About Pogonomyrmex barbatus

Pogonomyrmex barbatus is a species of harvester ant from the genus Pogonomyrmex. Its common names include red ant and red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus). These large ants prefer arid chaparral habitats and are native to the Southwestern United States. Nests are made underground in exposed areas. Their diets consist primarily of seeds, and they consequently participate in myrmecochory, an ant-plant interaction through which the ants gain nutrients and the plants benefit through seed dispersal. Red harvester ants are often mistaken for fire ants, but are not closely related to any fire ant species, native or introduced.

Picture credit: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons (Image source) Taxonomy ID 144034

(Text from Wikipedia.)

More information General information about this species can be found in Wikipedia

Taxonomy ID 144034

Data source The Ant Genomics Consortium

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