Unlike modern authors, Homer is not quick to reveal his personal beliefs; rather, they come about subtly, through the dialogue between two characters.
Harvester ant. Harvester ant is a common name for any of the species or genera of ants that collect seeds (called seed predation), or mushrooms as in the case of Euprenolepis procera, which are stored in the nest in communal chambers called granaries.
By comparison, honey bee venom has an LD50 measure of 2.8, and a yellowjacket's venom has an LD50 of 3.5 per kg of body weight. Just 12 stings from the venomous harvester ant were enough to take out a 2 kg animal.