Workers are commonly about 5–8 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Pogonomyrmex maricopa
A desert harvester ant famous for exceptionally potent venom.
About this species
Maricopa harvester ant
Pogonomyrmex maricopaWheeler, 1914
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Pogonomyrmex maricopa is a seed-harvesting ant of the Sonoran and neighbouring deserts. Workers build conspicuous soil nests and forage across open ground for seeds.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Pogonomyrmex
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
South-western United States and northern MexicoBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
Arizona, New Mexico, California, Texas and northern Mexico.
Hot desert, dry grassland and open sandy or gravelly ground.
Diurnal during tolerable temperatures, with activity concentrated in seasonal and daily windows.
Seeds are the principal food; arthropod material supplies additional protein.
Ground colonies contain a long-lived queen and thousands of workers.
What makes this species remarkable?
Its venom is among the most potent measured in insects by laboratory toxicity tests.
Workers clear vegetation around the nest, producing a visible bare disc.
Seed collecting influences the abundance and distribution of desert plants.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
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