Nest-ecology
Guides
Formica dakotensis
dakotensis-group Mound Ants
Formica dakotensis is a mound-building ant species in the genus Formica, native to North America. A four-year field study in Quebec documented stable populations with mean colony densities of approximately 172 colonies per hectare in spruce bog habitats. The species exhibits annual colony turnover rates around 18-24%, with colony longevity estimated from continuous nest occupation patterns. Its nest-building behavior has been hypothesized as a potential evolutionary step toward polycalism in the genus.
Pogonomyrmex salinus
Owyhee Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex salinus is a harvester ant species native to sagebrush-steppe habitats of the western United States. A 5-year field study in southwestern Idaho documented colony dynamics and vegetation associations, finding population density inversely related to sagebrush cover and positively associated with non-cheatgrass understory vegetation. The species avoids cheatgrass seeds in its diet, preferring small-seeded grasses and forbs. Colony survival rates improve after the first year, with 12.4% first-year failure compared to 4.6–8.4% in subsequent years.