Messor minor hesperius

Harvester little ant

Origin : Tenerife

Geographical distribution: Canary Islands

Breeding level: Beginner

Habitat: Sands and steppes

Colony form: monogenous (only one queen per colony)

Colony size: up to 50.000

Size: queen 11 - 12mm, workers  4 - 7mm, major 9 - 11mm

Color: Queen : black, workers and major: redish head and thorax and black gastre

Queen lifespan: up to 25 years

Food: Mainly granivorous, eating a variety of seeds, but also many small insects such as mealworms, flies, mosquitoes and crickets. A water trough is mandatory to create ant bread.

Humidity: 40 - 70%

Temperature:  23 - 28°C 

Hibernation: Yes, from mid-November to early March, between 12 and 15°C

Nest type: Acrylic nest, Ytong, plaster, 3D printed.

Description: Messor minor hesperius is a mainly granivorous species, very interesting to observe with the making of ant bread to feed the brood, 3 different castes minor, media and major each with different roles, but also very good hunters once the colony becomes populous, an ideal species for beginners as very strong and forgiving of breeding errors.

SALE -10€