Miscellaneous Images
Meet the Pogos! These images depict Pogo
workers at various locations in North America.
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![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m / 500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 5/17/09 7:29AM sunny, air temperature 16°C / 61°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">A Pogo's tough, chitinous exoskeleton (integument) gives the ant its form, serves as defensive armor, and helps to minimize water loss in an often harsh, arid environment. Some specific morphological features, such as the two-noded 'waist' (petiole, and post-petiole - characteristic of these ants and others of the subfamily Myrmicinae), the <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_propodealSpinesInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">propodeal spines</span></a>, and the intricate <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_surfaceSculptureInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">surface sculpture</span></a>, can all be seen in this image of a <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex salinus</em></span></a> worker.
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-qGFMVd6/7/f0fffc0d/L/2198_09_Rf-L.jpg)
● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m / 500 ft] view location in Google Maps » ● 5/17/09 7:29AM sunny, air temperature 16°C / 61°F
A Pogo's tough, chitinous exoskeleton (integument) gives the ant its form, serves as defensive armor, and helps to minimize water loss in an often harsh, arid environment. Some specific morphological features, such as the two-noded 'waist' (petiole, and post-petiole - characteristic of these ants and others of the subfamily Myrmicinae), the propodeal spines, and the intricate surface sculpture, can all be seen in this image of a Pogonomyrmex salinus worker.
pogopogonomyrmexpogonomyrmex salinusantsmacroharvester antspogos
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Fernley [Lyon Co], NV USA [el. 1271 m / 4171 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.00048afd64f5e81bc4956&ll=39.614152,-119.262085&spn=1.481079,2.334595&z=8&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 6/23/10 6:27AM partly cloudy, air temp: 17°C / 62°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">[IMAGE 1 of 2] A beautiful <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PcalifornicusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex californicus</em></span></a> worker pauses briefly after emerging from her nest.
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-RvMPwcG/0/8e5b0456/Ti/4406_10_7Df-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Fernley [Lyon Co], NV USA [el. 1271 m / 4171 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.00048afd64f5e81bc4956&ll=39.614152,-119.262085&spn=1.481079,2.334595&z=8&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 6/23/10 6:27AM partly cloudy, air temp: 17°C / 62°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">[IMAGE 2 of 2] A beautiful <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PcalifornicusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex californicus</em></span></a> worker pauses briefly after emerging from her nest (cropped view).
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-B6gqq3f/0/0bf11a65/Ti/4406_10_7Dc-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m / 500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 9/14/09 8:08AM 50% cloud, air temp: 20°C / 68°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">This particularly beautiful (and orange-red colored) <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>P.salinus</em></span></a> <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_workerInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">worker</span></a> was imaged at one of our favorite spots - an abandoned agricultural field in central Washington state. These ants seem to nest preferentially in areas of disturbed habitat, like old farm fields, and along the edges of roads. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span></div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>A newly-mated Pogo queen looks for a relatively dry, relatively vegetation free, bare soil (sandy) patch on which to land, and start a new colony. Abandoned agricultural fields, vacant lots, and the margins of roads (roadside 'ditches') all provide attractive habitat for many <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PogonomyrmexInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">Pogonomyrmex </span></a> ants. In addition, roadside margins provide corridors of suitable nesting habitat that stretch away for miles in many directions, and in some cases, probably facilitate the expansion of an ant's range.
·DeMers, M.N. 1993. Roadside Ditches as Corridors for Range Expansion of the Western Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Cresson) Landscape Ecology vol. 8 no. 2, pp 93-102. SPB Academic Publishing bv, The Hague</em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-N4DBxSt/0/1232d40c/Ti/1129_09_40f-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● SW of Pyramid Lake [Washoe Co], NV USA [el. 1323 m / 4341 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.00048ab74785d385f672e&ll=39.800096,-119.665833&spn=0.738551,1.167297&z=9&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 6/24/10 6:13AM mostly sunny, air temp: 12°C / 53°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">I arrived at this large <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PoccidentalisInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex occidentalis</em></span></a> colony, just as the sun was coming up from behind the hills. This was one of only two workers visible outside of the nest at this early hour.
