Trophic-eggs
Guides
Amaurobius ferox
black lace-weaver, black lace weaver
Amaurobius ferox is a nocturnal spider known for its distinctive cribellate web with woolly, lace-like silk. The species exhibits a unique subsocial organization among spiderlings, including synchronized molting, cooperative prey capture, and matriphagy—where offspring consume their mother after hatching. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to North America and is commonly found near human structures in dark, moist environments.
Pogonomyrmex
Typical American Harvester Ants, Harvester Ants
Pogonomyrmex is a genus of harvester ants comprising approximately 69 extant species, distributed primarily across arid and semi-arid regions of North, Central, and South America, with three endemic species from Haiti. These ants are characterized by their specialized seed-collecting behavior, constructing deep underground nests with conspicuous cleared nest disks that can exceed 10 meters in diameter. Workers of the subgenus sensu stricto possess a psammophore—a beard-like structure of long hairs beneath the head used for transporting seeds, sand, and eggs. The genus includes species with the most toxic insect venom documented, notably Pogonomyrmex maricopa, with an LD50 of 0.12 mg/kg in mice.
Pogonomyrmex rugosus
Rough Harvester Ant, Desert Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex rugosus, commonly known as the rough harvester ant or desert harvester ant, is a seed-harvesting ant species endemic to the southwestern United States. The species is notable for its large colony sizes reaching up to 15,000 workers, its use of permanent trunk trails for group foraging, and its potent venomous sting rated at level 3 on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. Research has demonstrated that trophic eggs play a previously unknown role in caste determination, with larvae developing into workers when fed trophic eggs and into queens when deprived of them. The species serves as a host for two workerless parasitic ant species, Pogonomyrmex anergismus and Pogonomyrmex colei.