-UKantz- Spanish Messor Barbarus Queen

[UKantz]

On my holiday in spain I have managed to catch a large red headed messor barbarus queen during a nuptial flight, she currently resides in a old sweet jar untill I return to the Uk. At this time she has dug a founding chamber out and sits there for the mean time, I just hope she won't get to stressed on the plane journey home as this seems to be this species demise.

[Wood~Ant]

That was a good find, as I'm sure some of our members will be envious of you. Keep her packed safely for the journey home and she should be fine, as don't forget these queens enter the UK on planes when you buy them from Europe, so just make sure she is well padded for her trip.

[UKantz]

Thanks for the advise, I intend to pack her as well as I can.

As an update, today on the beach I found another red headed queen and decided to keep her. She is in an identical sweet jar to my other queen and has begun digging as I speak.

I would have caught more queens as there was such an abundance of them everywhere, but I lacked the accommodation for them, well perhaps next year if I'm lucky. ;D

Pictures as soon as I return home

[TenebrousNova]

Shame that you couldn't catch more, as Messor queens can be sold for about £10 each when they're on their own.

I would feel nervous if it were me, I'd expect customs to spirit my ants away if I took some.
Good luck with them!

[antique]

As both countries are part of the EU it should not be a problem, as long as you're not bringing in hundreds of ants for sale here in the UK. Good luck and I hope your queens do okay when you get them home, as a lot of people seem to keep this species and there is plenty of info on them on this forum.

[UKantz]

Both queens have made founding chambers but there have been some strange actions from 1 queen who hangs from the top of her founding chamber, hopefully it's just that she dislikes the plastic floor and isn't something more serious. The other queen hasn't dug next to the sides so I'm not sure what's happend to her...

Anouther interesting but rather unwelcome shock was to find Pheidole Pallidula workers on my table where the queens are kept, there were even a few soldiers wandering around . Hope none of them found a way I to the jars...

[Smudge]

I'm sure they will be fine messor barbarus queens are quite heavily armoured and pack a large set of quite formidable jaws quite capable of crushing a pheidole worker or soldier easily l shame you havent found a few of theyre queens.

[UKantz]

Both queens made it safely back from the trip alive and well.

[Wood~Ant]

Oct 29, 2012 18:00:45 GMT UKantz said:

Both queens made it safely back from the trip alive and well.

Nice one, I am pleased about that for you. Now they might start laying eggs very soon, or wait until next February depending on how warm and settled they feel.

[UKantz]

Thanks wood ;D

I will give them untill the end of October/early November to lay eggs if they havnt by then I will remove the heat mat and wait untill February.

[UKantz]

As I hadn't checked since they arrived I thought it be good to do so, sadly 1 queen was found dead. The other is alive but rather sluggish this might be down due to the cold weather though.

[UKantz]

Just thought I would update the queen is still alive, well and still in hibernation.

[UKantz]

Anouther quick but more interesting update, the queen has now finally laid her first batch of eggs (a cluster of about 6-9) 

[UKantz]

Over the past weeks the eggs had turned from eggs to several large larvae and 1 pupae. However upon checking on the queen today, she had eaten all of her brood
Only upside is that she has laid anouther small cluster of eggs, I just hope she doesn't continue to eat her brood, I'm not realy sure where I'm going wrong as I keep her undisturbed and dark. Mayby I should reapply the heat mat?

[crockatt]

Maybe she is needing some protein, if she hasnt fed since hibernation. Good luck with your new batch of eggs

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