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Harvester Ants
Harvester ant, also known as harvesting ant, is a common name for any of the species or genera of ants that collect seeds (called seed predation), or mushrooms as in the case of ''Euprenolepis procera'', which are stored in the nest in communal chambers called granaries. They are also referred to as Agricultural ants. Seed harvesting by some desert ants is an adaptation to the lack of typical ant resources such as prey or honeydew from hemipterans. Harvester ants increase seed dispersal and protection, and provide nutrients that increase seedling survival of the desert plants. In addition, ants provide soil aeration through the creation of galleries and chambers, mix deep and upper layers of soil, and incorporate organic refuse into the soil. Seed dispersal Ants may play an important role in the dynamics of plant communities by acting either as seed dispersal agents or as seed predators, or both. During the day, these ants search the savannas for vegetation and plant seeds, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Florida Harvester Ant Teamwork! (Pogonomyrmex Badius) (6502194585)
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida and Cuba; it is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning , Florida ranks 22nd in area among the 50 states, and with a population of over 21 million, it is the third-most populous. The state capital is Tallahassee, and the most populous city is Jacksonville. The Miami metropolitan area, with a population of almost 6.2 million, is the most populous urban area in Florida and the ninth-most populous in the United States; other urban conurbations with over one million people are Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Various Native American groups have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zoochory
In Spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors, such as the wind, and living ( biotic) vectors such as birds. Seeds can be dispersed away from the parent plant individually or collectively, as well as dispersed in both space and time. The patterns of seed dispersal are determined in large part by the dispersal mechanism and this has important implications for the demographic and genetic structure of plant populations, as well as migration patterns and species interactions. There are five main modes of seed dispersal: gravity, wind, ballistic, water, and by animals. Some plants are serotinous and only disperse their seeds in response to an environmental stimulus. These modes are typically inferred based on adaptations, such as wings or fleshy fruit. However, this simplified view may ignor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pogonomyrmex
''Pogonomyrmex'' is a genus of harvester ants, occurring primarily in the deserts of North, Central, and South America, with a single endemic species from Haiti.Cole, A.C. 1968. Pogonomyrmex Harvester Ants: a study of the genus in North America. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN. Description The genus name originated from the Greek language and refers to a beard-like structure, the psammophore, below the head (Greek πώγων/''pōgōn'', "beard" + μύρμηξ/''murmēx'', "ant"), which can be found in most species of the subgenus ''sensu stricto''. The psammophore is used for gathering small seeds, helping to increase the efficiency of transportation of fine sand and pebbles during nest construction, or to carry eggs. However, this structure is missing in species of the subgenus ''Ephebomyrmex'' (Greek ἔφηβος/''ephēbos'', "beardless lad"), and these species generally have smaller individuals and colonies. Venom ''Pogonomyrmex'' (''sensu stricto'') workers ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pheidole
''Pheidole'' is a genus of ants that belongs to the ant subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is widespread and ecologically dominant. It probably includes more than 1000 species. The genus first evolved in the Americas, eventually spreading across the globe. Colony structure Most species of ''Pheidole'' are dimorphic, which means that colonies contain two castes of workers, the "minor" workers, and the "major" workers, or "soldiers". The latter generally have much larger heads and mandibles in comparison to their usually fairly modest body size. In addition, as in other ant species, a colony may contain one or several queens, and also in mature colonies, alates - virgin winged females and males. Pheidole_xerophila-major_minors.jpg, major and minor workers of ''P. xerophila'' Major workers The distinctive major workers have earned the genus ''Pheidole'' the nickname of "big-headed ants". The major workers of a ''Pheidole'' colony, while they may look fierce, are often quite sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messor
''Messor'' is a myrmicine genus of ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roadsides, openings are directly to the surface. Colonies can achieve huge sizes and are notable for their intricately designed granaries in which seeds are stored in dry conditions, preventing germination. The structure of ''Messor'' spp. nests is complex and the genus on the whole is one of very accomplished architects. ''Messor'' spp. are polymorphic and have a distinct caste of macrocephalic dinoergates whose role is carrying and cutting the large seeds which comprise much of the colonies' subsistence. Although they primarily feed on seeds, they occasionally eat insects and snails. Some snail shells possibly are taken into the nest because of their grain-like shape. Equipped with a tough, shining cuticle, ''Messor'' spp. are slow-movin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euprenolepis
