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.
Pheidole pallidula
Polymorphic: it has ordinary workers and big-headed soldiers that crack seeds open. One of the most entertaining species to watch at work, and it grows very fast.
Pick the format above:
- Queen: fertilised queen with her first brood. The first soldiers take a while to appear, and they are worth the wait.
- Colony: queen and workers already active, with the first soldiers on the way.
Mixed diet: seeds, animal protein and sugary liquids. Fast growth.
Before you buy: have the setup ready before she arrives. They are tiny: make sure the nest and the connections have no gaps.
Species profile
Identificación
- Nombre científico
- Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1849)
- Subfamilia
- Myrmicinae
- Distribución
- Cuenca mediterránea: España, Francia, Italia, Suiza, Portugal, Grecia y otras zonas; introducida puntualmente fuera de su área nativa
- Forma de colonia
- Poliginia facultativa
Tamaño
- Reina (mm)
- 7.5
- Obrera (mm)
- 1.5-5 mm (obreras menores y soldados con cabeza desproporcionada)
- Polimorfismo
- Sí
- Casta soldado
- Sí
Condiciones
- Temperatura del nido (°C)
- 25-28 °C (tolera 20-25 °C)
- Temperatura del área de forrajeo (°C)
- Similar a la del nido
- Humedad del nido (%)
- 50-60%
- Humedad del área de forrajeo (%)
- Sin dato verificado específico
Ciclo
- Hibernación
- No
- Ventana de hibernación
- No aplica: no requiere hibernación, puede desarrollarse todo el año
- Temperatura de hibernación (°C)
- No aplica
- Tipo de fundación
- Claustral
- Época de vuelo nupcial
- Verano, junio-julio
Desarrollo
- Velocidad de crecimiento
- Rápida
- Tamaño máximo de la colonia
- Hasta unos 100 000 individuos
- Longevidad de la colonia
- Sin dato verificado y consistente entre fuentes
- Dieta
- Semillas, Insectos
Estado legal en España: Nativa
Actual size
- Moneda de 1 €
- 23,25 mm
- Reina
- 7,5 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.