This genus includes about 40 specialized species that are found in dry areas of Mediterranean countries such as Africa, Southern Europe, and Asia.

[3] Messor capitatus main food source is seeds but they also will eat remains of plants and animals.

Once they are inside the nest they will perform a motor display that includes running, body vibrations, contact with nestmates, and food transmission.

[6] M. capitatus also secrete faeces containing the same hydrocarbons as the cuticle of worker ants in what is known as anal spots around their nest to identify it.

[8] This helps the species to forage independently when resources are dispersed over a large area.

They rarely disperse the seeds in low, dense and highly vegetated habitats.

[12] M.capitatus caused significant seed predation to the rare and endangered plant Erodium paularense.

Messor capitatus is one of the few species that in rare situations will be able to have thelytokous workers which means through parthenogenesis females are produced by unfertilized eggs.

This change in sex is not due to the Wolbachia bacterium that infects most insects and is a reproductive parasite.