Granivorous
Guides
Amara interstitialis
Amara interstitialis is a seed-eating ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is distributed across the Holarctic region, with records from Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species belongs to a genus known for granivorous feeding habits among ground beetles.
Amara lunicollis
Mesophile Sunshiner
Amara lunicollis is a seed-eating ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It has a Holarctic distribution, occurring across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species is commonly known as the Mesophile Sunshiner. Like other members of the genus Amara, it is primarily associated with open, sunny habitats.
Amara pseudobrunnea
Amara pseudobrunnea is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, first described by Lindroth in 1968. It is classified as a seed-eating species, placing it among the granivorous members of the genus Amara. The species is native to northern regions of North America, with records extending into Alaska, Canada, and the contiguous United States. Its distribution also includes parts of Russia, suggesting a trans-Beringian range pattern shared with several other beetle species.
Amara quenseli
Quensel's seed-eating ground beetle
Amara quenseli is a seed-eating ground beetle in the family Carabidae. The species exhibits wing polymorphism, with populations containing macropterous (long-winged), brachypterous (short-winged), and intermediate forms. Two subspecies are recognized: A. q. quenseli and A. q. silvicola. It is one of the few carabid beetles known from Iceland, where its wing morphology has been studied in relation to habitat stability.
Novomessor
Desert Long-legged Ants
Novomessor is a genus of desert-dwelling ants comprising three species. The genus was described by Carlo Emery in 1915, treated as a synonym of Aphaenogaster for decades, and reinstated as valid in 2015 based on phylogenetic evidence. Species inhabit arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where they function as important granivores and exhibit sophisticated foraging behaviors including cooperative prey retrieval and multimodal navigation.
Pheidole bicarinata
Variable Big-headed Ant, Common Big-headed Ant
Pheidole bicarinata, commonly known as the Variable Big-headed Ant, is a North American ant species characterized by its polymorphic worker caste system with distinct minor and major workers. The species exhibits a broad distribution across the central and eastern United States, ranging from Nebraska and Colorado eastward to New Jersey and Florida. Colonies are moderately sized, typically reaching up to approximately 4,000 workers. The species is notable for its dietary flexibility, incorporating insects, seeds, and nectar into its foraging repertoire.
Pogonomyrmex rugosus
Rough Harvester Ant, Desert Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex rugosus, commonly known as the rough harvester ant or desert harvester ant, is a seed-harvesting ant species endemic to the southwestern United States. The species is notable for its large colony sizes reaching up to 15,000 workers, its use of permanent trunk trails for group foraging, and its potent venomous sting rated at level 3 on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. Research has demonstrated that trophic eggs play a previously unknown role in caste determination, with larvae developing into workers when fed trophic eggs and into queens when deprived of them. The species serves as a host for two workerless parasitic ant species, Pogonomyrmex anergismus and Pogonomyrmex colei.