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-sTq25wj/0/4fecafcd/Ti/4477_10_7Df-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● North of Madera Canyon [Pima Co], AZ USA [el. 1218 m / 3998 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000495080eac59d3a471c&ll=31.758532,-110.886383&spn=0.408685,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 11/03/10 11:18AM sunny, air temp: 25°C / 78°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Pausing for a few seconds, this <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PimberbiculusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex imberbiculus</em></span></a> worker investigates a piece of plant matter. She moved on without retrieving the object. This image was captured about 0.6 m / 2 feet away from this ant's tiny nest.
</div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em> These ants are quite difficult to image. On both of the occasions during this trip (Nov. 2010) that I observed P. imberbiculus, there were no more than two workers on the surface at any given time. They move along at a modest but steady pace, and pause infrequently (and very briefly).
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-kwDQC7F/0/0d8afdd8/Ti/6462_10_7D-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m / 500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 9/14/09 8:02AM 50% cloud, air temp: 20°C / 68°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">A <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>P. salinus</em></span></a> worker navigates the area near her nest, in central Washington state. Where color is concerned, the ants of this species can vary considerably - ranging from a rather dark red, to a lighter orange-red (as seen here), to reddish-brown. Over the years, this intra-specific color variation has probably led to some confusion regarding the classification of these ants. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span></div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>·Cole, A.C. 1968. Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants: A Study of the Genus in North America. Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press
·Shattuck, S.O. 1987. An Analysis of Geographic Variation in the Pogonomyrmex Occidentalis Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Psyche Vol. 94</em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-2jsM2c9/7/a61a4c2a/Ti/1117_09_40f-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Horse Ridge area, SE of Bend [Deschutes Co], OR USA [el. 1310 m / 4297 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.00047a3daca81cf459487&ll=43.912533,-121.007083&spn=0.086565,0.145912&z=12&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 7/20/09 8:31AM sunny, air temp: lower 60s°F </span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Several <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex salinus</em></span></a> workers can be seen here, heading out from the nest to <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_feedingInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">forage</span></a>. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span></div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em> <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PoccidentalisInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">Pogonomyrmex occidentalis</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">P.salinus</span></a> are generally regarded to be 'trunk-trail foragers'. In many cases, multiple, well established trails lead away from the nest in different directions. Workers travel along these paths to the end, and then disperse, or 'fan out' to search individually for <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_feedingInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"> seeds or other food items</span></a>. After securing something (or in many cases failing to do so), the ants return individually to the nest by way of the trunk trail. In many <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PogonomyrmexInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">Pogonomyrmex</span></a> species, trunk-trails have been shown to be oriented so that foraging ants from neighboring colonies avoid mass confrontations during their searches for food. This allows there to be a greater density of nests in a given area, with minimal conflict.
These trails are initially established (and reinforced) by pheromones laid down by the ants. In at least one species <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PbarbatusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">(P. barbatus)</span></a>, foraging workers are influenced in their choice of which of multiple trails to utilize on a given day, by 'patrollers' - workers who leave the nest first in the morning, and scout the area. They then lay a short chemical trail with secretions from the Dufour's gland, from the nest entrance to the start of a particular trunk-trail(s). Evidence suggests that the direction chosen by the patrollers is not so much based on food availability, but by their encounters with patrollers from neighboring colonies.
The visibility and length of trunk-trails can vary greatly. The P.salinus trails we have observed so far (in Oregon and Washington states), while occasionally very visible (and free of vegetation), are more often indistinct, and not easily observable unless ants are traveling along them. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, we have observed trunk-trails of Pogonomyrmex salinus 9m / 29.5ft or more in length - though it is our experience that they are usually much shorter - and many nests (the majority in some locations) have no visible trails.
We also observe these ants foraging individually near the nest, in Oregon and Washington states.
