Messor structor is a fascinating harvester ant species admired by ant keepers for its seed-gathering lifestyle and hardy nature. This ant famously collects and chews seeds into a nutritious "ant bread" to feed its colony, offering a unique and engaging spectacle in any formicarium. Because it is relatively undemanding and tolerant of various conditions, Messor structor is an appealing choice for both patient beginners and experienced ant enthusiasts.
Messor structor
Messor structor lives in polygyne colonies (often with multiple queens), enabling faster growth and large populations that can reach around 10,000 workers in a mature colony. They are polymorphic, with minor workers about 4 mm long and majors up to ~9–10 mm (the largest workers have notably big, reddish-brown heads). True to their harvester nature, these ants forage for grass and weed seeds to store in underground granaries, often grinding them into a nourishing paste or "ant bread" for their larvae. Messor structor also hunts or scavenges small insects for protein, obtaining most of the water it needs from the seeds and prey it consumes. In the wild, they thrive in warm, dry habitats such as sandy fields or open scrubland across Southern Europe and nearby regions.
