Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

ColAnt735's Messor minor Journal

messor minor harvester ants colant735

  • Please log in to reply
13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted September 17 2022 - 2:26 PM

ColAnt735

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 406 posts
  • LocationOntario,Canada

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to a new journal!

 

In my never ending quest for more ants I have purchased a small Messor minor colony from Canada Ant Colony at The Canadian Pet Expo. At the moment this colony has five workers a pile of brood and some seeds that I fed them. From what I have experienced so far Messor minor is super fun to keep and accepts most foods you give them. (y)

I have yet to see their creation of ant bread behaviour although I'm sure I'll witness it in the future. I have never kept a Messor species before so please feel free to post tips about this species and correct me  if I'm doing something wrong.  I hope that this colony thrives under my care and will continue to be such a joy to keep like they have been thus far. Thanks for taking the time reading this and have a great rest of your day (or night)! :)

 

Photos:

This photo doesn't do this species justice they are much prettier in real life.

Dt4GWAvYT17eK9iU_lnAxumHmLQNX7-3uSfUz10D

The queen is much larger than the workers.

s9992_M6y5YCojcMIc9apLghD2Suv1D7TsKKD7yt

These two photos aren't good sorry.

ZYC4eiEAfV5O7JAmDdMA2itvuzeUYXu8Xj_Njr6v

sD1OLrNGYqa1-xto8Y6lunQcu4_vCUTRFJvPrMPv

 

 

 


  • lazyant likes this

"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.


#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 17 2022 - 2:33 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,376 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Lucky acquisition!
  • lazyant likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#3 Offline Leptomyrmx - Posted September 17 2022 - 9:16 PM

Leptomyrmx

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 286 posts
  • LocationSydney, Australia

Very cool, I like Messor a lot. AntMaps says they're dubious in Ontario though?


My Ants:

Colonies: Camponotus humilior 1w, Opisthopsis rufithorax 11w, Aphaenogaster longiceps ~5w, Pheidole sp. ~235w ~15m, Iridomyrmex sp. 2q 1w, Brachyponera lutea 6w, Crematogaster sp. ~20w, Podomyrma sp. 1w

Queens: Polyrhachis cf. robinsoni, Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) sp. (likely infertile)

Previously Kept: Colobopsis gasseri, Technomyrmex sp., Rhytidoponera victorae, Nylanderia cf. rosae, Myrmecia brevinoda/forficata, Polyrhachis australis, Solenopsis/Monomorium

Key: Q = Queen, W = Worker, M = Major

Youtube Channel: Ants of Sydney - YouTube

Patreon (for YouTube channel): https://www.patreon.com/antsofsydney


#4 Offline NicholasP - Posted September 17 2022 - 9:18 PM

NicholasP

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 763 posts
  • LocationGrand Rapids, Michigan

Very cool, I like Messor a lot. AntMaps says they're dubious in Ontario though?

Dubious as in there are none in Ontario.



#5 Offline Leptomyrmx - Posted September 17 2022 - 10:30 PM

Leptomyrmx

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 286 posts
  • LocationSydney, Australia

 

Very cool, I like Messor a lot. AntMaps says they're dubious in Ontario though?

Dubious as in there are none in Ontario.

 

 

Are they native to parts of Europe or something?


My Ants:

Colonies: Camponotus humilior 1w, Opisthopsis rufithorax 11w, Aphaenogaster longiceps ~5w, Pheidole sp. ~235w ~15m, Iridomyrmex sp. 2q 1w, Brachyponera lutea 6w, Crematogaster sp. ~20w, Podomyrma sp. 1w

Queens: Polyrhachis cf. robinsoni, Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) sp. (likely infertile)

Previously Kept: Colobopsis gasseri, Technomyrmex sp., Rhytidoponera victorae, Nylanderia cf. rosae, Myrmecia brevinoda/forficata, Polyrhachis australis, Solenopsis/Monomorium

Key: Q = Queen, W = Worker, M = Major

Youtube Channel: Ants of Sydney - YouTube

Patreon (for YouTube channel): https://www.patreon.com/antsofsydney


#6 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted September 18 2022 - 3:53 AM

ColAnt735

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 406 posts
  • LocationOntario,Canada

 

 

Very cool, I like Messor a lot. AntMaps says they're dubious in Ontario though?

Dubious as in there are none in Ontario.

 

 

Are they native to parts of Europe or something?

 

No Messor species is found in Canada. This species was bought from Canada Ant Colony who has permits.


  • Leptomyrmx and lazyant like this

"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.


#7 Offline T.C. - Posted September 18 2022 - 12:48 PM

T.C.

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 3,059 posts
So did @Canadian Anter throw you up against the wall and make you buy them. I went to the expo too and he held me at gun point until I "bought some ants." I was scared so I bought some ants.

10/10 Review
  • bmb1bee and ColAnt735 like this

" Whatever You Are, Be a Good One "


#8 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted September 18 2022 - 2:14 PM

ColAnt735

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 406 posts
  • LocationOntario,Canada
Haha, no he didn’t we chatted about ant related things and I bought them because this is a cool species.

Edited by ColAnt735, September 18 2022 - 2:15 PM.

  • T.C. likes this

"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.


#9 Offline NicholasP - Posted September 18 2022 - 9:01 PM

NicholasP

    Vendor

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 763 posts
  • LocationGrand Rapids, Michigan

So did @Canadian Anter throw you up against the wall and make you buy them. I went to the expo too and he held me at gun point until I "bought some ants." I was scared so I bought some ants.

10/10 Review

Huh? How does someone hold you at gunpoint to buy them?



#10 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted September 24 2022 - 8:53 AM

ColAnt735

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 406 posts
  • LocationOntario,Canada
I’m thinking of naming the queen of this colony Nisaba the Sumerian god of grain and writing.
  • ANTdrew likes this

"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.


#11 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted November 3 2022 - 3:26 PM

ColAnt735

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 406 posts
  • LocationOntario,Canada
Nisaba and her ( please give me a name for the colony I’m drawing a blank) have been doing a period of mini diapause in that they don’t forage much but have a large egg pile.
  • bmb1bee likes this

"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.


#12 Offline bmb1bee - Posted November 3 2022 - 3:53 PM

bmb1bee

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 752 posts
  • LocationHayward, CA

Since Nisaba is a Sumerian god, how about naming the colony the Ziggurats?


  • ColAnt735 likes this

"Float like a butterfly sting like a bee, his eyes can't hit what the eyes can't see." - Muhammad Ali

 

Check out my shop and Camponotus journal! Discord user is bmb1bee if you'd like to chat.


#13 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 3 2022 - 4:29 PM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,376 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
That’s cool.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#14 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted November 20 2022 - 9:16 PM

ColAnt735

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 406 posts
  • LocationOntario,Canada

Mini update 21/11/22

 

Foraging has started to become more frequent I'm pretty sure the colony wasn't taking a little diapause but instead had collected enough seeds so they stopped foraging.


"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: messor, minor, harvester ants, colant735

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users