Messor Ebeninus

[tomorrownight]

What is the best type of seed and insects to give Messor ebeninus?

[Kyle]

any seed can do, but the smaller the better, and the same with insects just make sure they are dead

[Wood~Ant]

I do know from keeping other Messor species that, although they all belong to the Myrmicine group of ants, I have never been stung once or bitten by any of this genus; as you asked this question on another thread.
They are certainly not a "nasty" ant, and even when I've had the odd worker or major on my fingers, they are just curious about the intrusion and never attack

Try a variety of small bird seeds and grass seed, plus whatever small insects you can offer.

[tomorrownight]

thanks!
also, do ebeninus have 3 castes? because I have a colony of about 50 here and there are at least 3 distinct sizes - theres one GIANT one who is the size of my Lasisus niger queen (this is the Major worker) and there are some tiny little ones with small heads and then ones that are about twice the size of the smallest workers but about quarter of the size of the major, what are these?

Also, there is aload of them standing around licking their bums, why is that? (I thought that Ant Crop was accessed through their mouths?) and only the sting was at the end of the gaster?

[Wood~Ant]

Nov 6, 2009 15:26:04 GMT tomorrownight said:

thanks!
also, do ebeninus have 3 castes? because I have a colony of about 50 here and there are at least 3 distinct sizes - theres one GIANT one who is the size of my Lasius niger queen (this is the Major worker) and there are some tiny little ones with small heads and then ones that are about twice the size of the smallest workers but about quarter of the size of the major, what are these?

Also, there is a load of them standing around licking their bums, why is that? (I thought that Ant Crop was accessed through their mouths?) and only the sting was at the end of the gaster?

I don't know much about this particular Messor, but as they're closely related to M. barbarus you may find as many as 5 different worker sizes, ranging from tiny, small and medium up to majors and super-majors.
A super can rival the queen in size or may even be slightly larger.
Oddly enough the smaller ants do most of the digging and foraging, while their larger sisters act more like guards for defence of the colony.

As for the licking, all ants keep themselves scrupulously clean and do this many times per day.

[tomorrownight]

if they are very large and used for defense, wouldnt they just be like a solider?

[Zarbi]

No..............big jaws make for chewing big things. Messor don't have soldiers, just very big workers.

[tomorrownight]

but soldiers still have big jaws don't they?

[Wood~Ant]

Nov 6, 2009 19:59:29 GMT tomorrownight said:

but soldiers still have big jaws don't they?

I think you're missing the point here

Ants which have a soldier caste raid other ants to plunder their brood, or actively wage war.
While wars and incursions may break out between rival ant colonies of any species, most ants (Messor for example) DO NOT have a soldier caste among the workers; just very big workers.

Formica rufa is another ant which I have personally counted 7 different worker sizes, yet none of them were soldiers.
Just because a man grows to giant proportions does not mean he will become a warrior, as a 3 foot dwarf can be just as fearsome if he carries a sword as a man 7 feet tall.

So it is with ants, as often the smallest can turn out to be the most aggressive killers, while their larger sisters are only there to protect and serve.
Eciton Army Ant or Dorylus African Driver Ant raids are a typical example, where the medium to small workers do the killing and butchering, while their big sisters just guard the column from attack from larger predators.

Just because Messor has super-major workers does not mean they act like soldier ants. They are workers just like the rest of their sisters, except that they are much bigger and can do work that smaller workers can't.

[tomorrownight]

ah cool, thats interesting, thanks

[tomorrownight]

hey, I noticed in their rubbish pile this morning that there was a dead ant, its a tiny one so I guess it was one of the first and was just old. what should I expect the death rate/ birth rate to be? also, what is the most common cause of death for ants in captivity like this?>

[Zarbi]

Nov 8, 2009 9:26:28 GMT tomorrownight said:

hey, I noticed in their rubbish pile this morning that there was a dead ant, its a tiny one so I guess it was one of the first and was just old. what should I expect the death rate/ birth rate to be? also, what is the most common cause of death for ants in captivity like this?>

It is not possible to predict the birth/death rate as (1) it depends on the health of the colony and their queen as to how fast it grows, and (2) how old the workers are now will determine how much longer they live

I know roughly how long British ants live for, but as this is a foreign ant species it is hard to say what their lifespan is

[formica]

I don't really agree with the fact that Messors don't use majors for war. I saw them constantly fighting with other ants like Lasius emarginatus, Pheidole, Tetramorium and other Messors when I was in Cyprus. I believe they use them for gaining feeding territories against other ant species. This does not happen when they are kept in captivity, as there are no other colonies to compete with.

[Wood~Ant]

Nov 8, 2009 11:25:40 GMT formica said:

I don't really agree with the fact that Messors don't use majors for war. I saw them constantly fighting with other ants like Lasius emarginatus, Pheidole, Tetramorium and other Messors when I was in Cyprus. I believe they use them for gaining feeding territories against other ant species. This does not happen when they are kept in captivity, as there are no other colonies to compete with.

Nearly all ant species fight territorial battles, but again the point in question is, Messor major and super-major workers are NOT soldiers.

The smallest workers will fight in defence of their nest, and larger colonies do make war against smaller ones, as incursions for territorial gain often lead to open disputes.

I have seen Formica lemani and Myrmica ruginodis battle it out on a grand scale, yet neither of these species have soldiers or wage war as such. You could argue the point that every worker ant is potentially a warrior, as they are fearless when it comes to battle and give their lives willingly for queen and colony.

Even what we call the "Soldier Ant Caste" in true Army ants like Eciton are basically just workers with specially adapted jaws, as these ants can only fight and can't even feed or clean themselves, relying on their small sisters to feed and clean them.

So although you will see ants figthing other ants, their battles are more often between worker ants of varying sizes, from the biggest to the smallest ;D

[Black Ant]

I know I'm being nosy, but did this colony cost much coming in from Israel How did you find the seller?