Powered by
TranslateMessor barbarus
Messor barbarus, (Linnaeus, 1767) Commonly known as the “European Harvester Ant”
Family: Formicidae.
Season April till December (In Alicante region)
Tend to hibernate between January and March, depending on the temperature.
Body length: 4 to 12mm length Queen: 15 to 17mm in length
Commonly found and widespread, throughout Central and Southern Europe. Also, along the North African countries and over to the far Eastern countries of Europe.
Habitat: Being mainly seed collectors, they are found living in various terrains, recently seeded farmlands, sandy scrubland with various vegetation, woodland edges. Colonies are usually established amongst low lying shrubs and ground dwelling plants. Especially in undisturbed ground amongst olive trees and at the base of mountainous areas. Will also be abundant in fields, with the ant colonies established on the outskirts of arable land, where vegetation and seed source is plentiful.
Researched has shown, the harvester ant can cause between 46 and up to 100% seed loss, to arable fields, in North Eastern Spain. M. barbarus is a very common ant and has the largest population of ants, throughout most of Spain.
Diet: Messor barbarus (“harvester ant”) mainly feed on Lolium grass (this being a genus of tufted grasses, also known as ryegrass); as well as other grass-seeds are collected. The seed’s hard case is deshelled, the pulp is then “chewed,” this is then blended with the ant’s saliva, which contains enzymes, to form “Ant bread;” this is then fed to their youngsters and larvae. They will also hunt live insects or feed on most insects and small animals, that they find dead. Most sweet foods will also attract the ants as a food source. When a desired food is discovered, an ant or several ants will lay a “pheromone scent trail,” this being a guide for many other fellow ants, to follow up on this newly discovered food source.
Major workers (are mainly defenders of the nest) are easily recognisable, by being larger in size and have a larger bulbous head. These ants will defend the nest aggressively, against any foreign intruder. They will also defend their fellow workers, especially when they are carrying from a food source, sometimes over several metres of terrain. Depending on the weather, these daily ant trails can be continuously active, with ants going back and forth throughout the day, until dusk. Often ants will come in conflict with other ants from different colonies, this is when major fighting will take place, to protect or gain a new food source.
From a human point, M. barbarus are not aggressive, unless disturbed, they do however have a strong bite and a sharp sting similar to a bee sting, the pain can last up to eight hours.
M. barbarus is however a very popular species of ant, that have been mainly kept as “pets,” some owners progress to keeping ants in established “Ant Farms.” On the commercial side, this being a bonus, for manufacturers to build all types of suitable (and some not suitable) housing, to observe the fascinating and the intelligence world of ants. (You-tube is a good place to start to gain knowledge, as well as various books published on the subject, showing you how to start, even from just a solitary queen ant)
Established M. barbarus ant nests (known as colonies) can have approximately ten-thousand workers, these nests contain just one queen. Queens have been known to have lived, for around 30 years! Some workers will lay unfertilised eggs which are fed to the queen and larvae. Workers normally live for around, three to four months.
Read MoreFamily: Formicidae.
Season April till December (In Alicante region)
Tend to hibernate between January and March, depending on the temperature.
Body length: 4 to 12mm length Queen: 15 to 17mm in length
Commonly found and widespread, throughout Central and Southern Europe. Also, along the North African countries and over to the far Eastern countries of Europe.
Habitat: Being mainly seed collectors, they are found living in various terrains, recently seeded farmlands, sandy scrubland with various vegetation, woodland edges. Colonies are usually established amongst low lying shrubs and ground dwelling plants. Especially in undisturbed ground amongst olive trees and at the base of mountainous areas. Will also be abundant in fields, with the ant colonies established on the outskirts of arable land, where vegetation and seed source is plentiful.
Researched has shown, the harvester ant can cause between 46 and up to 100% seed loss, to arable fields, in North Eastern Spain. M. barbarus is a very common ant and has the largest population of ants, throughout most of Spain.
Diet: Messor barbarus (“harvester ant”) mainly feed on Lolium grass (this being a genus of tufted grasses, also known as ryegrass); as well as other grass-seeds are collected. The seed’s hard case is deshelled, the pulp is then “chewed,” this is then blended with the ant’s saliva, which contains enzymes, to form “Ant bread;” this is then fed to their youngsters and larvae. They will also hunt live insects or feed on most insects and small animals, that they find dead. Most sweet foods will also attract the ants as a food source. When a desired food is discovered, an ant or several ants will lay a “pheromone scent trail,” this being a guide for many other fellow ants, to follow up on this newly discovered food source.
Major workers (are mainly defenders of the nest) are easily recognisable, by being larger in size and have a larger bulbous head. These ants will defend the nest aggressively, against any foreign intruder. They will also defend their fellow workers, especially when they are carrying from a food source, sometimes over several metres of terrain. Depending on the weather, these daily ant trails can be continuously active, with ants going back and forth throughout the day, until dusk. Often ants will come in conflict with other ants from different colonies, this is when major fighting will take place, to protect or gain a new food source.
From a human point, M. barbarus are not aggressive, unless disturbed, they do however have a strong bite and a sharp sting similar to a bee sting, the pain can last up to eight hours.
M. barbarus is however a very popular species of ant, that have been mainly kept as “pets,” some owners progress to keeping ants in established “Ant Farms.” On the commercial side, this being a bonus, for manufacturers to build all types of suitable (and some not suitable) housing, to observe the fascinating and the intelligence world of ants. (You-tube is a good place to start to gain knowledge, as well as various books published on the subject, showing you how to start, even from just a solitary queen ant)
Established M. barbarus ant nests (known as colonies) can have approximately ten-thousand workers, these nests contain just one queen. Queens have been known to have lived, for around 30 years! Some workers will lay unfertilised eggs which are fed to the queen and larvae. Workers normally live for around, three to four months.
