Messor (ant genus)

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Messor
Messor barbarus princess
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribe: Pheidolini Genus: Messor Forel, 1890
Diversity
> 100 species
Species
see text.

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. The Vessomessor genus was recently added to messor adding 8 more species.

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 of carrying and cutting the large seeds which comprise much of the colonies' subsistence.

Equipped with a tough shining cuticle, Messor spp. are slow moving and form long, seed-carrying runs. Colonies tend to be monogynous and are founded by a single queen alone.

[edit] Species

Messor abdelazizi Santschi, 1921 Messor aciculatus (Smith, 1874) Messor aegyptiacus (Emery, 1878) Messor alexandri Tohme, 1981 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 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 collingwoodi Bolton, 1982 Messor concolor Santschi, 1927 Messor decipiens Santschi, 1917 Messor dentatus Santschi, 1927 Messor denticornis Forel, 1910 Messor denticulatus Santschi, 1927 Messor diabarensis Arnol'di, 1969 Messor ebeninus Santschi, 1927 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 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 lobicornis Forel, 1894 Messor lobognathus Andrews, 1916 Messor luebberti Forel, 1910 Messor luridus Santschi, 1927 Messor lusitanicus Tinaut, 1985 Messor maculifrons Santschi, 1927 Messor marikovskii Arnol'di, 1969 Messor marocanus Santschi, 1927 Messor medioruber Santschi, 1910 Messor melancholicus Arnol'di, 1977 Messor minor (Andre, 1883) 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 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 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 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