Quick answer: The Rhyniognatha is not tamed by knocking it out or feeding it: you kill a male to get its pheromone, give it to a large creature (the host), let a wild female implant her young in it and keep the host alive until the birth. The baby is born ready to claim; the host dies when it gives birth.
Updated October 2026 for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).
The Rhyniognatha, or Rhynio, is a giant flying insect made for ARK Survival Ascended. It can carry heavy creatures, shoot resin, cover itself in resin armor and cling to walls. Its taming process is one of the most unusual in the game, so it is worth understanding every step before you begin.
Rhyniognatha quick facts in ARK Survival Ascended
| Diet | Omnivore |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Extremely aggressive |
| Taming method | Special: pheromone, host and birth |
| Preferred kibble | Does not use kibble to tame |
| How to immobilize it | Net Projectile from the Harpoon Launcher; Bug Repellant makes it passive |
| How to knock it out | It is not knocked out: wild adults cannot be tamed |
| Saddle | Rhyniognatha Saddle (level 90) |
| Maps (ASA) | The Island, Lost Island |
How to tame a Rhyniognatha step by step
- Kill a male Rhyniognatha and harvest the Rhyniognatha Pheromone from its body.
- Choose the host: one of your creatures with a drag weight of 300 or more. With 650 or more (for example a Brontosaurus) the baby gets the best quality.
- Give the pheromone to the host and find a wild female. Bring her health below 10% so she accepts the host.
- The female implants her young in the host and flies away. It cannot happen while the host is trapped, and putting the host in a Cryopod destroys the embryo.
- Look after the host during gestation: it slowly loses health and food. Keep the foods it craves in its inventory, because they improve the baby’s stats.
- At birth the host dies and the baby is thrown some distance away. It is born at 30% maturation, is not hostile and anyone can claim it, so stay close.
Where to find the Rhyniognatha in ARK Ascended
On The Island it lives in the swamp, where several can show up at once. It is one of the most dangerous areas on the map: bring good armor and a mount that can defend you, and remember that stone walls or better keep it out.
Official ARK Survival Ascended maps where it spawns: The Island, Lost Island.
Rhyniognatha abilities and uses
- Carries creatures and objects up to 600 drag weight (even Basilisks, Magmasaurs or Reapers).
- Shoots resin while flying: needle, homing rocket and bomb. Stacked resin slows the target and finally roots it in place.
- Resin armor that greatly reduces incoming damage while slowly using resin.
- Turns Sap in its inventory into resin, one for one, every 5 seconds.
- Lands and walks on water, swims and clings to vertical surfaces.
Tips and mistakes to avoid
- It cannot be bred: the only way to get more is to repeat the host process.
- The Megatherium is very strong against it, and the harpoon net holds it in place.
- Resin bombs disable Tek systems: keep that in mind in PvP.
Tame your Rhyniognatha faster on Tharyon
On Tharyon you get 8x taming, 35x maturation and 25x hatching, so you can build your team without wasting hours.
- ARK Survival Ascended with crossplay: PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- 8x taming, 2.5x XP and harvesting, 35x maturation and 25x hatching.
- 11 PvE maps: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ragnarok, Valguero, Lost Island, Genesis 1, Astraeos and Forglar.
- Automatic events (a supply crate every 60 minutes and an event creature every 70), quests and an in-game shop.
To join, hop into our Discord and use the /link command. See every rate in the rates section.
Rhyniognatha taming FAQ
Can you knock out a Rhyniognatha to tame it?
No. Wild adults cannot be tamed. You only get one through the pheromone and host method.
What is the best host for a Rhyniognatha?
One with 650 or more drag weight, such as a Brontosaurus, because it gives the baby the best quality. The minimum is 300.
What food does the Rhyniognatha need for taming?
It is not tamed with food. What matters is keeping the host well fed during gestation and having the foods it craves in its inventory, because they improve the baby’s stats. Once born, the baby eats berries or raw meat.
Does the host die?
Yes. The host dies when the baby is born, so do not use a valuable creature.
What level unlocks the Rhyniognatha Saddle?
At level 90.
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