·Greene, M.J. & D.M. Gordon. 2007. How Patrollers Set Foraging Direction in Harvester Ants. The American Naturalist, Vol. 170, No. 6, December 2007
·Hölldobler, B.1974. Home Range Orientation and Territoriality in Harvesting Ants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Vol. 71, No. 8, pp. 3274-3277, August 1974
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson.1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press
·Johnson, R.A. 2000. Seed Harvesting Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of North America: An Overview of Ecology and Biogeography. Sociobiology Vol.36, No. 1, 2000
·Jorgensen C.D. & Porter, S.D. 1982. Foraging Behavior of Pogonomyrmex Owyheei in Southeast Idaho. Environmental Entomology, Vol. 11, No. 2, April 1982
</em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-LzCnWp2/8/b3ba2797/Ti/0623_09_40f-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m / 500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 9/4/08 8:12AM sunny, air temp: 21°C / 70°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain"><a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex salinus</em></span></a> workers interacting near their nest entrance. It is interesting to note that in this image, the <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_workerInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">workers</span></a> at bottom left, and top, are both missing leg segments - possibly as the result of conflict with Pogos from neighboring colonies. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span></div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>It is common to see workers waving their antennae over each other as they come and go around the nest entrance. Ants from the same colony have a distinctive odor (detectable by the ants) - and with a quick sweep of the antennae, a worker can chemically discriminate between a nestmate and an intruder. The ants can also receive and transmit important task, and status-related cues that help regulate foraging and other behaviors (including those concerning reproductive status). This is all facilitated by chemical compounds (hydrocarbons) that are produced within the ants' bodies, and that eventually reside on the outer layer of the ant's exoskeleton (cuticle). The frequent grooming by ants, of nestmates and themselves, helps distribute these nest/task/status-recognition labels throughout the colony.
·Greene, M.J. & D.M. Gordon. 2007. How Patrollers Set Foraging Direction in Harvester Ants. The American Naturalist, Vol. 170, No. 6, December 2007
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson.1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson. 2009. The Superorganism. W.W. Norton & Company, New York and London
·Wagner, D.,M. Tissot, W. Cuevas, and D.M. Gordon. 2000. Harvester Ants Utilize Cuticular Hydrocarbons in Nestmate Recognition. Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol. 26, No. 10, 2000</em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-9R2wD4k/5/e6c618a6/Ti/0936_08_Rf-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Anza-Borrego Desert S.P., Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Rec. Area, [San Diego Co], CA USA [el. 121 m / 398 ft]<span class="mapLink"> map location not yet available »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 4/06/11 12:28PM overcast, breezy, air temp: 30°C / 86°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Deftly Climbing over the large rocks that make up its <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_Panzensis_hab_01Info.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">rugged habitat</span></a>, this <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PanzensisInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex anzensis</em></span></a> worker searches for seeds and other plant material. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span>
</div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>At this location (Ocotillo Wells V.R.A.), we saw a few foraging workers with tiny unidentified seeds, and other plant parts. At the Pegleg location (see images in this gallery) we saw many workers retrieving the fallen seeds of brittlebush (Encelia farinosa). Like most other members the genus Pogonomyrmex, P.anzensis most likely <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_feedingInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">supplements</span></a> its intake of plant material by occasionally scavenging dead insects, or other arthropods. We did not observe any scavenging activity, however, at either of the locations we visited in April 2011.</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-m7pvD32/2/9745d96f/Ti/7529_11_7D-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m / 500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 5/17/09 7:29AM sunny, air temperature 16°C / 61°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">A Pogo's tough, chitinous exoskeleton (integument) gives the ant its form, serves as defensive armor, and helps to minimize water loss in an often harsh, arid environment. Some specific morphological features, such as the two-noded 'waist' (petiole, and post-petiole - characteristic of these ants and others of the subfamily Myrmicinae), the <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_propodealSpinesInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">propodeal spines</span></a>, and the intricate <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_surfaceSculptureInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">surface sculpture</span></a>, can all be seen in this image of a <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex salinus</em></span></a> worker.
