keyword pages:  1  2  3  >  
< 1 of 25 >
One of the strangest recorded ant phenomena is a hybrid zone between two species of harvester ants in the western United States. Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus apparently hybridized in the ancient past, leading to a pair of genetically complex daughter lineages that continually need to cross with each other in order to make worker ants. The queens and males remain genetically separate. Young queens need to mate with their own species to produce more queens and males, and with the other species to produce workers. This image shows a hybrid worker leaving the nest. Portal, Arizona, USA
One of the strangest recorded ant phenomena is a hybrid zone between two species of harvester ants in the western United States. Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus apparently hybridized in the ancient past, leading to a pair of genetically complex daughter lineages that continually need to cross with each other in order to make worker ants. The queens and males remain genetically separate. Young queens need to mate with their own species, to produce more queens and males, and with the other species, to produce workers. This image shows a hybrid worker leaving the nest. Portal, Arizona, USA
Pogonomyrmex badius, the Florida harvester ant, queen. Her enlarged thorax holds muscles from younger days when she had wings for dispersing from her natal nest. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
The Florida harvester ant Pogonomyrmex badius is the only North American pogo found east of the Mississippi, and the only species that is polymorphic in the worker caste. The individual on the right is a major worker whose enlarged head holds muscles useful for milling seeds. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
A major worker of the Florida Carpenter Ant Camponotus floridanus, one of the first ant species to have its genome sequenced. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
One of the strangest recorded ant phenomena is a hybrid zone between two species of harvester ants in the western United States. Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus apparently hybridized in the ancient past, leading to a pair of genetically complex daughter lineages that continually need to cross with each other in order to make worker ants. The queens and males remain genetically separate. Young queens need to mate with their own species, to produce more queens and males, and with the other species, to produce workers. This image shows a hybrid worker leaving the nest. Portal, Arizona, USA
Pogonomyrmex badius, the Florida harvester ant, queen and worker Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
Pogonomyrmex badius, the Florida harvester ant, major worker. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
Three female morphological castes in the Florida harvester ant Pogonomyrmex badius: queen (left), major worker (top), and minor worker (bottom). Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
One of the strangest recorded ant phenomena is a hybrid zone between two species of harvester ants in the western United States. Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus apparently hybridized in the ancient past, leading to a pair of genetically complex daughter lineages that continually need to cross with each other in order to make worker ants. The queens and males remain genetically separate. Young queens need to mate with their own species to produce more queens and males, and with the other species to produce workers.

This image shows a hybrid worker leaving the nest.

Portal, Arizona, USA
One of the strangest recorded ant phenomena is a hybrid zone between two species of harvester ants in the western United States. Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus apparently hybridized in the ancient past, leading to a pair of genetically complex daughter lineages that continually need to cross with each other in order to make worker ants. The queens and males remain genetically separate. Young queens need to mate with their own species to produce more queens and males, and with the other species to produce workers. This image shows a hybrid worker leaving the nest. Portal, Arizona, USA
One of the strangest recorded ant phenomena is a hybrid zone between two species of harvester ants in the western United States. Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus apparently hybridized in the ancient past, leading to a pair of genetically complex daughter lineages that continually need to cross with each other in order to make worker ants. The queens and males remain genetically separate. Young queens need to mate with their own species to produce more queens and males, and with the other species to produce workers.

This image shows a hybrid worker leaving the nest.

Portal, Arizona, USA
See photo in original gallery.
keyword pages:  1  2  3  >  
< 1 of 25 >
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013