7 Types of ANTS found in Nevada!
There are dozens of ant species that live in Nevada!
Trying to list them all would be impossible. 🙂
Below are the most common and abundant types of ants, which are part of the insect family Formicidae.
7 ANT SPECIES in Nevada:
#1. Odorous House Ant
- Tapinoma sessile
- Adult workers are usually a uniform color ranging from brown to black.
- They have a distinct rotten odor when crushed.
Odorous house ants are incredibly widespread because they can adapt to nearly any habitat in North America. They tolerate various habitats from sea level to 13,000 feet (4000 m) of elevation and occupy urban areas, forests, grasslands, bogs, and sandy coastal areas.
These ants are also commonly seen in homes in Nevada.
And they aren’t just searching for a comfortable place to live; odorous house ants love sweets! In the wild, they tend to feed on aphid honeydew and flower nectar, but they will gladly take advantage of human food when available.
They often nest outside on stumps, rocks, matted grass, and other debris but use cracks and termite-damaged wood found in homes. Interestingly, these nests aren’t stationary.
Odorous house ants tend to move their nests about every 21 days. They also tend to coexist peacefully with other ant species rather than strictly defend a territory.
#2. Dark Rover Ant
- Brachymyrmex patagonicus
- Adult workers are very small and uniformly brown.
- Their antennae have nine segments.
- They have relatively large eyes and long hairs on their backs.
Native to South America, the dark rover ant made its way north in the 1970s. Dark rover ants are often considered a nuisance species because they build nests in gardens or homes. In urban areas, it’s common for them to use mulch and manufactured structures to build nests. In hot, dry climates, these ants tend to be drawn to the moisture in kitchens and bathrooms. Thankfully, they don’t bite, sting, or carry any diseases.
These ants have spread into Nevada because they sometimes form “supercolonies.”
Rather than have a single nest with one queen, occasionally, a colony will form multiple nests, sometimes with hundreds of reproductive queens.
Additionally, dark rover ants peaceably coexist with other native and introduced species, including those usually intolerant of other ants. They also help control another invasive species, the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum).
#3. Argentine Ant
- Linepithema humile
- Workers are reddish-brown, occasionally darkening to black at the tips of their abdomens.
- They have a single node or petiole between their body and abdomen and heads that are longer than wide.
- Workers are small and relatively hairless.
According to the Global Invasive Species Database, Argentine ants are among the world’s 100 worst invasive animals. Native to South America, these ants are now found on every continent except Antarctica!
A crucial reason for their success is their ability to create what scientists call “megacolonies.” Unlike many other ant species, Argentine ants aren’t aggressive or competitive with other ants of the same species. Instead, they form extensive networks of interrelated colonies, and each colony has multiple queens. Studies have shown that these super colonies may extend for hundreds of miles! Their cooperation means they spend less time and resources defending nests and more time foraging.
While Argentine ants aren’t aggressive and don’t directly harm humans like fire ants, they have some significant negative impacts. These ants farm pests like aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects and eat the larvae of many essential pollinators. Both these factors decrease crop yields.
#4. Rough Harvester Ant
- Pogonomyrmex rugosus
- Workers vary from dark red to brown or black but are uniformly darker than other harvester ants.
- They have many lines and punctures on their heads and bodies, giving them a rough texture.
- Their antennae have twelve segments.
Also known as the desert harvester ant, this ant mainly inhabits dry landscapes in Nevada. You can find them in grasslands, deserts, and scrublands.
Rough harvester ants form large, crater-like mounds at the entrance to their nest.
Their colonies grow large and may include up to 15,000 workers. These workers use the same trails when leaving the nest, creating noticeable, permanent pathways.
Like other harvester ant species, they primarily feed on grains and seeds. However, unlike other harvester ants, rough harvesters usually aren’t agricultural pests. This is partly due to their habitat, which isn’t ideal for growing crops.
#5. Black Harvester Ant
- Veromessor pergandei
- Workers are shiny, dark brown, or black.
- Their heads are as wide as they are long and have large, conspicuous mandibles.
- They have short white or yellow hairs on their heads, bodies, and legs.
Black harvester ants thrive in the hottest, most arid regions in Nevada.
One of the easiest ways to find them is to look for their huge chaff piles. These chaff piles are made from husks and extra material from processing grains and seeds, which are the ants’ primary food source.
Harvester ants are often viewed negatively. However, they do have some incredible benefits. Their chaff piles and “trash dumps” frequently provide homes for other insects like beetles that scavenge them.
Additionally, the outer rings of their nest areas are also some of the most fertile land in their harsh habitat. The extra nutrients and decreased competition that result from the ants’ activity give vegetation in this area an advantage. For example, after a wildfire, the nest rim vegetation is often the first to recover and helps recolonize the rest of the area.
Black harvester ants also don’t tend to be major crop pests. They feed primarily on wild plants like perennial shrubs, creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), and burro weed (Ambrosia dumosa).
#6. Western Harvester Ant
- Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
- Workers are dark red and slightly shiny.
- They display significant texture on their heads and thoraxes.
- They have boxy heads with 12 segmented antennae.
Western harvester ant colonies in Nevada may last up to 40 years!
They inhabit arid regions like high-elevation grasslands, sagebrush, and forests and always select nest sites in open areas.
One feature that sets western harvester ants apart is their conspicuous nests. These ants construct large gravel mounds and remove the vegetation around them. You can spot the nests from aerial photographs! And these hills aren’t just for looks: choosing sites in open areas and removing the vegetation around the nest keeps them from burning during wildfires.
Don’t get too close, though. Mature colonies contain about 20,000 workers and will aggressively defend the nest, delivering painful stings.
#7. Western Thatching Ant
- Formica obscuripes
- Most workers typically have reddish-orange heads, reddish-orange or black chests, and black abdomens.
- Small workers may be all black or dark brown.
- They have one node between their upper body and abdomen.
These are the only ants in Nevada that build thatched roofs for themselves!
Western thatching ants create huge dirt mounds, but rather than leaving them bare like many species, they cover them with a layer of twigs, grasses, and other small pieces of plant material. Precisely what they use depends on their location.
These thatched roofs allow them to survive a wide variety of temperature, humidity, and weather conditions. The size of the colony’s mound generally depends on its age. Those of mature colonies regularly reach 18 inches (45 cm) tall, but even taller mounds aren’t uncommon!
Take a closer look at this astonishing species in the video below.
Did you like learning about the ants that live in Nevada?
Check out these ID guides focusing specifically on different insects and arachnids in Nevada.
- MOST Common Insects
- Butterflies
- Wasps & Hornets
- Dragonflies
- Bees
- Ladybugs
- Moths
- Stink Bugs
- Cockroaches
- Caterpillars
- Spiders
- Millipedes & Centipedes
- Scorpions
- Ticks
- Grasshoppers
Do you need additional help identifying ants in Nevada?
If so, check out this excellent ID guide!
Which of these ants have you seen in Nevada?
Leave a comment below!