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-qGFMVd6/7/f0fffc0d/Ti/2198_09_Rf-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Horse Ridge area, SE of Bend [Deschutes Co], OR USA [el. 1310 m / 4297 ft] </span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.00047a3daca81cf459487&ll=43.912533,-121.007083&spn=0.086565,0.145912&z=12&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 7/20/09 7:26AM sunny, air temp: 12°C / 54°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Shown in a somewhat defensive posture, this <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex salinus</em></span></a> worker basks in the early morning sun, near the entrance to her nest. You may also notice that this individual's left back leg has been severed through the tibia, very likely as a result of conflict with ants of a neighboring colony. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>The air temperature was approx. 8°C/46°F when we arrived at Horse Ridge, early on this clear July morning. At over 1300m / 4200ft elevation, this location experiences relatively low temperatures at night - even in Summer. There are many large gravel-covered nests of Pogonomyrmex salinus in this Juniper-Big Sagebrush community - but there were no Pogos to be seen. This changed, however, as the sun warmed the soil (and in particular, the gravel that covers the surfaces of the nests themselves). As soon as the air temperature reached approx. 10.5°C/51°F, the first P. salinus <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_workerInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">workers</span></a> emerged from their nest entrances. At this point, the <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_gravelInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">gravel</span></a> surrounding/covering some of these nests had already reached a temperature of approx. 20.5°C/69°F. This demonstrates the efficacy of the gravel nest-covering (and in some cases, the choice of nest location incorporating large rocks, also seen in this area), as a means of collecting solar radiation. This allows the upper reaches of the nest to warm quickly in the morning sun, allowing the ants to become active at an earlier time.
·Anderson, K. E. & J. C. Munger. 2003. Effect of Temperature on Brood Relocation in Pogonomyrmex salinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Western North American Naturalist 63(1), 2003, pp. 122-128
·Cole, B. J. 1994. Nest Architecture in the Western Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson) Ins. Soc. 41:401-410 (1994)
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press</em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-4pMQVCN/7/6d6e07e5/Ti/0514_09_40f-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 6.4km/4mi SE of Oracle [Pinal Co], AZ USA [el. 1343 m / 4408 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.00049542e9e022431a362&ll=32.579221,-110.720215&spn=0.810036,1.167297&z=9&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 11/02/10 2:46PM sunny, air temp: 23°C / 73°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">[IMAGE 2 of 5] The residents of a <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PbarbatusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex barbatus</em></span></a> colony congregate around their nest entrance.](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-22RKvqk/0/9a0e426d/Ti/6305_10_7D-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m/500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 9/27/09 8:47AM sunny, air temp: 18°C / 64°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">This unusual scene was captured on the last day of our 2009 season. Looking like an out-of-focus mirror image, a 'normal' <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em> P.salinus</em></span></a> worker (background) gazes back at a <em>newly eclosed</em> nestmate (the yellowish-gold ant in the foreground). 'Eclosion' refers to the emergence of the adult ant from the pupal phase (the final stage of its pre-adult metamorphosis <span class="footnoteTag">[1]</span>). These 'new' ants, referred to as <em>callow</em>, are light in color, and their exoskeleton (integument) is rather soft. At least for some Pogo species, the exoskeleton of the callows will darken and take on the rigidity of a 'normal' <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_workerInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">worker</span></a> in several days, to a few weeks after eclosion <span class="footnoteTag">[2]</span>. Callow workers are not usually seen outside the interior of the nest <span class="footnoteTag">[3]</span>, and in 2 years of observing and imaging <em>P.salinus</em>, we have seen them on only three occasions. Finally, the uniqueness of the scene is enhanced by the proximity of the callow ant to a quartz pebble of strikingly similar color! <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span></div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
[1]
<em>Pogos, like all other ants, undergo a complete metamorphosis: egg → larva → pupa → adult.
[2]
In one study, <em>Pogonomyrmex rugosus</em> callow workers took 5 days or less to take on the appearance of an adult, and <em>P. monatnus</em> workers took about 3 weeks. It is also noted, the callow worker population for three species, <em>Pogonomyrmex monatnus</em>, <em>P. rugosus</em>, and <em>P.subnitidus</em>, reached its maximum in September.
