Pheidole pallidula, big-headed ant, queen and 20+ workers

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€ 29,99

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Ants as pets since 2009, it starts here!

We ship every weekday until 4:30 PM

Standard shipping costs from €6.99

Specialists in ants, free advice

Pheidole pallidula ant colony 20+

 


Species

 

This ant is a very small species and originates from Southern Europe. Pheidole sp. ants are also known as big-headed ants. They are very aggressive towards other ant species and emerge from the nest in relatively large numbers to collect food. Additionally, they require more food than the average ant and are constantly searching for it. This ant is prone to escaping, so ensure you have a good ant farm or preventative measures. They also need seeds, similar to Messor ants; a mix of grass seeds.
With proper care, the colony can grow explosively. The ants are very active, and there are noticeable size differences among the worker ants (larger colonies produce increasingly larger majors/soldiers).
Our ant colonies consist of a queen along with brood and a number of workers. This number depends on how many eggs have developed into ants (egg-larva-pupa-ant). This colony already contains at least the first 20 workers, meaning these workers were produced by the queen ant herself.

 


Nutrition

 

The nutrition kit above, including seeds, provides a complete diet for this species. The kit consists of sugar water, honeydew, fruit flies, and a starter set of seeds. The starter set of seeds is sufficient for the first year.

 


Suitable for

 

The ant colony is intended for acrylic, plaster, and sand ant farms. We also recommend using an arena. The ants can collect their food and dispose of waste there. Many products have an integrated arena.
If you are looking for ants for a gel ant farm, we recommend the ant family.

 


Packaging and shipping

 

The photo shows how the product is actually delivered by us. The colony is in a test tube with a cotton wool plug behind it providing a water supply to keep the nest tube partially moist. The colony can remain in this tube for up to a few weeks without care (after receipt). We also guarantee the queen's life for this duration. If the queen does not arrive alive or dies within 2 weeks, we will provide a replacement colony.

 


Specifications and Information




























































 
Scientific name Pheidole Sp.
Dutch name Big-headed ant
Difficulty class 2. Experienced
Queen | Gyne: 7-8 mm
Workers: 2-5 mm
The larger the colony, the larger the ants that appear
Mediors and Majors (soldiers).
Colony type: Monogynous and Polygynous
Colonies can consist of multiple queens (gynes).
However, this species also develops well with a single gyne.
Nest type: Sand nests, relatively deep. Very wide, often under grass.
Temperature: Room temperature, 20-30 degrees
Hibernation: No, but winter rest. Our advice: keep them slightly cooler
in winter, around 15 degrees.
For example, in a cellar, cooler attic, or shed.
November-February
Our experience: even at room temperature in winter,
these ant colonies continue to develop well.
Food: Sugar or honey water and small insects:
Our advice for smaller colonies: fruit flies.
Also various small seeds (grass seeds, bird seeds,
dandelion seeds, etc...). Ensure continuously fresh
and preferably live food to accommodate
the hunting behavior of this species.
Humidity: Simple. Advice: Keep part of the nest slightly moist
This species prefers drier conditions than, for example, Lasius
niger and Myrmica rubra.
Distribution area: (Southern) Europe and (Northern) Africa
Ant Farm Advice: Acrylic, Plaster, or Sand including an Arena area
Remarks: A very feisty, small ant species. It is interesting to
observe how they emerge from the nest in large numbers to
collect food. This is especially true if they
haven't had (fresh) food for a while. The colony
can grow explosively with proper care.
They are quite aggressive, so ensure a well-sealed
nest and arena. The worker ants have a shorter
lifespan (a few months), which means the colony is continuously
developing.
A starter setup with a test tube containing a colony and an arena is
an excellent start for these colonies. They can also be kept well in a (smaller) acrylic
or plaster product.
 


 

€ 29,99