Tetramorium lanuginosum

The color of worker ants is reddish-brown. The queen ants are similar to worker ants except that they are slightly larger in size and have a winged base, they are not in the soldier ant/large worker ant class, and have dense body hairs.

Velvet-coated house ants are multi-residue ants with mature colonies consisting of dozens of queen ants and hundreds of worker ants. They are omnivorous ants that make full use of the available resources in the environment, preferring food with high fat and protein content. They can be found throughout Taiwan, nesting in hard rock crevices and soil surfaces. They are highly adaptable and can be found in the countryside and mountainous areas, preferring humid environments with no obvious foraging cycle, and are widely distributed.

It is very easy to keep. Feed is the staple food, but sugar water, cockroaches and egg yolks can also be used as food, and plaster ant nests are used. The nests should be maintained in a humid environment with water towers. The colony grows fast and consumes a lot of food. Frequent feeding is needed to maintain the colony's growth.