Messor barbarus

Do you want to start in the fascinating world of ant keeping and are looking for a species that is extremely exciting to observe, but at the same time absolutely easy to care for? Messor barbarus (the Red Harvester Ant) is the undisputed darling of the hobby. Native to the sunny Mediterranean region, this species captivates with behavior you will find in hardly any other native ant: it collects grains!

The daily life of a Messor barbarus colony resembles a perfectly coordinated logistics company. The ants build huge, dry grain stores in their nest. Particularly fascinating is the pronounced polymorphism: in addition to the tiny minor workers, the colony produces impressive major workers (soldiers) once it reaches a certain size. These giants have massive, often beautifully red to chestnut brown colored heads and use their strong jaws as "nutcrackers" to crush hard seeds. From these, they produce the so-called "ant bread," with which the entire brood is fed.