''Messor'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

myrmicine Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and ...

ants with more than 100

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, all of which are

harvester ant Harvester ant is a common name for any of the species or genera of ants that collect seeds (called seed predation), or mushrooms as in the case of '' Euprenolepis procera'', which are stored in the nest in communal chambers called granaries. T ...

s; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest,

Messor ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roadsides, openings are directly to the surface. Colonies can achieve huge sizes and are notable for their intricately designed

granaries A granary, also known as a grain house and historically as a granarium in Latin, is a post-harvest storage building primarily for grains or seeds. Granaries are typically built above the ground to prevent spoilage and protect the stored grains o ...

in which seeds are stored in dry conditions, preventing germination. The structure of ''Messor'' spp. nests is complex and the genus on the whole is one of very accomplished architects. ''Messor'' spp. are polymorphic and have a distinct caste of macrocephalic dinoergates whose role is carrying and cutting the large seeds which comprise much of the colonies' subsistence. Although they primarily feed on seeds, they occasionally eat insects and snails. Some snail shells possibly are taken into the nest because of their grain-like shape. Equipped with a tough, shining cuticle, ''Messor'' spp. are slow-moving and form long, seed-carrying runs. Colonies tend to be monogynous - founded by a single queen alone. Looking specifically at the ''M. arenarius'' species for example, like some other types of

harvester ants Harvester ant is a common name for any of the species or genera of ants that collect seeds (called seed predation), or mushrooms as in the case of '' Euprenolepis procera'', which are stored in the nest in communal chambers called granaries. T ...

, they emit trail pheromones as well as operating on an individual level when looking for food sources. Ant 2007-1

Messor angularis casent0217515 profile 1

Species

* '' Messor abdelazizi'' Santschi, 1921 * '' Messor aciculatus'' (Smith, 1874) * '' Messor aegyptiacus'' (Emery, 1878) * '' Messor alexandri'' Tohme, 1981 * '' Messor andrei'' (Mayr, 1886) * ''

Messor angularis ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Santschi, 1928 * '' Messor antennatus'' Emery, 1908 * '' Messor aphaenogasteroides'' Pisarski, 1967 * '' Messor aralocaspius'' Ruzsky, 1902 * ''

Messor arenarius ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' (Fabricius, 1787) * ''

Messor atanassovii ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Atanassov, 1982 * ''

Messor barbarus ''Messor barbarus'' is a species of harvester ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is found In Southern Europe and Northern Africa. Interaction with Humans Messor barbarus causes 50–100% of the seed losses and is the most common ant in arable f ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

, 1767) * ''

Messor beduinus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Emery, 1922 * ''

Messor berbericus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Bernard, 1955 * ''

Messor bernardi ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Cagniant, 1967 * ''

Messor bouvieri ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Bondroit, 1918 * ''

Messor buettikeri ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Collingwood, 1985 * ''

Messor caducus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' (Victor, 1839) * ''

Messor capensis ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' (Mayr, 1862) * '' Messor capitatus'' (Latreille, 1798) * '' Messor carthaginensis'' Bernard, 1980 * ''

Messor caviceps ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' (Forel, 1902) * ''

Messor celiae ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Reyes, 1985 * '' Messor cephalotes'' (Emery, 1895) * '' Messor ceresis'' Santschi, 1934 * '' Messor chamberlini'' Wheeler, 1915 * '' Messor clypeatus'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 * '' Messor collingwoodi'' Bolton, 1982 * '' Messor concolor'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor creticus'' Salata & Borowiec, 2019 * ''

Messor decipiens ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' Santschi, 1917 * '' Messor dentatus'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor denticornis'' Forel, 1910 * ''

