Messor

Messor is a myrmicine genus of 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 roadsides, openings are directly to the surface.

Colonies can achieve huge sizes and are notable for their intricately designed granaries 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, they emit trail pheromones as well as operating on an individual level when looking for food sources.

Species

 * Messor abdelazizi Santschi, 1921
 * Messor aciculatus (Smith, 1874)
 * Messor aegyptiacus (Emery, 1878)
 * Messor alexandri Tohme, 1981
 * ''Messor mediorubra
 * Messor andrei (Mayr, 1886)
 * Messor angularis Santschi, 1928
 * Messor antennatus Emery, 1908
 * Messor aphaenogasteroides Pisarski, 1967
 * Messor aralocaspius Ruzsky, 1902
 * Messor arenarius (Fabricius, 1787)
 * Messor atanassovii Atanassov, 1982
 * Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767)
 * Messor beduinus Emery, 1922
 * Messor berbericus Bernard, 1955
 * Messor bernardi Cagniant, 1967
 * Messor bouvieri Bondroit, 1918
 * Messor buettikeri Collingwood, 1985
 * Messor caducus (Victor, 1839)
 * Messor capensis (Mayr, 1862)
 * Messor plinii
 * Messor capitatus (Latreille, 1798)
 * Messor carthaginensis Bernard, 1980
 * Messor caviceps (Forel, 1902)
 * Messor celiae Reyes, 1985
 * Messor cephalotes (Emery, 1895)
 * Messor ceresis Santschi, 1934
 * Messor chamberlini Wheeler, 1915
 * Messor clypeatus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927
 * Messor muticus (Nylander, 1849)
 * Messor collingwoodi Bolton, 1982
 * Messor concolor Santschi, 1927
 * Messor decipiens Santschi, 1917
 * Messor dentatus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor denticornis Forel, 1910
 * Messor denticulatus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor arcistriatus
 * Messor diabarensis Arnol'di, 1969
 * Messor ebeninus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor hesperius Santschi, 1927
 * Messor excursionis Ruzsky, 1905
 * Messor ferreri Collingwood, 1993
 * Messor foreli Santschi, 1923
 * Messor fraternus Ruzsky, 1905
 * Messor galla (Mayr, 1904)
 * Messor ebininus Santschi
 * Messor hebraeus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor hellenius Agosti & Collingwood, 1987
 * Messor himalayanus (Forel, 1902)
 * Messor hispanicus Santschi, 1919
 * Messor ibericus Santschi, 1931
 * Messor incisus Stitz, 1923
 * Messor incorruptus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929
 * Messor inermis 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 kazakorum Arnoldi, 1969
 * Messor lobicornis Forel, 1894
 * Messor lobognathus Andrews, 1916
 * Messor luebberti Forel, 1910
 * Messor luridus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor eglalae Sharaf
 * Messor lusitanicus Tinaut, 1985
 * Messor maculifrons Santschi, 1927
 * Messor mcarthuri
 * Messor marikovskii Arnol'di, 1969
 * Messor marocanus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor medioruber Santschi, 1910
 * Messor melancholicus Arnol'di, 1977
 * Messor minor (Andre, 1883)
 * Messor turcmenochorassanicus Arnol'di, 1977
 * 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 (Mayr, 1886)
 * Messor piceus Stitz, 1923
 * Messor picturatus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor planiceps Stitz, 1917
 * Messor postpetiolatus Santschi, 1917
 * Messor regalis (Emery, 1892)
 * Messor reticuliventris Karavaiev, 1910
 * Messor rufotestaceus (Foerster, 1850)
 * Messor rufus Santschi, 1923
 * Messor ruginodis Stitz, 1916
 * Messor rugosus (Andre, 1881)
 * Messor sanctus Emery, 1921
 * Messor aciculatus (Smith, 1874)
 * Messor sculpturatus 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 creticus Salata & Borowiec, 2019
 * Messor striaticeps (Andre, 1883)
 * Messor striatifrons 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 Krausse, 1910


 * Messor minor x cf. wasmanni (Interspecific hybrid)
 * Messor hismai Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Messor hodnii Barech, Khaldi, Espadaler & Cagniant, 2020
 * Messor spec Santschi, 1927
 * Messor erectus