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Would bees be the closest thing to ants nutritionally and chemically?
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2 Kings 6:15-17

I don't know how similar they are in composition to ants but HLs do eat them. In Wade Sherbrook's books he reports an individual eating numerous bees unaffected by the stings. I have personally fed them without problems as well.

I have fed mine about 2 bees each a couple of days this week and they seem to love them. They run after them with enthusiasm. I was just wondering how close they are nutritionally. I am not replacing ants. Just suplementing.
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2 Kings 6:15-17

I forgot to mention that different ant genus are very different chemically and nutritionaly as well. Some eat sweet nectar some eat seeds, some animal protein, venoms are also very different. Some HLs(the mountain species)have difficulty adjusting to pogo venom.

Good point Jeff. I wonder if Less or anyone has any related study info?
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2 Kings 6:15-17

I think an article has been published on ant venom being a blood factor in HLs by Wade Sherbrooke. No information on the possibility that ants may be required by HLs has ever been published that I know of. It would make for a very good study to determine what is in ants that HLs require, if anything.

It would be an interesting although probably somewhat risky study. But that's not to say it wouldn't be worthwhile.
In my own personal observation, which is limited, I have seen a dietary difference in food (ant) preference for different HL’s, even of the same species. Some seem to get by with P. Rugosus while others prefer P. Californicus. All of my HL’s will take both but there are definitely preferences. It also seems that the relative health of an individual will also affect ant preference. That said, I have not seen anything to indicate that ants were not the preferred item. On the contrary, everything I have observed indicates what most of the people on this board espouse, that ants are a very necessary and desired part of HL diet.
In Montanucci's "Maintenance and Propagation of Horned Lizards in Captivity" he talks quite a bit about the need for ants and also about alternatives. To quote: "Ants are an important dietary item for Phrynosoma, but the degree of dietary specialization varies among species. Strongly myrmecophagous species (ant eaters), such as P. Mcallii and P. Solare are difficult to maintain because large quantities of ants must be provided...... P. Solare can be reared without ants with limited success.... Horned lizards with more generalized dietary habits can be maintained on mealworms, other kinds of beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, lepidopteran larvae and termites...."
It is difficult to gather from these short quotes but the overall picture described when non-ant diets are used is that there are health issues and degrees of “…limited success.”
Another item that is not described in these quotes are the other conditions related to the noted observations including lighting type, stress factors, etc.

In the section where he talks about using non-ant food items he also goes into detail about supplementing with vitamins and describing health issues with muscle tone, etc... It does not sound very promising. He goes on to talk about water requirements and the potential benefits for acidifying the water with noted improvements for some ailing HL specimens due to what may be a need for a high PH in the intestinal tract. An additional part in the disease section of the article talks about stomach acidity and how this could help prevent disease. To quote: "Although the stomach of the horned lizard is normally acidic, it is conceivable that the PH disruption could occur with dietary change. A natural diet of ants (high in formic acid content) may help to maintain a slightly acidic pH throughout the gastrointestinal tract."

The overall conclusion I draw from this tells me that ants help maintain a good chemical balance in the HL's body and that deviating from this is walking on the edge of disaster for HL health and longevity.
I don't see a problem with supplementing food items that are naturally occurring in the HL's wild habitat but to get completely away from the typical food items and introduce non-native food items seems awfully risky to a species that is so notably difficult to maintain in captivity.

Here is a link to a huge ant/non-ant discussion thread from the archive that might be worth a read for those interested.

Ants may not be needed...

Again, I think it might be a worthwhile study Jeff. Especially if it would be possible to really understand exactly what ants offer that is so beneficial to HL health. Sounds like a job for SuperChemist!

My two cents....
Cheers!

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2 Kings 6:15-17

Even through that array of opinions nothing has been proven with regards to what is in ants that HLs require. In Wade Sherbrookes new article he lays the formic acid theory to rest because a large number of diurnal ants that HLS consume do not contain it. Also if their was a specific chemical in ants that HLs require, Would even a single individual have been able to be raised from hatchling to 2 years without a single ant in it's lifetime? People say HLs evolved to eat ants so they NEED ants but no one gives a proven answer why.

I think possibly size and like you you said digestive tract balance are what make ants important. It doesn't really seem that hard to determine, It would take an expert chemist to determine the chemical makeup of a pogo and a lab to analyze the nutrtional makeup. I did find this list which includes ants for nutritinal make-up.

With my HLs I haven't been able to get many ants because of the cold weather so small crickets and small mealworms are making up about 90% of the diet. No weight loss but the scats are now a light brown and much wetter. If like Montanucci suggest acidified water is beneficial it would be worth testing ,I just prefer to include ants, but I am still interested in solving this puzzle.

Insect Nutritional Make-up