''Euprenolepis'' is a Southeast Asian genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae with eight recognized species. Species * ''Euprenolepis echinata'' LaPolla, 2009 * ''Euprenolepis maschwitzi'' LaPolla, 2009 * ''Euprenolepis negrosensis'' (Wheeler, 1930) * ''Euprenolepis procera'' (Emery, 1900) * ''Euprenolepis thrix'' LaPolla, 2009 * ''Euprenolepis variegata'' LaPolla, 2009 * ''Euprenolepis wittei'' LaPolla, 2009 * ''Euprenolepis zeta'' La Polla, 2009 Distribution ''Euprenolepis'' is endemic to southeastern Asia. Most species are presently known from Borneo only, but whether or not this reflects biological reality or collecting bias remains unclear. Taxonomy ''Euprenolepis'' was constructed as a subgenus within ''Prenolepis'' by Emery (1906), but he later moved the subgenus to ''Paratrechina'' (Emery, 1925). When ''Euprenolepis'' was raised to full genus level by Brown (1953), he also synonymized ''Chapmanella'' with ''Euprenolepis''. Description Six diagnostic characters can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aphaenogaster Cockerelli
''Novomessor cockerelli'' is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is native to the deserts of the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It lives in large underground colonies in which there is a single queen. The worker ants leave the nest daily to forage for seeds, plant material and dead insects. Description ''Novomessor cockerelli'' is a large brown ant with a blackish gaster, long legs and an elongated head. It can be recognised by the two distinctive spines on the propodeum. It can be distinguished from the rather similar '' Novomessor albisetosus'' by the shape of its head. It cannot sting but is very aggressive and has a powerful bite. Distribution and habitat ''Novomessor cockerelli'' is found in arid areas of the Southwestern United States including Texas and the Franklin Mountains, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. It is also present in northern Mexico in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila and Nuevo León. Its typical habitat is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aphaenogaster
''Aphaenogaster'' is a genus of myrmicine ants. About 200 species have been described, including 18 fossil species. They occur worldwide except in South America south of Colombia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Antarctica. They are often confused with ''Pheidole'' or ''Pheidologeton''. These two have major and minor workers, while ''Aphaenogaster'' has only a single worker caste. ''Pheidole'' has three-segmented clubs on its antennae, while ''Aphaenogaster'' has four segments and a larger body size. ''Pheidologeton'' has 11-segmented antennae, while the antennae in ''Aphaenogaster'' are 12-segmented.Genus ''Aphaenogaster'' In Australia, they often build dense, conspicuous nests.Richards, P.J. (2009) ''Aphaenogaster'' ants as bioturbators: impacts on soil and slope processes. Earth-Science Reviews 96 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piloerection
Goose bumps, goosebumps or goose-pimples are the bumps on a person's skin at the base of body hairs which may involuntarily develop when a person is tickled, cold or experiencing strong emotions such as fear, euphoria or sexual arousal. The formation of goose bumps in humans under stress is considered to be a vestigial reflex. Its function in other apes is to raise the body's hair, and would have made human ancestors appear larger to scare off predators or to increase the amount of air trapped in the fur to make it more insulating. The reflex of producing goose bumps is known as piloerection or the pilomotor reflex, or, more traditionally, horripilation. It occurs in many mammals; a prominent example is porcupines Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ..., which raise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pogonomyrmex Barbatus
''Pogonomyrmex barbatus'' is a species of harvester ant from the genus ''Pogonomyrmex''. Its common names include red ant and red harvester ant. These large (5– to 7-mm) ants prefer arid chaparral habitats and are native to the Southwestern United States. Nests are made underground (up to 2.5 m deep) in exposed areas. Their diets consist primarily of seeds, and they consequently participate in myrmecochory, an ant-plant interaction through which the ants gain nutrients and the plants benefit through seed dispersal. Red harvester ants are often mistaken for fire ants, but are not closely related to any fire ant species, native or introduced. Colonization Red harvester ant nests are characterized by a lack of plant growth and small pebbles surrounding the entrance to the tunnel, which usually descends at a pronounced angle. Hulls of seeds may be found scattered around the nest. In grassland areas, such as ranches, the lack of plant life makes red harvester ant colonies very easy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messor Andrei
''Messor'' is a myrmicine genus of ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roadsides, openings are directly to the surface. Colonies can achieve huge sizes and are notable for their intricately designed granaries in which seeds are stored in dry conditions, preventing germination. The structure of ''Messor'' spp. nests is complex and the genus on the whole is one of very accomplished architects. ''Messor'' spp. are polymorphic and have a distinct caste of macrocephalic dinoergates whose role is carrying and cutting the large seeds which comprise much of the colonies' subsistence. Although they primarily feed on seeds, they occasionally eat insects and snails. Some snail shells possibly are taken into the nest because of their grain-like shape. Equipped with a tough, shining cuticle, ''Messor'' spp. are slow-moving ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desiccation
Desiccation () is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container. Industry Desiccation is widely employed in the oil and gas industry. These materials are obtained in a hydrated state, but the water content leads to corrosion or is incompatible with downstream processing. Removal of water is achieved by cryogenic condensation, absorption into glycols, and absorption onto desiccants such as silica gel. Laboratory A desiccator is a heavy glass or plastic container, now somewhat antiquated, used in practical chemistry for drying or keeping small amounts of materials very dry. The material is placed on a shelf, and a drying agent or ''desiccant'', such as dry silica gel or anhydrous sodium hydroxide, is placed below the shelf. Often some sort of humidity indicator is included in the desiccator to show, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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