Ants Kalytta - Soldes

Lasius niger

2009-02-09T22:21:27+01:00

Lasius niger is a aggressive shinny black ant species which is widely distributed throughout Europe. This species favor sunny places like waysides or sunny hills. It is a monogyne species.

Taxonomy: Formicinae
Size: Workers: 3,5 - 5 mm, Queen: 8 - 9 mm
Color: shinny black
Distribution: throughout Europe
Nutrition: primary honey- or sugar water and later protein in the form of insects
Hibernation: Yes
Temperature: 20� - 25� C
Nest building: Soil nests, builds small soil based mounds between grass stems or under stones
Planting: Grass or similar (not suitable for the arena)
Class: very easy

Messor barbarus

2009-05-07T16:34:05+02:00

Messor barbarus is a Myrmicinae with minor- till major-worker with all passings. Great colonies carry on long "highways" their seeds into the nest. They storing the seed in different granaries and prepare in "chew-communities" the so-called ant bread especially for the colder season. They lay out an trash-accumulation.

Taxonomy: Myrmicinae
Color: black, sometimes red brown heads
Size: Queen 14 - 16 mm
Distribution: Central Europe
Nutrition: Mostly seeds from different rampant plants (also grass), but insects and honeywater too
Temperature: 25 - 30 �C
Hibernation: Yes (slight)
Air humidity: Dry climate
Nest building: Soil nests, loam, pebbles
Planting: nothing specific
Class: easy to keep

Note: Young Queens from current season do not have any offspring (Queens with offspring and/or brood are from last year), they wil lay first eggs in spring.

Lasius flavus

2009-05-12T23:07:20+02:00

Lasius flavus is a quince yellow ant species which is distributed throughout Europe. This species favor sunny places and can be found in the meadow between grass stems. It is a monogyne species.

Camponotus spec.

2009-05-10T22:05:23+02:00

An Camponotus species that is easy to keep and that breeds very fast and easy.

Taxonomy: Subfamily Formicinae, Tribe Camponotini
Distribution: Southern America
Color: black with yellow legs
Size:14 - 16 mm
Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
Hibernation: No
Climate: subtropical until tropical, dry
Nest building: Soilnests
Planting: nothing specific
Level: easy

Heatpack

2009-01-26T14:19:55+01:00

A single purpose heatpack that produces heat at least 20 hours after opening. It warms up in 3 - 5 minutes after opening, no pumping extra oxygen is required. The average temperature is about 21�C.

It can be used to transport ants or other sinsible animals during cold season.

Myrmicaria arachnoides

2009-03-22T22:05:44+01:00

These specie build carton nests, similar like wasps, they need high air humidity for the nestbuilding (often spray in the closed basin). They sit up on their long extremities by danger and deliver a little drop turpentinelike defence-secretion at their protruding sting. Slow walking animals. Never nestling in the soil; carton nests often under leafs, no house-ant.

Origin: Southeast Asia (mountains about 800 m)
Taxonomy: Subfamily Myrmicinae, Tribe Myrmicariini
Characteristics: Monomorph
Hibernation: No
Appearence of the queen: deep brown, humpy, with long extremities
Appearance of the workers: same as queen
Nest bulding: carton nests under leaves of trees
Nutrition: honeywater, insects
Temperature: 18 - 25�C
Air humidity: 60 - 80 % (tropical climate)
Soil conditions: only necessary for planting, nesting between leaves
Planting: ficus, Pachira aquatica
Level: Difficult
Specifics: It is advisable to use an Formicarium top covering to keep temperature and air humidity constant. Othwerwise they aren't able to build carton nests.

R�servation : Myrmicaria arachnoides Sera de nouveau disponible dans environ 1 mois. SVP faites vos r�servations ici reservation@ants-kalytta.com.

Crematogaster scutellaris

2009-03-29T01:46:44+01:00

This is a beautiful colored red-black colored ants species of Southern Europe. This species often forage on long street to their feeding lots. On excitement they raises the gaster upwards similar to a scorpion to defend their attackers with their defense secretion.

