Kenyan harvester ant (Messor cephalotes)

Short answers

Kenyan harvester ant: How big does the enclosure need to be?

Nest from 25×20 cm plus a foraging area from 50×30 cm.

Kenyan harvester ant: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–30 °C, at night no drop needed.

Kenyan harvester ant: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not required.

Kenyan harvester ant: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: queen 15–20 years.

Kenyan harvester ant: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–30 °C

Night temperature

no drop needed

Humidity

nest 50–70 %, foraging area dry at 30–50 %

UVB

Not required

Enclosure

Minimum size

nest from 25×20 cm plus a foraging area from 50×30 cm

Substrate

An aerated-concrete or plaster nest, with a dry foraging arena

Feeding

Food

Seeds and grains plus the occasional insect

Feeding interval

seeds always available, insects 1×/week

Key facts

Adult size

worker 4–18 mm, queen 20–24 mm

Life expectancy

queen 15–20 years

Origin

East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania)

Protection status

—

Brumation

No — active all year round

Cohabitation

Colony per enclosure. Monogynous and fully claustral. These animals naturally live in groups and fare poorly alone. Never combine two colonies - unfamiliar animals are not readily accepted. Watch food and humidity closely once the colony grows.

Notes

The largest harvester ant kept — the majors are impressive. Correspondingly much space and food are needed.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Kenyan harvester ant (Messor cephalotes) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Harvester ant (Messor barbarus) – Beginner
• European harvester ant (Messor structor) – Beginner
• Asian carpenter ant (Camponotus nicobarensis) – Beginner
• Leafcutter ant (Acromyrmex octospinosus) – Experts
• Nylander's acorn ant (Temnothorax nylanderi) – Beginner
• European fire ant (Manica rubida) – Intermediate
• Brown-black carpenter ant (Camponotus ligniperda) – Intermediate
• Yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Kenyan harvester ant (Messor cephalotes) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (nest from 25×20 cm plus a foraging area from 50×30 cm), substrate (An aerated-concrete or plaster nest, with a dry foraging arena), a heat source with a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.