Heat cable temporarily unavailable — price reduced
This kit normally includes a heat cable. We're out of stock until November, so the kit price has been reduced while it's missing. The photos still show the cable, since it returns to the kit once stock arrives.
Heat in the meantime: nearly all species need one warm end near 82–85°F, with the other end at or near room temperature. A heat cable is the only heat source we recommend — an inexpensive one is available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/07at29R0
Please don't substitute a heat mat or a heat lamp. Both heat too broadly, which defeats the gradient, and they can dry out or overheat the nest. Never heat the whole nest — the ants need to be able to choose.
Questions about your setup? antopiausa@gmail.com
Meet Veromessor pergandei, the black harvester ant — a standout western desert species known for deep black coloration, disciplined foraging columns, and impressive seed-harvesting behavior. This is a species with real presence, and it now comes paired with the full AntopiaUSA Desktop Ant Farm setup for an easy, high-value starter bundle.
What makes this version especially compelling is that customers are not limited to a single queen. This kit can be offered in both single-queen and true polygyne multi-queen configurations. The multi-queen colonies are the major selling point: according to the colony page, true polygyne colonies with multiple mated queens establish faster and scale harder, giving keepers a more active colony without the long wait of single-queen founding.
This complete starter kit gives customers everything needed to go from unboxing to a clean, functional setup without having to piece together accessories separately. The Desktop Ant Farm bundle structure on the Camponotus kit page includes the nest frame, outworld, vinyl tubing, test tubes, heat cable, Fluon, Red Ant Drank, feeding tools, decorative plant, setup instructions, and AntopiaUSA support.
Available Colony Options
Queen count per tube / colony options:
1 queen + 10–20 workers & brood
2 queens + 15–30 workers & brood
3–5 queens + 30–50 workers & brood
What’s Included
Live Veromessor pergandei colony
Choice of single queen or polygyne multi-queen colony
Workers and brood
AntopiaUSA Desktop Ant Farm
Nest frame
Outworld
Vinyl tubing
Test tubes
Heat cable
Fluon escape barrier
Red Ant Drank carbohydrate supplement
Tweezers
Feeding dish
Comes with Free Antopiausa Black out Shield With heat cable cut outs .
Decorative plant
Illustrated setup instructions
Free support from AntopiaUSA if help is needed during setup or transfer
Why Veromessor pergandei?
Veromessor pergandei is ideal for keepers who want a species with strong visual presence and interesting behavior. Their dark coloration and organized foraging behavior make them highly display-worthy, and their seed-harvesting identity gives them a very different appeal from many other commonly sold species.
Why the Polygyne Option Is the Big Selling Point
The biggest hook for this kit should be the true polygyne colony option. Multi-queen colonies are not just a novelty — the source page explicitly positions them as faster-establishing and harder-scaling than single-queen colonies. That means a stronger start, more visible activity, and a more exciting experience for customers who want a colony with momentum right away.
Shipping & Live Arrival
The Veromessor colony page states that each colony ships with fertile queen(s), workers and brood at multiple life stages, a free feeding dish, a dual test tube setup, live arrival guarantee, and transfer support. It also states that live ants ship from AntopiaUSA’s USDA-APHIS licensed Texas facility.
Approved Shipping States
Veromessor pergandei may only be shipped to:
Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. Alternatively, we can also swap out the species you ordered with one we CAN legally ship to your state at our full discretion.
Approved shipping states are listed above. If the species you ordered cannot be legally shipped to your state, we may substitute a comparable species of equal or greater value that we are approved to ship to your location, at our discretion. If we do not have a suitable substitute available, your order will be canceled and refunded minus a 15% restocking fee.
Live arrival guarantee: your colony is covered for 7 days from delivery. To qualify you must be present to receive the package, and you must contact us within 15 minutes of the delivery notification with clear photos or video of any substantial issue. We do not use signature confirmation, so please watch your tracking and don't let the box sit outside in heat or cold.
Every live ant order ships with heat packs or ice packs and an insulated box at no extra cost. These are always included in the shipping price.
We ship live ants Monday through Wednesday only, so no colony spends a weekend in transit. During peak season the most that should pass before your order ships is 5-7 days; in slower months it's typically 2-3.
