About Messor pergandei (Mayr, 1886)
Messor pergandei (originally described as Veromessor pergandei) has a head that is equal in length and width, with very large mandibles. It has short white or yellow hair and a large thorax. Males of this species are typically around 8.5 mm (0.33 in) long, while females typically measure around 10 mm (0.39 in) long. Individual body size can vary based on factors including food availability and interspecific competition. This species is named after American myrmecologist Theodore Pergande. For some time, the genus Veromessor was synonymized under the genus Messor, but it was split back out based on a 2015 study. Like other harvester ants, Veromessor pergandei collects fruits and seeds as food. Its diet includes seeds from perennial shrubs such as Larrea tridentata and Ambrosia dumosa.
