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.
In some species, certain workers are extremely specialized. For example, in some harvester ants, soldier ants do virtually nothing but crack open seeds for other ants to eat. Such specialized behavior is usually flexible, however; any ant can perform any activity to a certain degree.