Insect Picture of the Day

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Say hello to Pogonomyrmex barbatus, the Bearded Harvester Ant. I apologize for this picture being of somewhat substandard quality for the site but the posing and action for picture was too perfect to pass up. I have actually been trying to photograph P. barbatus for months now–I even have some in captivity on my desk–but I just have not been able to get them to cooperate with the camera.

Harvester ants are common throughout the United States, and come in both red and black varieties. They get their name because of their harvesting behaviors–here we see a harvester ant carrying back a large seed to the nest to be stored as food for overwintering.

I have been studying harvester ants for several weeks now, and I have discovered fascinating details about them. Let me see if I can find a better photo of them in my collection, and I’ll post some of the juicier tidbits later in the week–like how that insect right there carries some of the deadliest venom of any insect in the world!