Messor lariversi carrying a seed back to her nest. Night-active species are often lighter in color than their day-active counterparts. Sand Springs Dune, Nevada, USA - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography

Ants of the North American Deserts

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Sonoran desert cacti are frequently covered in ants. Cacti provide ants with nectar- a ready food supply in a harsh environment- in exchange for protection from herbivorous insects. Here, two Crematogaster opuntiae acrobat ants exchange nectar they have gathered from a chain-link cholla.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Dorymyrmex bicolor workers scavenge the carcass of a harvester ant.

Willcox, Arizona, USA.

An alate Dorymyrmex insanus queen climbs a stick of grass to gain an altitudinal head start before departing on her mating flight.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Male and female Forelius mccooki in the nest.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Forelius mccooki workers taking nectar from a Cholla cactus in the Sonoran desert. Cacti provide nectar to attract ants, as some ant species help the plant by removing herbivorous insects.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Early morning sun catches a mating flight of Forelius mccooki in the Sonoran desert.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Messor lariversi carrying a seed back to her nest. Night-active species are often lighter in color than their day-active counterparts.

Sand Springs Dune, Nevada, USA

Messor pergandei is among the most commonly seen seed harvesting ants in southern California. Colonies of this species contain worker ants of different sizes, while most other seed harvesters in the region have monomorphic workers. Here, a major worker carries a seed back to the nest.

Anza Borrego Desert, California, USA

Messor pergandei carrying seeds back to the nest.

Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

Messor lariversi carrying a seed back to her nest. Night-active species are often lighter in color than their day-active counterparts.

Sand Springs Dune, Nevada, USA

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Keywords: ant ants insects ecology foraging formicidae myrmicinae harvester ants worker ant granivory night ants ant carrying seed nocturnal ants seed harvesters messor lariversi veromessor lariversi yellow harvester ant

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Ants of the North American Deserts

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