·MacKay, W.P. 1981. A Comparison of Nest Phenologies of Three Species of Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche, Vol. 88, No. 1-2, 1981
[3]
In a great number of ant species (possibly the majority), workers tend to progress from interior tasks like brood care, to exterior tasks such as external defending of the nest and foraging, as they grow older. Groups of workers performing different duties depending on their age are known as <em>temporal castes</em>. Callow workers are usually confined relatively deep within the nest, caring for the eggs, larvae, and pupae (known collectively as brood).
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press
·MacKay, W.P. 1981. A Comparison of Nest Phenologies of Three Species of Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche, Vol. 88, No. 1-2, 1981
·Porter, S.D., and C.D. Jorgensen. 1981. Foragers of the Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex owyheei: a Disposable Caste? Behavioral Ecology and Socialbiology (1981) 9:247-256
·Tschinkel WR. 2004. The Nest Architecture of the Florida Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex badius. Journal of
Insect Science, 4:21<em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-qq9rq3Q/10/7822cef7/Ti/1335_09_40c-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Anza-Borrego Desert S.P., Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Rec. Area, [San Diego Co], CA USA [el. 121 m / 398 ft]<span class="mapLink"> map location not yet available »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 4/06/11 12:37PM overcast, breezy, air temp: 30°C / 86°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">[Image 1 of 2] As mentioned earlier, these <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PanzensisInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex anzensis</em></span></a> ants did not stand still, or congregate around the nest entrance - making them very difficult 'moving targets' for imaging. Thankfully, a couple of workers paused for a few moments to engage in some self-grooming behavior. The forelegs were drawn along the length of the antennae, and also inserted between the ants' mandibles. Not visible in these images are the tiny pectinate (comb-like) <em>tibial spurs</em> on the ants' forelegs. These structures, combined with grooves on the legs themselves form the tibio-tarsal antenna cleaners, through which the antennae are drawn. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span>
</div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>These grooming actions not only remove fungus and other debris, but may also serve to spread antibiotic secretions over the ant's body. In many ant lineages, much of this bacteria-fighting substance is secreted from the metapleural gland, located on the ant's mesosoma, the 'middle' body part (also called the alitrunk). There is also evidence that some ants posses a gland that is incorporated in the 'antenna cleaner' (strigilis) itself. It is unclear if the secretions from this gland aid solely in the cleaning of the antenna, or serve as a means of chemical communication - perhaps they fulfill both of these roles. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, grooming (and self-grooming) behaviors also distribute the chemical compounds ('cuticular hydrocarbons') that allow ants to discriminate between nestmates and intruders, regulate worker tasks, and also permit identification of reproductive status between colony members.
·Fernández-Marín, H., J.K. Zimmerman, S.A. Rehner & W.T. Wcislo. 2006. Active Use of the Metapleural Gland by Ants in Controlling Fungal Infection. Proc. R. Soc. B (2006) 273, 1689–1695 doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3492 Published online 15 March 2006
·Greene, M.J. & D.M. Gordon. 2007. How Patrollers Set Foraging Direction in Harvester Ants. The American Naturalist, Vol. 170, No. 6, December 2007
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press
·Schönitzer, K., H. Dott, R.R. Melzer. 1996. The Antenna Cleaner Gland in Messor rufitarsis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Tissue and Cell, 1996 28(1) 107-113, Pearson Professional Ltd.
