Messor is a myrmicinegenus 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] Some snail shells possibly are taken into the nest because of their grain-like shape.[2]
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.[citation needed]
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.[3]
^Bolton, B. (2015). "Messor". AntCat. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
^Páll-Gergely, Barna; Péter Sólymos (2009). "Ants as shell collectors: notes on land snail shells found around ant nests". Malacologica Bohemoslovaca. 8: 14–18. doi:10.5817/MaB2009-8-14. S2CID 58911371.
^Segev, Udi; Yaron Ziv (2012). "Consequences of behavioral vs. numerical dominance on foraging activity of desert seed-eating ants". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 66 (4): 623–632. doi:10.1007/s00265-011-1310-3. S2CID 18089283.
External linksedit
Media related to Messor at Wikimedia Commons
November 27, 2023
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For the minor Roman god see List of Roman agricultural deities This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Messor news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 MessorMessor barbarus queen with wings still attachedScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder HymenopteraFamily FormicidaeSubfamily MyrmicinaeTribe StenamminiGenus MessorForel 1890Type speciesFormica barbara 1 Linnaeus 1767Diversity gt 100 speciesSynonymsCratomyrmex Emery 1892Lobognathus Enzmann J 1947Colonies 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 citation needed 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 citation needed Some snail shells possibly are taken into the nest because of their grain like shape 2 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 citation needed 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 3 Species editMessor 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 amp 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 amp 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 nbsp Messor sp workerMessor minor x cf wasmanni Interspecific hybrid Messor hismai Collingwood amp Agosti 1996 Messor hodnii Barech Khaldi Espadaler amp Cagniant 2020 Messor spec Santschi 1927 Messor erectusReferences edit Bolton B 2015 Messor AntCat Retrieved 10 January 2015 Pall Gergely Barna Peter Solymos 2009 Ants as shell collectors notes on land snail shells found around ant nests Malacologica Bohemoslovaca 8 14 18 doi 10 5817 MaB2009 8 14 S2CID 58911371 Segev Udi Yaron Ziv 2012 Consequences of behavioral vs numerical dominance on foraging activity of desert seed eating ants Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 66 4 623 632 doi 10 1007 s00265 011 1310 3 S2CID 18089283 External links edit nbsp Media related to Messor at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Messor amp oldid 1180056619, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
