A red harvester ant walking on pale sand. — Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Red Harvester Ant

Pogonomyrmex barbatus

A seed-collecting desert ant of the southwestern U.S. with a painful sting, often mistaken for fire ants.

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About the Red Harvester Ant

Red harvester ants are common in the southwestern United States. Workers are 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and red to dark brown, with square heads. They gather and store huge numbers of seeds, which is how they got their name. In the evening, some workers seal the nest entrance with gravel and twigs to keep out nighttime intruders. They are not related to fire ants.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Pogonomyrmex barbatus^[1]
Size: Workers 1/4 to 1/2 inch long.^[1]
Diet: Mostly seeds.^[1]
Habitat: Dry, open ground.^[1]
Where it lives: Southwestern United States.^[1]
Group life: Colonies with a queen and many workers.^[1]
Conservation status: Common; not endangered. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

Harvester ants seal their nest door at night.^[1]
They're often mistaken for fire ants but aren't related.^[1]
A new queen breaks off her own wings before starting a nest.^[1]

Vocabulary

colony: A large group of insects that live and work together.
queen: The ant that lays eggs for the colony.
pupa: The resting stage when a larva changes into an adult insect.
forage: To search for food.
insect: A small animal with six legs and a body in three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · InvertebratesSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Red Harvester Ant.” https://www.sfzoo.org/red-harvester-ant/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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