About Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith, 1858)
Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith, 1858) is a species of harvester ant that belongs to the genus Pogonomyrmex. Its common names are red ant and red harvester ant. These large ants, which measure between 5 and 7 millimeters, are native to the Southwestern United States, where they prefer arid chaparral habitats. They build underground nests that can reach up to 2.5 meters in depth, located in exposed areas. Their diet consists primarily of seeds, so they take part in myrmecochory, an ant-plant interaction where the ants gain nutrients, and plants benefit from seed dispersal by the ants. Red harvester ants are often confused with fire ants, but they are not closely related to any native or introduced fire ant species.
