Messor minor hesperius – Colony with Queen and Workers

Description

The Ant Farming Charter on our Messor minor hesperius ants:

1. Breeding approved by Veterinary Services, carried out by a specialist under certificate of capacity,
2. Guide to the Perfect Ant Farmer offered and health sheet provided,
3. Ants guaranteed without parasites,
4. Health demonstrated by the laying of the queen and the presence of brood upon shipment,
5. No “boost” (addition of brood or external workers to sell the colonies more quickly),
6. Guaranteed delivery in good health: partial reimbursement in the event of loss of workers, total in case of loss of the queen (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,
9. Colony taken back and costs covered if you wish to part with it (see conditions).
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Example of breeding Messor minor hesperius : About 150 Messor minor with their queen in an artificial Minora anthill by Antculture:

Messor minor is our N°1 species for excellent reasons: it is very easy to raise and requires very little care, of good size (with majors), it does not need to overwinter and is very active, with rapid development. Messor minor has a nice black and burgundy color.

This is the ideal species to start breeding ants but experienced amateurs will find in Messor minor all the qualities they were looking for to benefit from an active and interesting species despite less marked majors than in Messor barbarus .We note in fact the presence of small workers called “minor” about 4mm long, then the colony produces larger workers called “media” and finally, around a hundred workers, large individuals called “majors” 10mm long with a developed head capable of transporting and crushing the seeds on which Messor minor feeds.

On the other hand, the population grows much faster and the coloration is present on all individuals. We therefore recommend Messor minor to all those looking for a species of ant that is both pleasant to observe and very easy to breed, but without the constraints of other more traditional species. Indeed, it is advisable to follow a winter rest for the other Messors for about 2 months at 15°C to ensure them a good development in the spring, which interrupts the observations.

In Messor minor, accustomed to hot climates, light wintering is possible (45 to 60 days around 15-20°C) but not necessarily mandatory and depends on the colony laying eggs, which are generally high even in the middle of winter. Its rapid development will continue throughout the year, ensuring you constant sightings and uninterrupted development.

In order to ensure optimal development, which can expect the respectable figure of 3000 workers in a single year, it is necessary to offer it a hot spot at 27°C on half of the humid and dry zone of the anthill. This is easily obtained with a heating mat or a lamp equipped with a ceramic bulb. Thus, in just a few years, it is possible to obtain swarming in captivity and produce new queens which may eventually be added to the previous queen.

Regarding food, Messor minor is particularly easy to raise because it feeds mainly on seeds. Our Messor Mix Fin is the most complete mix to date. Offer it a teaspoonful of seeds and the young colony will build up a stock of them that it will consume at will. Depending on the quantity of seeds distributed, the stock can last for weeks or months, so feeding a colony of Messor is absolutely simple!

She can still appreciate other foods in addition such as freeze-dried insects, granules, certain jellies (rather homemade jellies made from bananas, honey, agar, proteins, etc.), biscuit crumbs, etc. It is not very aggressive and hunts little living insects. In general, it is less fond of large seeds and Messor Mix Fine should be preferred to Messor Mix Gros.

Messor minor hesperius can live in a nest with substrate but the poor design of the nest can lead to a collapse of the galleries, a badly managed humidity (loss of workers or molds of the seeds) etc.

Text © Ant Farming

Breeding sheet Messor minor hesperius:

Latin name:		Messor minor hesperius
Common name :		- Harvester ant (usually reserved for Messor barbarus)
Taxonomy:		Subfamily: Myrmicinae Genus: Pheidolini
Breeding difficulty:		(1) The easiest of all! Almost no maintenance.
Distribution :		Canary Islands for Messor minor hesperius, Corsica for Messor minor.
Natural habitat :		Digs its nest in the ground and sandy areas, a visible entrance with remains of seeds around
Polygyny:		No, monogynous, contains only one queen per colony (but we suspect that sometimes colonies can have more than one).
Queen :		Size: 12-13mm approx Colour: Shiny black with reddish tones
Workers:		Size: 3-4mm for small minor. Up to about 10mm for the big majors. Colour: Shiny black with burgundy on the head and thorax, including the minor workers.
Soldiers:		Not strictly speaking soldiers but much larger major workers, with a powerful head for transporting seeds and defending the nest.
Males:		Size: 7 – 8mm Colour: black. Winged.
Feed :		Organic seeds without parasites (Messor mix), fresh or dehydrated insects, preferably mixed in the seeds (Messor Power Mix),
Humidity :		Hunting area: very weak for seeds. Nest: a wet area (about 50%) + a dry area for seeds (about 50%)
Temperature :		Tolerant. Grows fairly well at room temperature but thrives at 27°C. Do not heat at night.
Diapause:		A winter break of 2 months 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 stores in the ground.
Type of artificial nest:		Any type of nest with good moisture management and chambers 8mm high or more. Start with about 15-20cm at first. Rarely digs plaster, aerated concrete etc.
Nest size:		Start with 15-20cm, but plan for significant development potential from the first year.
Substrate:		Not necessary, watch out for humidity. Only choose nests with a suitable substrate, without collapse, and good humidity management… Be wary of imported nests. Otherwise, nests made of plaster, aerated concrete or acrylic with a special mineral slab.
Planting:		Avoid contact with plants.
Decoration:		Rocks, sand, plaster, dry and solid elements. Tends to quickly destroy its decor.
Summary :		This species of harvester ant collects all kinds of seeds to form a kind of dough called ant bread. After about three days, it can feed on it thanks to pre-digestion by enzymes in the saliva. The seeds contain proteins necessary for their development and it is ideal to provide a rich mixture, or to add quinoa or chia to boost the protein intake, otherwise dehydrated insects. The liquid water supply is useful by a drinker!
Life cycle :		Swarming:  end of autumn Foundation: Independent, without food, the queen lives on her reserves and lays eggs without overwintering. She can live 25 years. Size of the colony: Up to 10,000 workers and several hundreds or thousands are attainable in the first year.
Quantity on sale:		1 fertilized queen with brood + workers according to option.