Trunk-trail-foraging
Guides
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.