Florida Harvester Ant
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Scientific Name:
Pogonomyrmex badius Native
Description
A medium sized, reddish brown ant with specialized "beard" used for carrying excavated sand grains from their nests.
Range and Habitat
The only harvester ant species found east of the Mississippi River. Ranges from North Carolina to the Florida Parishes of Louisiana. Like most other harvester ant species, prefers sandy, upland areas, often clearings in open pine forest.
Behavior
As their name suggests, harvester ants harvest plant material for food (mostly seeds). These ants are never considered pests in Louisiana due to their rarity and their food and habitat preferences. However, they can inflict an excruciatingly painful sting. Nests can be up to 2 feet in diameter and are fairly flat, typically with one central entrance hole and sometimes with bits of charcoal on the mound.
Population Status
Ranked globally as G5 (secure); ranked as S1 (critically imperiled) in Louisiana. Population status is uncertain, although extirpations have occurred in parts of the range. Likely limited by extant, suitable habitat, which is often lost to human developments. Red imported fire ants (and the ill-conceived chemical control of that species in the 1960s and 1970s) impacted (and may continue to impact) populations of harvester ants.
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