Red Harvester Ant
Physical Features
There are 22 species of harvester ants in the United States. These insects have six legs, three body parts and antenna, square-shaped heads, no spines on the body, red to dark brown, chewing mouthparts, and up to 1/2 inch long. They have powerful mandibles capable of cutting and carrying grass and small stems to the nest.
Life Cycle
Complete metamorphosis
Winged males and females leave nests in swarms especially after rainfall. They couple off and mate. The males soon die and females find a nest site. She will drop her wings, and make a burrow to deposit eggs. White and legless larvae emerge until pupation occurs within a cocoon. Adult ants carry out their caste’s role: workers aid in caring for eggs, constructing the nest and foraging for food; queens produce eggs and care for developing ants; and males reproduce.
Habits
- Diet: Grass seeds, insects and spiders
- Activity: During the day
- Preferred Climate: Temperate climate; dry, arid environments
- Defense: Cover nest opening to keep intruders out and painful sting
- Cautions: Painful sting if disturbed
- Home Invasion: Mounds may be seen in the ground. The mound of red harvester ants will have vegetation cleared from 3 to 20 feet around the mound center. Pathway(s) of cleared vegetation from the mound may go as far as 200 feet.
Helpful Hints for Control
- Keep a well-maintained landscape.
- Reduce moisture sources including leaks.
- Recommend regular pest control service plan.
Interesting Fact
In 2003, harvester ants became the first ants to travel from earth to space on the NASA space shuttle. Scientists were studying the effects of space flight and weightlessness on the tunneling behavior during a 16-day flight.
