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
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
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
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
Socially parasitic ants are usually discernable by their relatively small queens, as ants that start new colonies by infiltrating existing nests do not need large body reserves.  The queen of Aphaenogaster tennesseensis- a temporary nest-founding parasite of several other woodland Aphaenogaster- is scarcely larger than her own workers.

Urbana, Illinois, 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
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
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
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013