 Unlike other Novomessor species , workers forage early in the morning and late afternoon , whereas N. cockerelli and N. albisetosus forage during the afternoon and evening . However , it is unknown whether or not these ants are active during the night . Foragers first emerge from their nests at 9 A.M. and return by 5 P.M. They are rarely seen during the middle of the day when temperatures reach 95 – 100 ° F ( 35 – 38 ° C ) , although the ground temperature is considerably higher . Workers are commonly seen foraging between 9 and 11 A.M. and 3 to 5 P.M. Most workers forage on the ground , but sometimes they can be seen walking on low herbage without feeding on the plants or collecting any seeds . Excavated nests showed no evidence that these ants collect seeds , and no workers were seen collecting them or carrying them back to the nest . N. ensifer ants are solitary foragers that work 25 ft ( 7 m ) away from their home nest . N. ensifer predominately feeds on insects they prey on , consuming dead insects such as ichneumon wasps , bembicine wasps and small moths . When a worker discovers a dead insect , it will start to pull and carry it back to the nest immediately , and other nestmates will join once they detect it . Workers do not cooperate with each other and pull the insect from all directions , accidentally tearing it apart . However , the workers will eventually have a piece of the insect left and return it to the nest . The only known predator of N. ensifer is the giant horned lizard ( Phrynosoma asio ) . Mites and Springtail arthropods are known to dwell inside nests , but their function or purpose within a colony is unknown . 
