Veromessor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Veromessor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| V. pergandei nest entrance | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Stenammini |
| Genus: | Veromessor Forel, 1917 |
| Type species | |
| Aphaenogaster andrei Mayr, 1886 | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 10 species | |
Veromessor is a genus of North American harvester ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.[1] The genus was previously classified as a synonym of Messor, but was revived as a genus by Ward et al. (2015).[2] They are primarily found in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, with the greatest diversity in California.[3]
Veromessor ants are endemic to arid and semi-arid regions of North America. V. lobognathus may stretch as far northeast as North Dakota, while most of the genus is concentrated in the American Southwest and the Baja California peninsula.[3]
Ecology
Veromessor harvester ants are granivores, meaning they primarily eat and collect seeds to consume. They typically live in arid and semi-arid regions like creosote bush scrub or chaparral. Colony sizes for mature colonies may range from less than 1,000 workers in most species to over 50,000 in V. andrei, V. julianus, and V. pergandei. Nuptial flights occur in summer for most species except for V. julianus and V. pergandei, whose nuptial flights occur from late winter to early spring.[3]
