Lasius emarginatus
DifficultyBeginner · 3/7
Kept by BrumaSpecies comparison
Lasius emarginatus vs Messor barbarus
Side by side: difficulty, size, growth, climate, hibernation and nuptial flights, from the data and sources of each species sheet.
Head to head
| Lasius emarginatus | Fact | Messor barbarus |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping | ||
| Difficulty | ||
3/7 Beginner | Difficulty | Easier1/7 Beginner |
| Escape risk | ||
Medium | Escape risk | LowerLow |
| Diet | ||
SugarInsects | Diet | SugarInsectsSeeds |
| Best nests | ||
Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest | Best nests | Ytong nest · Acrylic nest · Naturalistic setup |
| Colony | ||
| Growth | ||
Fast | Growth | FasterVery fast |
| Colony size | ||
No data yet | Colony size | Reaches 1,000 workers |
| Workers | ||
3–5 mm All the same size | Workers | 3–8 mm majors up to 14 mm |
| Queen | ||
7–9 mm | Queen | 14–17 mm |
| Colony founding | ||
Fully claustral One queen | Colony founding | Fully claustral One queen |
| Defense | ||
Bites · Sprays formic acid | Defense | Bites |
| Climate | ||
| Nest temperature | ||
21–27 °C | Nest temperature | 21–26 °C |
| Nest humidity | ||
50–60 % | Nest humidity | 50–60 % Seed granaries: 10–40 % |
| Hibernation | ||
5–8 °C Oct – Mar | Hibernation | 12–16 °C Oct – Mar |
| Nuptial flights | ||
Jun – Aug | Nuptial flights | Sep – Nov After rain |
| Native range | ||
Europe | Native range | Europe, North Africa |
Size to scale
Lasius emarginatus
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 7–9 mmMessor barbarus
Workers · 3–8 mmMajors · ≤ 14 mmQueen · 14–17 mm
Their year side by side
Lasius emarginatus : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – Aug
Messor barbarus : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Sep – Nov
Months for temperate Europe and the Mediterranean. The weather decides the exact days, so flights can come earlier or later where you live.
How to tell them apart
Lasius emarginatus
Workers and queens have a clearly reddish thorax between a dark brown head and gaster, which sets them apart from the all-black Lasius niger. They are small, busy ants that dig complex tunnel systems in soil.
- Tip Because the colony grows fast, the brood needs a lot of protein: keep insects like crickets, worms or fruit flies coming alongside the sugar water.
- Tip A Ytong nest suits it well: it holds moisture, and the white surface contrasts with the dark head and gaster of the workers, so they are easy to watch.
Messor barbarus
Black workers in many sizes, from small minors to majors with an oversized red head that cracks seeds. They walk slowly and clumsily, and they are poor climbers.
- Tip Give the nest a humidity gradient: dry granaries keep the seeds from sprouting or going moldy, while the brood needs the humid chambers.
- Tip Seeds alone can feed the whole colony, but a few insects once the colony has grown a bit speed up the growth of the brood.
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