Messor nondentatus

Species at a glance

• Origin: the Alxa desert in Inner Mongolia, China, on gravel flats
• Colony: a single queen; workers of varying size
• Difficulty: intermediate, for keepers with some experience

Care conditions

• Temperature: warm during the active season, roughly 22–28 °C
• Humidity: a dry nest with a small moist area
• Food: a mix of small untreated seeds (poppy, chia, canary seed, grass seeds); a few insects once or twice a week for the brood

Hibernation

The species comes from a continental desert with cold winters, so it needs several months of cool hibernation.

Please note

This species is rare in the hobby and there is little verified care data. The conditions given are a guide based on related species of the genus; check them with the seller and watch how the colony responds.