● Fernley [Lyon Co], NV USA [el. 1271 m / 4171 ft] view location in Google Maps » ● 6/22/10 7:09AM sunny, air temp: 15°C / 59°F

[IMAGE 2 of 4] The first thing one notices about Messor lariversi workers, are the large, light-gathering eyes. These ants apparently forage for seeds during the night, and at twilight. The workers shown here, however, were observed and imaged while conducting early morning nest maintenance - on a bright, sunny day. [scroll down for additional notes/references]

ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES: This unusual member of the genus Messor is a nocturnal/twilight forager. These ants subsist mostly on harvested seeds, though they will scavenge dead insects (and other arthropods) as well. Messror lariversi workers are honey-colored, and have very large eyes well suited to their nocturnal habits. Their small (7.6 cm / 3 inch diameter) nests are found in sandy areas of Nevada, and California, USA. Colonies are small, containing several hundred members, and the workers are gentle and inoffensive - showing no signs of aggressive/defensive behavior when being imaged. These ants are quite rare, and are not often encountered. ·Cole, A.C. 1966. Ants of the Nevada Test Site. Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series - Vol. VII, Number 3, June 1966
·Fisher, B.L. & S.P. Cover. 2007. Ants of North America: A Guide to the Genera. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA, University of California Press
·Johnson, R.A. 2000. Seed Harvesting Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of North America: An Overview of Ecology and Biogeography. Sociobiology Vol.36, No. 1, 2000