·Wagner, D.,M. Tissot, W. Cuevas, and D.M. Gordon. 2000. Harvester Ants Utilize Cuticular Hydrocarbons in Nestmate Recognition. Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol. 26, No. 10, 2000</em></div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-9xctRSJ/2/3b95cf04/Ti/7545_11_7D-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Anza-Borrego Desert S.P., Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Rec. Area, [San Diego Co], CA USA [el. 121 m / 398 ft]<span class="mapLink"> map location not yet available »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 4/06/11 12:41PM overcast, breezy, air temp: 30°C / 86°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">[Image 2 of 2] As mentioned earlier, these ants <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PanzensisInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex anzensis</em></span></a> did not stand still, or congregate around the nest entrance - making them very difficult 'moving targets' for imaging. Thankfully, a couple of workers paused for a few moments to engage in some self-grooming behavior. The forelegs were drawn along the length of the antennae, and also inserted between the ants' mandibles. Not visible in these images are the tiny pectinate (comb-like) <em>tibial spurs</em> on the ants' forelegs. These structures, combined with grooves on the legs themselves form the tibio-tarsal antenna cleaners, through which the antennae are drawn. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span>
</div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>These grooming actions not only remove fungus and other debris, but may also serve to spread antibiotic secretions over the ant's body. In many ant lineages, much of this bacteria-fighting substance is secreted from the metapleural gland, located on the ant's mesosoma, the 'middle' body part (also called the alitrunk). There is also evidence that some ants posses a gland that is incorporated in the 'antenna cleaner' (strigilis) itself. It is unclear if the secretions from this gland aid solely in the cleaning of the antenna, or serve as a means of chemical communication - perhaps they fulfill both of these roles. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, grooming (and self-grooming) behaviors also distribute the chemical compounds ('cuticular hydrocarbons') that allow ants to discriminate between nestmates and intruders, regulate worker tasks, and also permit identification of reproductive status between colony members.
·Fernández-Marín, H., J.K. Zimmerman, S.A. Rehner & W.T. Wcislo. 2006. Active Use of the Metapleural Gland by Ants in Controlling Fungal Infection. Proc. R. Soc. B (2006) 273, 1689–1695 doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3492 Published online 15 March 2006
·Greene, M.J. & D.M. Gordon. 2007. How Patrollers Set Foraging Direction in Harvester Ants. The American Naturalist, Vol. 170, No. 6, December 2007
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press
·Schönitzer, K., H. Dott, R.R. Melzer. 1996. The Antenna Cleaner Gland in Messor rufitarsis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Tissue and Cell, 1996 28(1) 107-113, Pearson Professional Ltd.
·Wagner, D.,M. Tissot, W. Cuevas, and D.M. Gordon. 2000. Harvester Ants Utilize Cuticular Hydrocarbons in Nestmate Recognition. Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol. 26, No. 10, 2000</em></div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-3j9rbd5/3/5b993863/Ti/7571_11_7D-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m/500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 5/17/09 7:16AM sunny, air temp: 16°C / 61°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Looking at this <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>P.salinus</em></span></a> worker from above, it is easy to see the <em>subquadrate</em> or 'squarish' head shape that is characteristic of these ants. The distinctive <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_surfaceSculptureInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">surface sculpure</span></a> is also very apparent in this image. </div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-tXsRwJ8/5/28efb7a6/Ti/2157_09_Rf-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● Wanapum Rec. Area [Kittitas Co], WA USA [el. 190 m/623 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470bd413e9e793ba1d&ll=46.905483,-119.9903&spn=0.164191,0.291824&z=11&source=embed"><span class="mapLink">view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 7/9/09 8:36AM sunny, air temp: 19°C / 66°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Pogos are most well-known for their foraging and harvesting activities. This <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>P. salinus</em></span></a> worker was imaged while hurrying back to the nest with a grass spikelet. These ants <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_feedingInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">collect a wide variety of seeds and other plant parts</span></a>, and store them deep within the nest until needed. <span class ="footnoteTag">[see the 'Interactions with Plants' section of this site for more info]</span>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-9QjwcPb/5/99dadc9e/Ti/9810_09_40f-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m/500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 8/24/08 7:48AM mostly sunny, air temp: 16°C / 61°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Our favorite time for <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PogonomyrmexInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">Pogo</span></a> watching is early in the morning, when the <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_workerInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">workers</span></a> are just emerging from the nest. At this time of day, when temperatures are cool, the ants are often very docile, and quite lethargic. On one such morning, this <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>P. salinus</em></span></a> worker (left) comically flopped over on her side, for a leg-cleaning session. <span class ="footnoteTag">[scroll down for additional notes/references]</span>
</div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>We were unable to see precisely how the cleaning was accomplished - but it seemed similar to this account of <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PbarbatusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex barbatus</em></span></a> by H.C. McCook: <br><br><em>"The second and third pairs are also and oftener cleansed by the fore-legs, as follows: the ant throws herself over upon her side, draws up the middle and hind legs, which are interlocked at the tarsi, and then clasping them with one fore-leg, presses the other downward along the other two. The fore-legs alternate in this motion. When the legs of one side are cleansed, the ant reverses her position and repeats the process."
