Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, or the western harvester ant, is a species of ant that inhabits the deserts and arid grasslands of the American West and Canada at or below 6,300 feet (1,900 m). Like other harvester ants in the genus Pogonomyrmex, it is so called because of its habit of collecting edible seeds and other food items. The specific epithet "occidentalis", meaning "of the west", refers to the fact that it is characteristic of the interior of the Western United States; its mounds of gravel, surrounded by areas denuded of plant life, are a conspicuous feature of rangeland.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it venomous or poisonous?
Venomous. The note covers its whole genus. Harvester ants; potent stings Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Pogonomyrmex salinus — venomous
- Pogonomyrmex desertorum — venomous
- Pogonomyrmex barbatus — venomous
- Pogonomyrmex subdentatus — venomous
- Pogonomyrmex comanche — venomous
- Pogonomyrmex huachucanus — venomous
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Formicidae
- Genus
- Pogonomyrmex
- Species
- Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
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