Taxonomy: Subfamily Myrmicinae
Distribution: Southern Europe
Color: shiny black with red head
Size: Queen 7 -9 mm
Nest building: Nests in death wood of trees.
Nutrition: Honeywater, insects
Soil condition: any, wood nests
Level: easy

Messor hesperius

2009-05-01T12:08:26+02:00

A black colored messor species that can be found in Middle East and North Africa. For that reason this species don't require an extensive hibernation phase and so can be kept warm or at room temperatur in winter.

Taxonomy: Subfamily Myrmicinae, Tribe Pheidolini
Color: black
Size: Worker: 4-11 mm, Queen: 12-13 mm
Distribution: Middle East, Nordafrica
Characteristics:� polymorph, monogyne
Nest building: Soil nests, often under stones
Nutrition: Mostly seeds from different rampant plants (also grass), but insects and honeywater too
Temperature: 16- 25�C (Mediterranean)
Hibernation: No
Air humidity: dry
Planting: nothing specific

All of our Messor will be shipped with a small container of hand-picked plant seeds that are most popular for the Messor.

Messor structor

2009-05-12T23:08:23+02:00

Messor structor is a Myrmicinae like Messor barbarus with minor- till major-worker with all passings. Great colonies carry their seeds on long "highways" into the nest. They stores the seed in different granaries and create so-called ants bread in "chew-communities" especially for the colder season. They lay out an trash-accumulation. In contrary to other Messor species this species is polygyn i.e. has several Queens.

Taxonomy: Myrmicinae
Color: black
Size: Queen 14 - 16 mm
Origin: South France
Nutrition: Mostly seeds from different rampant plants (also grass), but insects and honeywater too
Temperature: 25 - 30 �C
Hibernation: Yes (slight)
Air humidity: Dry climate
Nest building: Soil nests, loam, pebbles
Planting: nothing specific
Class: easy to keep

All of our Messor will be shipped with a small container of hand-picked plant seeds that are most popular for the Messor.

Camponotus herculeanus

2009-05-14T20:07:19+02:00

Camponotus herculeanus is one of the biggest european ant species. Can be mostly found in highlands and they build theire nests in wood (coniferous wood)

Taxonomy: Formicinae
Color: black with dark brown thorax
Distribution: Central Europe
Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
Hibernation: Yes
Nest building: Build their nest in wood with greater underground areas
Planting: Similary to the forest or mountains with branches, roots, moos
Class: easy
Specifics: Has Minor- and Major workers. Very fortified; could with one bite decapitate formica-ants. They attack humans only by nest disruption. Shows activity by day and night (diurnal and nocturnal). They build nests preferably in wood or under stones. A radiant heating should heat a stone or an angle of the formicarium in the daytime.

Diacamma spec.

2009-05-15T20:55:16+02:00

Taxonomy: Subfamily Ponerinae, Tribe Ponerini
Distribution: South-East Asia
Color: Black with silveriness
Size: 10 - 12 mm
Hibernation: No
Nest building: Soil nests (craternests), in the mountains under stones
Nutrition: Honeywater, insects, grains
Temperature: 22 - 28 �C
Soil Condition: Sand, loam, mould
Planting: Small tropical plants
Specifics: Tandem run: with nest move or to big prey a guide's animal leads another ant in the tandem run! Coursing alone, or in small groups, preys will be stabbed first and then transported to the nest.

The Queen can't be distinguished from worker with naked eye. These colonies however were specially tested and contain queens.

Camponotus ligniperda

2009-05-27T03:12:20+02:00

Camponotus ligniperda is one of the biggest european ant species. Prefers sunny and dry slopes and can be found in stony ground as well as in rotten wood. Can be found in low-level as well as in mountains.

Taxonomy: Formicinae
Color: black with light red-brown abdomen
Distribution: Central Europe
Characteristics: Major- and Minor workers
Nutrition: Honey- or sugar water and insects
Hibernation: Yes
Temperature: 20 - 25 �C
Nest building: Build their nest under wood with greater underground areas; also only soil nests
Planting: Similary to the forest or mountains with branches, roots, moos
Class: easy
Specifics: Has Minor- and Major workers. Very fortified; could with one bite decapitate formica-ants. They attack humans only by nest disruption. Shows activity by day and night (diurnal and nocturnal). They build nests preferably in wood or under stones. A radiant heating should heat a stone or an angle of the formicarium in the daytime.