About Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson, 1865)
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, commonly known as the western harvester ant, is an ant species that lives in deserts and arid grasslands of the American West, at elevations at or below 1,900 m (6,300 feet). Like other harvester ants belonging to the genus Pogonomyrmex, this species gets its common name from its habit of collecting edible seeds and other food items. Its specific epithet "occidentalis", which translates to "of the west", refers to its characteristic presence in the interior of the Western United States. The species' gravel mounds, which are surrounded by areas cleared of all plant life, are a noticeable feature of rangeland. When western harvester ant populations are large, they can reduce the abundance of grazing plants and seeds enough to create severe ecological and economic problems. This ant has a painful, venomous sting.
