harvester ant

noun

1. any of several red or black ants, especially of the genus Pogonomyrmex, of the southwestern U.S., that feed on and store the seeds of grasses.

Word History and Origins

Origin of harvester ant¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The giant African harvester ant - or Messor cephalotes - is the largest of its species and can grow to around 20mm, with the queen growing up to 25mm.

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He does not sell the giant African harvester ant but told the BBC that he is aware of people who try to pass on illegally imported insects.

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Most species of harvester ant live in subterranean burrows that sit beneath mounds of dirt.

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Given these size constraints, harvester ant hills are hot spots for what scientists call microvertebrate fossils, which are animal fossils too small to see without a microscope.

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For over a century, scientists like Dr. Hopkins have scraped sediment off the sides of harvester ant hills in search of these fossils, making it easier to find large numbers of fossilized mammal teeth without spending hours in the field sifting through sand and dirt.

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