Messor denticulatus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor diabarensis'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor ebeninus'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor eglalae'' Sharaf, 2007 * '' Messor erectus'' Espadaler, 1998 * '' Messor excursionis'' Ruzsky, 1905 * '' Messor ferreri'' Collingwood, 1993 * '' Messor foreli'' Santschi, 1923 * '' Messor fraternus'' Ruzsky, 1905 * '' Messor galla'' (Mayr, 1904) * '' Messor hebraeus'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor hellenius'' Agosti & Collingwood, 1987 * '' Messor himalayanus'' (Forel, 1902) * '' Messor hismai'' Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 * '' Messor hispanicus'' Santschi, 1919 * '' Messor hodnii'' Barech, Khaldi, Espadaler & Cagniant, 2020 * '' Messor ibericus'' Santschi, 1931 * ''

Messor incisus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Stitz, 1923 * '' Messor incorruptus'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929 * ''

Messor inermis ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929 * '' Messor instabilis'' (Smith, 1858) * '' Messor intermedius'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor julianus'' (Pergande, 1894) * '' Messor kasakorum'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor kisilkumensis'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor lamellicornis'' Arnol'di, 1968 * '' Messor lariversi'' (Smith, 1951) * '' Messor lobicornis'' Forel, 1894 * '' Messor lobognathus'' Andrews, 1916 * '' Messor luebberti'' Forel, 1910 * '' Messor luridus'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor lusitanicus'' Tinaut, 1985 * '' Messor maculifrons'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor mcarthuri'' Steiner et al, 2018 * '' Messor marikovskii'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor marocanus'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor medioruber'' Santschi, 1910 * '' Messor melancholicus'' Arnol'di, 1977 * '' Messor minor'' (Andre, 1883) * '' Messor muticus'' (Nylander, 1849) * '' Messor nahali'' Tohme, 1981 * '' Messor niloticus'' Santschi, 1938 * '' Messor oertzeni'' Forel, 1910 * '' Messor olegianus'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor orientalis'' (Emery, 1898) * '' Messor perantennatus'' Arnol'di, 1969 * ''

Messor pergandei ''Veromessor pergandei'' is a species of harvester ant native to the Southwestern United States, especially the deserts of southeastern California. It has also been identified in the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. It was first described by ...

'' (Mayr, 1886) * '' Messor piceus'' Stitz, 1923 * '' Messor picturatus'' Santschi, 1927 * '' Messor planiceps'' Stitz, 1917 * '' Messor postpetiolatus'' Santschi, 1917 * '' Messor regalis'' (Emery, 1892) * ''

Messor reticuliventris ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' Karavaiev, 1910 * '' Messor rufotestaceus'' (Foerster, 1850) * '' Messor rufus'' Santschi, 1923 * '' Messor ruginodis'' Stitz, 1916 * ''

Messor rugosus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor (god), Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields ...

'' (Andre, 1881) * ''

Messor sanctus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' Emery, 1921 * ''

Messor sculpturatus ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor (god), Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields ...

'' Carpenter, 1930 * '' Messor semirufus'' (Andre, 1883) * '' Messor semoni'' (Forel, 1906) * '' Messor smithi'' (Cole, 1963) * '' Messor sordidus'' (Forel, 1892) * '' Messor stoddardi'' (Emery, 1895) * '' Messor striatellus'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor striaticeps'' (Andre, 1883) * ''

Messor striatifrons ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' Stitz, 1923 * '' Messor striativentris'' Emery, 1908 * '' Messor structor'' (Latreille, 1798) * '' Messor subgracilinodis'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor sultanus'' Santschi, 1917 * '' Messor syriacus'' Tohme, 1969 * '' Messor testaceus'' Donisthorpe, 1950 * '' Messor timidus'' (Espadaler, 1997) * '' Messor tropicorum'' Wheeler, 1922 * '' Messor turcmenochorassanicus'' Arnol'di, 1977 * '' Messor valentinae'' Arnol'di, 1969 * '' Messor variabilis'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 * '' Messor vaucheri'' Emery, 1908 * '' Messor vicinus'' Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 * ''

Messor wasmanni ''Messor'' is a genus of myrmicine ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near road ...

'' Krausse, 1910 *''Messor minor'' x ''cf. wasmanni'' (Interspecific hybrid)''

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q311125 Myrmicinae Ant genera