Pogonomyrmex is a genus of harvester ants, occurring primarily in the deserts of North, Central, and South America, with three 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 have the most toxic venom documented in any insects, with Pogonomyrmex maricopa being the most toxic tested thus far. It has an of only 0.12 mg/kg, compared to western honey bee venom, at 2.8 mg/kg, and comparable to cobra venom. The venom is presumed to be an antivertebrate defense, specifically against predators that have evolved to selectively feed on them such as horned lizards. Very few insects have had the toxicity of their venoms formally tested, and other insects likely have more potent venoms.
Nests These ants dig very deep nests with many underground chambers in which they keep seeds, from which they derive food for their larvae. The areas around most Pogonomyrmex (sensu stricto) nests tend to be utterly devoid of vegetation, and are easily seen from a distance.
Predation In addition to horned lizards, predatory wasps in the genus Clypeadon feed only on Pogonomyrmex workers, paralyzing them with their venom, and carrying them back to a burrow where they will serve as food for the wasp's larva.
Species As of 2014, there are 69 extant and 1 fossil species in the genus.
Pogonomyrmex abdominalis Santschi, 1929 Pogonomyrmex andinus Kusnezov, 1951 Pogonomyrmex anergismus Cole, 1954 Pogonomyrmex angustus Mayr, 1870 Pogonomyrmex anzensis Cole, 1968 Pogonomyrmex apache Wheeler, 1902 Pogonomyrmex atratus Santschi, 1922 Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille, 1802) Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith, 1858) Pogonomyrmex bicolor Cole, 1968 Pogonomyrmex bigbendensis Francke & Merickel, 1982 Pogonomyrmex bispinosus (Spinola, 1851) Pogonomyrmex brevibarbis Emery, 1906 Pogonomyrmex brevispinosus Cole, 1968 Pogonomyrmex bruchi Forel, 1913 Pogonomyrmex californicus (Buckley, 1866) Pogonomyrmex carbonarius Mayr, 1868 Pogonomyrmex catanlilensis Gallardo, 1931 Pogonomyrmex coarctatus Mayr, 1868 Pogonomyrmex colei Snelling, 1982 Pogonomyrmex comanche Wheeler, 1902 Pogonomyrmex cunicularius Mayr, 1887 Pogonomyrmex desertorum Wheeler, 1902 †Pogonomyrmex fossilis Carpenter, 1930 Pogonomyrmex guatemaltecus Wheeler, 1914 Pogonomyrmex hoelldobleri Johnson, Overson & Moreau, 2013 Pogonomyrmex huachucanus Wheeler, 1914 Pogonomyrmex humerotumidus Vásquez-Bolaños & Mackay, 2004 Pogonomyrmex imberbiculus Wheeler, 1902 Pogonomyrmex inermis Forel, 1914 Pogonomyrmex kusnezovi Cuezzo & Claver, 2009 Pogonomyrmex laevigatus Santschi, 1921 Pogonomyrmex laevinodis Snelling, 1982 Pogonomyrmex laticeps Santschi, 1922 Pogonomyrmex lobatus Santschi, 1921 Pogonomyrmex longibarbis Gallardo, 1931 Pogonomyrmex magnacanthus Cole, 1968 Pogonomyrmex marcusi Kusnezov, 1951 Pogonomyrmex maricopa Wheeler, 1914 Pogonomyrmex mayri Forel, 1899 Pogonomyrmex mendozanus Cuezzo & Claver, 2009 Pogonomyrmex meridionalis Kusnezov, 1951 Pogonomyrmex micans Forel, 1914 Pogonomyrmex mohavensis Johnson & Overson, 2009 Pogonomyrmex montanus MacKay, 1980 Pogonomyrmex naegelii Emery, 1878 Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Cresson, 1865) Pogonomyrmex odoratus Kusnezov, 1949 Pogonomyrmex pima Wheeler, 1909 Pogonomyrmex pronotalis Santschi, 1922 Pogonomyrmex rastratus Mayr, 1868 Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery, 1895 Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen, 1934 Pogonomyrmex saucius Wheeler & Mann, 1914 Pogonomyrmex schmitti Forel, 1901 Pogonomyrmex snellingi Taber, 1998 Pogonomyrmex stefani Lattke, 2006 Pogonomyrmex striatinodus Fernández & Palacio, 1998 Pogonomyrmex subdentatus Mayr, 1870 Pogonomyrmex subnitidus Emery, 1895 Pogonomyrmex sylvestris Lattke, 1991 Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens Santschi, 1936 Pogonomyrmex tenuispinus Forel, 1914 Pogonomyrmex texanus Francke & Merickel, 1982 Pogonomyrmex theresiae Forel, 1899 Pogonomyrmex uruguayensis Mayr, 1887 Pogonomyrmex variabilis Santschi, 1916 Pogonomyrmex vermiculatus Emery, 1906 Pogonomyrmex wheeleri Olsen, 1934
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