AntWiki page for Veromessor pergandei
The first ant I ever identitfied when I was just beginning to get into ants!
Numerous and conspicuous, perfectly smooth and shiny black like little elegant droplets of ink, they quickly became my favorite ants.
Best part of my day was going into the yard and checking all five nests, all with their own habits and personalities.
Occasionally I'd give them treats like pumpkin seeds and zucchini grown in our garden.
(they are granivorous so I'm not sure what they got out of chewing zucchini! Perhaps moisture)
A couple times I witnessed an individual completely entwined in an Erodium cicutarium seed.
Unforuntately I have no photos of this. I tried to help them but I either crunched them or just generally made the situation worse.
After observing how they transport objects bigger than themselves, I can guess how this happens.
They carry the seed by their twisted awn.
The seed gets caught on something and they can no longer move forward.
They then twist their grip on the awn in an attempt to dislodge it and continue to move forward.
This repeats a few times on their long journey back to their nest.
Always turning their grip in the same direction, unknowingly coiling themselves within the awn.