Messor cephalotes

Messor cephalotes is a species from Africa with elevated demands for food and climate.Founding: Claustral (no feeding needed until first nanitics)Distribution: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania.Habitat: Sandy and shrubby areas.Colony Form: Monogynous (one queen per colony)Queen ant: Size: 23-25mm Color: Shiny reddish. Messor queen ant lifespan is up to 25 years.Worker ants: Size: 5-18mm Color: Shiny reddish, with varying forms. Small (minor: 3-7mm) workers - they usually care for the brood and Queen ant's needs. Normal-sized (media: 6-10mm) ones - care for the ants' bread-making and nest cleaning. Majors - protect the colony's nest and the queen. Sometimes cooperate with the media workers regarding seeds' chewing.Soldiers: NoDiet: Seeds of different grasses and wild plants, as well as small insects like mealworms, locusts and crickets.Feeding: Give the young colonies and founding queens more protein jelly and honey, while established colonies with 50-100 workers can be fed seed mix.