Latin name: Messor aegyptiacus

Taxonomy: Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribes: Pheidolini

Breeding level: Beginner

Geographical distribution: Egypt, Tunisia, Israel, southern Algeria

Habitat: Sands and steppes

Colony form: Monogyne

Queen: Size: 11 - 12mm Color: Bright red head and black and bright red thorax and black gore

Worker: Size: 4 - 7mm Color: Head and thorax bright red and black gastre

Major: Size 9 - 11mm Color: Head and thorax bright red and black gastre

Male: Size: 7mm Color: Black

Food: Mainly granivorous that eat various seeds, but also many small insects such as mealworms, flies, mosquitoes, crickets, a water trough is mandatory for the creation of ant bread.

Humidity: Hunting area: 30 - 50% Nest: 50 - 70%

Temperature: Hunting area: 25 - 30 ° C Nest: 23 - 28 ° C

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

Nest type: Plexiglas nest, nest with tubes, reconstituted stone nest.

Description: Messor aegyptiacus is a mainly granivorous species, very interesting to observe with the manufacture of ant bread to feed the brood, 3 different minor castes, media and major with each of the different roles, but also very good hunters once the colony becomes populous, an ideal species for beginners because very strong who forgives the errors of breeding. It is an extremely rare species in breeding that deserves to be known.

Development: Swarming from November to December.

Foundation: Set in a cloister (without food) Development: 40 days from egg to worker (depending on temperature)

Size of the colony: Up to 50,000 individuals, the queen can reach the age of 25 years.