Messor barbarus
Messor barbarus
- Level: Para empezar
- Hibernation: Yes (Noviembre-febrero (aprox.))
Requires hibernation — not suitable if you can't lower the temperature in winter.
Pickup available at Antmaster
Usually ready in 24 hours
Live animal shipping
- Shipped Mondays and Tuesdays
- Includes heat pack and insulated box, at no extra cost
- We hold the shipment if your area drops below 5 °C or goes above 30 °C. We'll let you know beforehand.
At no extra cost. We'll message you before shipping.
Live arrival guarantee
If the colony arrives dead, we'll replace it or refund you. Here are the full terms, right here.
- Claim window
- 48 hours from delivery
- Proof required
- Photos or video of the unopened package and its contents as they arrive.
- What's covered
- The queen, always. Workers, if more than 20% arrive dead.
- What we do
- Replacement on the next available shipment or a refund. You choose.
- What voids it
- A package left outside or not collected after the delivery notice.
Releasing ants into the wild is prohibited. In Spain this is a punishable offense under nature conservation and invasive alien species regulations.
Messor barbarus
The Iberian harvester ant almost everyone in Spain starts with: hardy, active and easy to feed. If this is your first colony, it is the safe bet.
Pick the format above:
- Queen: fertilised queen with her first brood. You start right at the beginning and watch the first workers emerge. Slower, and it asks for patience.
- Colony (20-40 workers): queen and active workers from day one. Gets going much sooner and forgives beginner mistakes.
Seed-based diet with some added protein. Hibernates from November to February.
Before you buy: have the setup ready before she arrives so the move goes smoothly.
Species profile
Identificación
- Nombre científico
- Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Subfamilia
- Myrmicinae
- Distribución
- Mediterránea: Península Ibérica, sur de Francia, Italia, Baleares, norte de África
- Forma de colonia
- Monoginia
Tamaño
- Reina (mm)
- 14.0
- Obrera (mm)
- 4-14 mm (fuertemente polimórfica)
- Polimorfismo
- Sí
- Casta soldado
- Sí
Condiciones
- Temperatura del nido (°C)
- 25-30 °C
- Temperatura del área de forrajeo (°C)
- Sin dato verificado específico y diferenciado del nido
- Humedad del nido (%)
- 60-90%, con zona más seca para almacenar semillas
- Humedad del área de forrajeo (%)
- Sin dato verificado específico
Ciclo
- Hibernación
- Sí
- Ventana de hibernación
- Noviembre-febrero (aprox.)
- Temperatura de hibernación (°C)
- 8-15 °C
- Tipo de fundación
- Claustral
- Época de vuelo nupcial
- Agosto-diciembre, pico septiembre-noviembre
Desarrollo
- Velocidad de crecimiento
- Media
- Tamaño máximo de la colonia
- Sin cifra numérica verificada y consistente entre fuentes
- Longevidad de la colonia
- Hasta ~30 años (fuente de aficionados, no paper científico; usar con cautela)
- Dieta
- Semillas, Insectos
Estado legal en España: Nativa
Actual size
- Moneda de 1 €
- 23,25 mm
- Reina
- 14,0 mm
Scale comparison. The queen is the largest individual in the colony.
How does the colony travel?
The colony travels in its test tube with a water reservoir, inside an insulated box and with a heat pack when needed. We ship on Mondays and Tuesdays so the package doesn't spend the weekend in a warehouse.
What if it's very cold or very hot?
We hold the shipment while your area is below 5 °C or above 30 °C, and we'll let you know beforehand. You can also request this yourself by checking “Hold my shipment until the weather is safe” when adding to cart.
What happens if it arrives dead?
Message us within 48 hours of delivery with photos or a video of the unopened package and its contents. We'll replace the colony on the next available shipment or refund you: you choose.
Can I release the ants into the wild if I give up the hobby?
No. Releasing ants into the wild is prohibited and constitutes a punishable offence under Spanish nature conservation and invasive alien species regulations. Message us and we'll help you find a responsible solution.