There is a shop I think from Israel where you can order Messor arenarius they are nearly as big as Messor cephalotes. But this is the only thread I saw in years in which somebody really had Messor cephalotes. They are very rare as nearly every ant from Africa.
23th April 2012 : swarm of Messor cephalotes at the Great Rift Valley Lodge, Naivasha. I saw many Messor angularis queens but only one Messor cephalotes queen beginning to dig its nest.
Queen found 24th April 2012 on the ground of the golf course at the Great Rift Valley Lodge. 01 May first eggs ; 18th June two larvae ; 8th July 4 nymphae ; first worker 17th July.
Edit: Sorry 24th April it was the first queen (in 2008). I found the second 23th April 2012.