Messor minor hesperius – Colony with Queen and Workers

Description

The Fourmiculture Charter on our Messor minor hesperius ants:

1. Approved breeding program of the Veterinary Services, managed by a certified specialist,
2. Free "Perfect Ant Keeper's Guide" and health record provided,
3. Ants guaranteed parasite-free,
4. Health demonstrated by queen egg-laying and the presence of brood upon shipment,
5. No "boosting" (addition of brood or external workers to sell colonies faster),
6. Guaranteed healthy delivery: partial refund in case of worker loss, full refund in case of queen loss (if delivered within 48 hours),
7. Shipping possible from -12°C to +40°C thanks to our optional insulated packaging,
8. Species present in France, non-invasive and not threatened,

sell (see conditions).

Example of Messor minor hesperius rearing : Approximately 150 Messor minor with their queen in an artificial Minora ant farm by Fourmiculture :

Messor minor is our number one species for excellent reasons: it is very easy to raise and requires very little care, grows to a good size (along with majors), does not need to hibernate, and is very active with rapid development. Messor minor displays a beautiful black and burgundy coloration.

This is the ideal species for starting ant farming, but experienced enthusiasts will find in Messor minor all the qualities they could look for to enjoy an active and interesting species, despite the majors being less pronounced than in Messor barbarus. Indeed, there is the presence of small workers called "minor" about 4mm long, then the colony produces larger workers called "media" and finally, at around a hundred workers, large individuals called "majors" of 10mm long with a developed head capable of transporting and crushing the seeds on which Messor minor feeds.

However, the population grows much faster, and the coloration is present on all individuals. We therefore recommend Messor minor to anyone looking for an ant species that is both pleasant to observe and very easy to keep, but without the constraints of other, more common species. Indeed, it is advisable to give other Messor species a winter rest period of about two months at 15°C to ensure good development in the spring, which interrupts observation.

In Messor minor, which is accustomed to warm climates, a light overwintering period is possible (45 to 60 days at around 15-20°C) but not necessarily required and depends on the colony's egg-laying, which is generally significant even in the middle of winter. Its rapid development will continue throughout the year, ensuring constant observation and uninterrupted growth.

To ensure optimal development, which can reach a respectable 3,000 worker ants in a single year, it is necessary to provide a warm spot at 27°C covering half of the wet and half of the ant colony's dry zone. This is easily achieved with a heating mat or a lamp equipped with a ceramic bulb. Thus, in just a few years, it is possible to obtain a swarm in captivity and produce new queens that can eventually join the existing one.

Regarding food, Messor minor is particularly easy to raise as it feeds primarily on seeds. Our Messor Mix Fine is the most complete mix available today. Offer it a teaspoon of seeds, and the young colony will build up a store that it will consume at will. Depending on the quantity of seeds distributed, the store can last for weeks or months, so feeding a Messor colony is incredibly simple!

It can still enjoy other supplementary foods such as freeze-dried insects, pellets, certain jellies (preferably homemade jellies made with banana, honey, agar, protein, etc.), biscuit crumbs, and so on. It is not very aggressive and rarely chases live insects. Generally, it prefers large seeds, and Messor Mix Fine is better than Messor Mix Coarse.

Messor minor hesperius can live in a nest with substrate but poor nest design can lead to gallery collapse, poorly managed humidity (loss of workers or seed mold) etc.

Text © Fourmiculture

Messor minor hesperius breeding sheet:

Latin name:		Messor minor hesperius
Common name:		-Harvester ant (generally reserved for Messor barbarus)
Taxonomy:		Subfamily: Myrmicinae, genus: Pheidolini
Difficulty of breeding:		(1) The easiest of all! Almost no maintenance.
Distribution :		Canary Islands for Messor minor hesperius, Corsica for Messor minor.
Natural habitat:		It digs its nest in the ground and sandy areas, with a visible entrance and seed remnants around it
Polygyny:		No, monogynous, contains only one queen per colony (but we assume that sometimes colonies may have more than one).
Queen :		Size: Approximately 12-13mm Color: Glossy black with reddish tones
Female workers:		Size: 3-4mm for the smallest minor workers. Up to approximately 10mm for the largest major workers. Color: Glossy black with burgundy on the head and thorax, including on the smallest minor workers.
Soldiers:		No soldiers as such, but much larger major workers with powerful heads for transporting seeds and defending the nest.
Males:		Size: 7-8mm. Colour: black. Winged.
Food :		Organic, pest-free seeds (Messor mix), fresh or dehydrated insects, preferably mixed into the seeds (Messor Power Mix),
Humidity :		Hunting area: very small for seeds. Nest: a humid area (approximately 50%) + a dry area for seeds (approximately 50%)
Temperature :		Tolerant. Grows fairly well at room temperature but thrives at 27°C. Do not heat at night.
Diapause:		A 2-month winter break at 15°C can be beneficial, but colonies develop continuously at 27°C in the middle of winter.
Type of natural nest:		Deep tunnels with round chambers and seed lofts in the ground.
Type of artificial nest:		Any type of nest with good humidity control and chambers 8mm high or more. Start with approximately 15-20cm deep initially. Rarely dig in plaster, aerated concrete, etc.
Nest size:		Start with 15-20cm, but expect significant potential growth from the first year.
Substrate:		Not necessary, but be careful of humidity. Choose only nests with a suitable substrate that won't collapse and with good humidity control… Be wary of imported nests. Otherwise, consider nests made of plaster, aerated concrete, or acrylic with a special mineral base.
Plantation:		Avoid contact with the plants.
Decoration:		Rocks, sand, plaster, dry and solid elements. Tends to quickly destroy its surroundings.
Summary :		This harvester ant species collects all sorts of seeds to form a kind of paste called ant bread. After about three days, it can feed on this, thanks to pre-digestion by enzymes in its saliva. The seeds contain proteins necessary for their development, so it's ideal to provide a rich mix, or add quinoa or chia to boost protein intake; otherwise, dehydrated insects will suffice. A water dispenser is essential for providing fresh water!
Life cycle:		Swarming:  Late autumn. Foundation: Independent, without food, the queen lives off her reserves and lays eggs without overwintering. She can live for 25 years. Colony size: Up to 10,000 workers, and several hundred or even thousands are achievable in the first year.
Quantity for sale:		1 fertilized queen with brood + workers as per option.