Lucite Paperweight - Clear (2 Blocks Set)

Real Big Black Ant - Carebara castanea and Big-head Ant - Pheidologeton diversus specimen encased in rectangular indestructible, transparent lucite block. Safe, authentic and completely unbreakable product put real specimens right at your fingertips!

Anyone can safely explore the specimens from every angle.

They are clear enough for microscope observation.

Length of the ants body are 2.0 cm (0.8 inch) and 1.4 cm (0.6 inch).

Size of each lucite block is 4.5x3.0x2.0 cm (1.8x1.2x0.8 inch)

Weight of each block is 30 gram and 45 gram with packing box.

This is a handmade real animal specimen craft. Each one will be a bit different (specimen size, color and posture) even in the same production batch.
The pictures in the listing are just for reference as we are selling multiple pieces with same pictures.
 

They are ideal learning aid for students and kids and also a very good collectible item.

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Big Black Ant - Carebara castanea

Order: Hymenoptera  Family: Formicidae  Subfamily: Myrmicinae  Tribe: Crematogastrini  Genus: Carebara

Carebara castanea is a species of ant from the Myrmicinae subfamily. The scientific name of this species was first published in 1858 by Smith. It is found in Thailand, Laos, and China.

Carebara castanea is consumed by humans in northern Thailand. It is locally known as maeng man (แมงมัน), or subterranean ant.

Geographical distribution: India, Southeast Asia, China
Habitat: Rainforest
Colony form: Monogyne
Queen: Size: 20 - 22mm Color: Orange-brown
Workers: Size: 2 - 2.5mm Color: Yellow orange
Major: No
Male: Size: 12mm Color: Orange-brown
Food: Honeydew and many small insects like mealworms, fly, mosquito, crickets etc ...
Humidity: Hunting area: 50 - 70% Nest: 50 - 70%
Temperature: Hunting area: 20 - 28 ° C Nest: 24 - 28 ° C
Hibernation: No
Nest type: Plaster tube with added soil during foundation and then Terra
Description: Carebara species feed in the wild mainly with termites. The population can become extraordinarily large. The difference in size between the queen and the workers is also very impressive. The nests of this species are very large and on the bottom are large scale structures / structures that look like a ball. They can not be stored in a simple test tube, but it must be filled with a moist substrate.

Big-head Ant - Pheidologeton diversus

Family:Formicidae   Subfamily:Myrmicinae   Tribe:Pheidolini   Genus:Pheidole

Distribution: Tropical and sub-tropical Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan)

Description: Total length between 1.3 and 2.5 mm in minor workers. Body color yellowish brown to reddish brown in minor workers: reddish brown to blackish brown in majors. In minor workers: head rectangular with weakly convex posterior margin in full face view; mandibles each with 5 teeth; antennal scapes short, not exceeding posterior margin of head; each of the apical two funicular segments long, their combined length longer than the rest of funiculus; promesonotum relatively strongly convex in profile; metanotal groove deeply incised; dorsum of propodeum convex; propodeal spines long, with acute apices. In major workers: head proportionately large, almost square, with convex posterior margin in frontal view; anterior margin of clypeus straight, with a shallow median notch; mandibles large, triangular, with an acute apical tooth; masticatory margins without distinct teeth; eyes relatively small; ocelli present; antennal scapes 0.5 times as long as head; subpetiolar process present.