Species comparison

Messor barbarus vs Pheidole pallidula

Side by side: difficulty, size, growth, climate, hibernation and nuptial flights, from the data and sources of each species sheet.

Head to head

Messor barbarus and Pheidole pallidula compared fact by fact
Messor barbarusPheidole pallidula
Keeping
Difficulty
Easier1/7

Beginner

7/7

Advanced

Escape risk
LowerLow
High
Diet
SugarInsectsSeeds
SugarInsectsSeeds
Best nests
Ytong nest · Acrylic nest · Naturalistic setup
Acrylic nest · Naturalistic setup
Colony
Growth
Very fast
Very fast
Colony size
Reaches 1,000 workers
Reaches 1,000 workers
Workers
3–8 mm

majors up to 14 mm

2–4 mm

majors up to 6 mm

Queen
14–17 mm
7–8 mm
Colony founding
Fully claustral

One queen

Fully claustral

One or more queens

Defense
Bites
Bites
Climate
Nest temperature
21–26 °C
21–28 °C
Nest humidity
50–60 %

Seed granaries: 10–40 %

60–70 %
Hibernation
12–16 °C

Oct – Mar

12–16 °C

Nov – Mar

Nuptial flights
Sep – Nov

After rain

May – Aug
Native range
Europe, North Africa
Europe, North Africa

Size to scale

  • Messor barbarus

    Workers · 3–8 mm
    Majors · ≤ 14 mm
    Queen · 14–17 mm

  • Pheidole pallidula

    Workers · 2–4 mm
    Majors · ≤ 6 mm
    Queen · 7–8 mm
10 mm: both species are drawn at the same scale

Their year side by side

  • Messor barbarus : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Sep – Nov

  • Pheidole pallidula : Hibernation: Nov – Mar, Nuptial flights: May – Aug

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

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.

Pheidole pallidula

Light yellowish to reddish-brown workers of two kinds: small, quick minors and majors whose head looks far too big for their body. The majors carry strong, sharp jaws.

  • Tip Offer a few small seeds next to the sugar and insects: the big-headed majors crack them open so the whole colony can eat the soft part inside.
  • Tip They like consistently moist chambers. If the nest dries out too quickly, rearrange the setup so it holds moisture better: in a naturalistic setup, a piece of wood or a bark substrate helps.

More comparisons

Compare
with
Messor barbarus care guide Pheidole pallidula care guide

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