Heat cable temporarily unavailable — price reduced
This kit normally includes a heat cable. We're out of stock until November, so the kit price has been reduced while it's missing. The photos still show the cable, since it returns to the kit once stock arrives.
Heat in the meantime: nearly all species need one warm end near 82–85°F, with the other end at or near room temperature. A heat cable is the only heat source we recommend — an inexpensive one is available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/07at29R0
Please don't substitute a heat mat or a heat lamp. Both heat too broadly, which defeats the gradient, and they can dry out or overheat the nest. Never heat the whole nest — the ants need to be able to choose.
Questions about your setup? antopiausa@gmail.com
Meet Veromessor pergandei, the black harvester ant — a standout western desert species known for deep black coloration, disciplined foraging columns, and impressive seed-harvesting behavior. This is a species with real presence, and it now comes paired with the full AntopiaUSA Desktop Ant Farm setup for an easy, high-value starter bundle.
What makes this version especially compelling is that customers are not limited to a single queen. This kit can be offered in both single-queen and true polygyne multi-queen configurations. The multi-queen colonies are the major selling point: according to the colony page, true polygyne colonies with multiple mated queens establish faster and scale harder, giving keepers a more active colony without the long wait of single-queen founding.
This complete starter kit gives customers everything needed to go from unboxing to a clean, functional setup without having to piece together accessories separately. The Desktop Ant Farm bundle structure on the Camponotus kit page includes the nest frame, outworld, vinyl tubing, test tubes, heat cable, Fluon, Red Ant Drank, feeding tools, decorative plant, setup instructions, and AntopiaUSA support.
Available Colony Options
Queen count per tube / colony options:
1 queen + 10–20 workers & brood
2 queens + 15–30 workers & brood
3–5 queens + 30–50 workers & brood
What’s Included
Live Veromessor pergandei colony
Choice of single queen or polygyne multi-queen colony
Workers and brood
AntopiaUSA Desktop Ant Farm
Nest frame
Outworld
Vinyl tubing
Test tubes
Heat cable
Fluon escape barrier
Red Ant Drank carbohydrate supplement
Tweezers
Feeding dish
Comes with Free Antopiausa Black out Shield With heat cable cut outs .
Decorative plant
Illustrated setup instructions
Free support from AntopiaUSA if help is needed during setup or transfer
Why Veromessor pergandei?
Veromessor pergandei is ideal for keepers who want a species with strong visual presence and interesting behavior. Their dark coloration and organized foraging behavior make them highly display-worthy, and their seed-harvesting identity gives them a very different appeal from many other commonly sold species.
Why the Polygyne Option Is the Big Selling Point
The biggest hook for this kit should be the true polygyne colony option. Multi-queen colonies are not just a novelty — the source page explicitly positions them as faster-establishing and harder-scaling than single-queen colonies. That means a stronger start, more visible activity, and a more exciting experience for customers who want a colony with momentum right away.
Shipping & Live Arrival
The Veromessor colony page states that each colony ships with fertile queen(s), workers and brood at multiple life stages, a free feeding dish, a dual test tube setup, live arrival guarantee, and transfer support. It also states that live ants ship from AntopiaUSA’s USDA-APHIS licensed Texas facility.
Approved Shipping States
Veromessor pergandei may only be shipped to:
Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. Alternatively, we can also swap out the species you ordered with one we CAN legally ship to your state at our full discretion.
Approved shipping states are listed above. If the species you ordered cannot be legally shipped to your state, we may substitute a comparable species of equal or greater value that we are approved to ship to your location, at our discretion. If we do not have a suitable substitute available, your order will be canceled and refunded minus a 15% restocking fee.
Live arrival guarantee: your colony is covered for 7 days from delivery. To qualify you must be present to receive the package, and you must contact us within 15 minutes of the delivery notification with clear photos or video of any substantial issue. We do not use signature confirmation, so please watch your tracking and don't let the box sit outside in heat or cold.
Every live ant order ships with heat packs or ice packs and an insulated box at no extra cost. These are always included in the shipping price.
We ship live ants Monday through Wednesday only, so no colony spends a weekend in transit. During peak season the most that should pass before your order ships is 5-7 days; in slower months it's typically 2-3.
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