·McCook, H.C.1880. The Natural History of the Agricultural Ant of Texas. A Monograph of the Habits, Architecture, and Structure of Pogonomyrmex barbatus. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co.</em>
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-tVSgfT3/5/cf8aa103/Ti/0642_08_Rc-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m/500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 9/4/08 8:11AM sunny, air temp: 21°C / 70°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Another <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>Pogonomyrmex salinus</em></span></a> worker engaged in self-grooming behavior. Note that in this image the tiny pectinate (comb-like) <em>tibial spurs</em> on the ants' forelegs can be seen (enlarge image to 'x2 Large'). These structures, combined with grooves on the legs themselves form the tibio-tarsal antenna cleaners, through which the antennae are drawn. <span class ="footnoteTag"> [scroll down for additional notes/references]</span></div>
<div class="captionRefFootnote">ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCES:
<em>These grooming actions not only remove fungus and other debris, but may also serve to spread antibiotic secretions over the ant's body. In many ant lineages, much of this bacteria-fighting substance is secreted from the metapleural gland, located on the ant's mesosoma, the 'middle' body part (also called the alitrunk). There is also evidence that some ants posses a gland that is incorporated in the 'antenna cleaner' (strigilis) itself. It is unclear if the secretions from this gland aid solely in the cleaning of the antenna, or serve as a means of chemical communication - perhaps they fulfill both of these roles. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, grooming (and self-grooming) behaviors also distribute the chemical compounds ('cuticular hydrocabons') that allow ants to discriminate between nestmates and intruders, regulate worker tasks, and also permit identification of reproductive status between colony members.
·Fernández-Marín, H., J.K. Zimmerman, S.A. Rehner & W.T. Wcislo. 2006. Active Use of the Metapleural Gland by Ants in Controlling Fungal Infection. Proc. R. Soc. B (2006) 273, 1689–1695 doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3492 Published online 15 March 2006
·Greene, M.J. & D.M. Gordon. 2007. How Patrollers Set Foraging Direction in Harvester Ants. The American Naturalist, Vol. 170, No. 6, December 2007
·Hölldobler, B. & E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA, Belknap/Harvard Press
·Schönitzer, K., H. Dott, R.R. Melzer. 1996. The Antenna Cleaner Gland in Messor rufitarsis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Tissue and Cell, 1996 28(1) 107-113, Pearson Professional Ltd.
·Wagner, D.,M. Tissot, W. Cuevas, and D.M. Gordon. 2000. Harvester Ants Utilize Cuticular Hydrocarbons in Nestmate Recognition. Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol. 26, No. 10, 2000</em></div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-rB857mq/2/e00061d5/Ti/0931_08_Rf-Ti.jpg)
![<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● NW of Mattawa [Grant Co], WA USA [el. 152 m/500 ft]</span> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=100103460138962878270.000470f37e319b015bf28&ll=46.7596,-119.932433&spn=0.329276,0.583649&z=10&source=embed"><span class="mapLink"> view location in Google Maps »</span></a>
<span class="captionImageInfo"> ● 9/21/08 8:06AM overcast, air temp: 18°C / 64°F</span>
<div class="captionImageMain">Two <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_PsalinusInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm"><em>P. salinus</em></span></a> workers performing maintenance on their <a href="http://www.davidlouisquinn.com/pogolumina_gravelInfo.htm"><span class="glossLinkSm">gravel covered</span></a> nest, in central Washington state.
</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/NorthAmericanPogosbyBehavior/Overview/i-pzJL4pm/3/4b00e812/Ti/1272_08_Rc-Ti.jpg)
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