of cultivated farmlands.
     They create nests in the ground. Colonies only have a single queen and range in size from 3-5000 individuals. When their nest is disturbed, they will become quite aggressive fearlessly attacking any intruder.
     They eat dead insects, fallen fruit, and sweet secretions from sap-sucking insects.
     Workers are a chestnut brown color and about 5-8 mm in size. The queen is a similar appearance but is larger at 12 mm. This species common name derives from the fact that it has an arched appearance holding its abdomen curved downwards.
     The alates are a similar size, and flights occur early in the morning. They will mate on bushes/ground, after which the queens will dig out a chamber to establish a new colony.
     They are easy to keep in captivity and will take to most types of artificial nests.