Photo 1467225, (c) Peter Slingsby, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Peter Slingsby

Attribution © Peter Slingsby
some rights reserved
Uploaded by peterslingsby peterslingsby
Source iNaturalist
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Cape Harvester Ant (Messor capensis)

Observer

peterslingsby

Date

May 10, 2014

Description

Multi-sized ants from 4 to 8/9mm, slow moving harvesters of vegetable detritus. They move with a typical slow, 'bumbling' gait in trails and the trails have a curious habit of ‘freezing’ if you thump the ground next to them. Live in large colonies excavated around the base of bushes or in tussocks. Observed hard at it collecting bits of veg near a windpump in the Tankwa National Park. These ants are seed predators, not seed distributors. More at www.ants.org.za

Associated taxa
Sizes