Dimorphic-caste
Guides
Pheidole navigans
Navigating Big-headed Ant, Wandering Big-headed Ant
Pheidole navigans is a small, dimorphic big-headed ant native to the Neotropics and established as invasive across multiple regions including the southeastern United States, California, Hawaii, Bermuda, Madeira, Tenerife, and Vanuatu. Formerly synonymized with Pheidole flavens, it was restored to full species status in 2015. The species exhibits a dimorphic caste system with major and minor workers, and is characterized by small size, generalist ecology, and flexible nesting habits. Its ecological impacts in invaded regions are currently considered limited.