Granivore
Guides
Amara discors
Amara discors is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is native to North America, with records from Alaska, Canada, and the contiguous United States. The species is characterized by seed-eating habits, placing it within the dietary guild of granivorous carabid beetles.
Anisodactylus binotatus
common shortspur beetle
A medium-sized ground beetle native to Europe, introduced to New Zealand in 1938 where it has become widely established. Adults measure 10–12.7 mm with distinctive shiny black coloration and a characteristic red spot (or paired spots) on the frons between the eyes. The species exhibits flight capability and has proven to be an exceptionally successful colonist, thriving in both natural and anthropogenic habitats including cultivated fields and urban environments.
Anisodactylus carbonarius
Anisodactylus carbonarius is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, native to North America. It is a granivorous species that feeds on weed seeds, contributing to natural weed suppression in agricultural and garden settings. The species has been documented across Canada and the United States. Like other members of its genus, it plays a role in ecosystem services through seed predation.
Anisodactylus harrisii
Anisodactylus harrisii is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It occurs in North America, with records from Canada and the United States. The species belongs to a genus known to include granivorous ground beetles that consume weed seeds.
Anisodactylus pitychrous
Anisodactylus pitychrous is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. The genus Anisodactylus includes species known for granivory, feeding on weed seeds. Specific details about this species are limited in available sources.
Botocudo
Botocudo is a genus of dirt-colored seed bugs (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae: Antillocorini) established by Kirkaldy in 1904. The genus comprises true bugs in the lygaeoid lineage, with species such as Botocudo modestus known from North America. Members of this genus are ground-dwelling seed feeders, consistent with the ecological profile of their family.
Harpalus
Harpalus is a large and diverse genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, containing over 420 described species and subspecies. It is the largest genus of the tribe Harpalini and one of the most diverse genera in the entire ground beetle family. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species found across multiple continents. A recent worldwide classification based on adult morphology divides Harpalus into seventy subgenera grouped into nineteen subgroups and ten groups, including thirty-six newly described subgenera. Members of this genus are primarily ground-dwelling predators and granivores found in agricultural fields, grasslands, and open habitats.
Harpalus ellipsis
Harpalus ellipsis is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, subfamily Harpalinae. First described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1848, this beetle belongs to one of the largest genera of ground beetles in North America. The genus Harpalus contains numerous species that are primarily granivorous as adults, feeding on weed seeds, while larvae are predatory on soil-dwelling insects. Members of this genus are commonly found in agricultural and disturbed habitats across temperate regions.
Harpalus pensylvanicus
Pennsylvania ground beetle, Pennsylvania Dingy Ground Beetle
Harpalus pensylvanicus is a ground beetle species in the subfamily Harpalinae, distributed throughout North America. Adults are characterized by shiny black elytra with distinct lines, reddish-brown ventral surfaces, and moderate size. The species is a significant weed seed predator in agricultural ecosystems, with documented preferences for small seeds of grasses and broadleaf weeds. It has been observed in cultivated fields, high hayfields, and open habitats, showing attraction to lights. The species occasionally damages ripening strawberries.
Harpalus rubripes
Red-legged Harpalus
Harpalus rubripes is a medium-sized ground beetle in the subfamily Harpalinae, characterized by its distinctive reddish legs that give the species its name. Native to the Palearctic region, it has established populations across much of Europe, extending eastward through Siberia and Central Asia to Anatolia. The species was introduced to North America, with records dating from 1987 onward. Like other members of the genus Harpalus, it is primarily nocturnal and ground-dwelling.
Nysius
false chinch bugs
Nysius is a large genus of seed-feeding true bugs in the family Lygaeidae, commonly known as false chinch bugs. The genus contains approximately 100-106 described species with worldwide distribution. Several species are significant agricultural pests, including N. huttoni (wheat bug) in New Zealand and N. cymoides in Europe and Turkey. A unique Hawaiian radiation contains 26 species, including two flightless, predatory wēkiu bugs (N. wekiuicola and N. aa) that feed on dead and dying insects on high-elevation volcanoes. Most species feed on seeds and plant fluids, though some exhibit atypical feeding behaviors.
Pogonomyrmex
Typical American Harvester Ants, Harvester Ants
Pogonomyrmex is a genus of harvester ants comprising approximately 69 extant species, distributed primarily across arid and semi-arid regions of North, Central, and South America, with three endemic species from Haiti. These ants are characterized by their specialized seed-collecting behavior, constructing deep underground nests with conspicuous cleared nest disks that can exceed 10 meters in diameter. Workers of the subgenus sensu stricto possess a psammophore—a beard-like structure of long hairs beneath the head used for transporting seeds, sand, and eggs. The genus includes species with the most toxic insect venom documented, notably Pogonomyrmex maricopa, with an LD50 of 0.12 mg/kg in mice.
Pogonomyrmex badius
Florida Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex badius, the Florida harvester ant, is the only Pogonomyrmex species found on the east coast of the United States and the only North American member of the genus known to exhibit worker polymorphism. This species inhabits sandy, well-drained soils in Florida scrub and similar Atlantic coastal plain habitats. Colonies construct deep nests reaching 2.5–3.0 meters, with underground seed granaries and distinctive surface middens of charcoal and detritus. Workers display pronounced size variation (6.35–9.52 mm), with task allocation based on worker size and age-based vertical stratification within the nest. The species is notable for seasonal nest relocation, tool use for liquid food transport, and highly toxic venom delivered through a barbed stinger capable of autotomy.
Veromessor
Veromessor Harvester Ants
Veromessor is a genus of North American harvester ants comprising ten species, all endemic to western and central North America. The genus was revived from synonymy with Messor by Ward et al. (2015). These ants exhibit striking ecological and morphological diversity despite the small number of species, including variation in colony size, foraging strategies, mating phenology, and colony founding modes. They serve as important ecological models, with some species studied extensively for their navigation systems and social behavior.
Veromessor andrei
Andre's Harvester Ant
Veromessor andrei is a North American seed-harvester ant endemic to western North America. Formerly classified in the genus Messor, it was reclassified to Veromessor based on phylogenetic studies. The species exhibits color polymorphism, with workers varying in coloration. Like other Veromessor species, it is a granivorous ant that harvests and stores seeds, playing a significant ecological role as a keystone species in arid and semi-arid habitats. The species has been the subject of behavioral and ecological research, though less extensively studied than V. pergandei.