Rugosus Harvester Ant with Workers

Product Description

The Rough Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, is a large-sized ant that is a great beginner species. Feeding is easy because they eat mostly seeds. They do sting but escapes are unlikely due to their lack of climbing abilities. This species comes in dark or light varieties and we sell the dark ones which are unique to Arizona.

Very similar to Pogonomyrmex barbatus but they are black instead of red.  These ants are a very good beginner species because they are hardy and easy to feed.

What’s in the Box

A P. rugosus colony in a test tube. The colony includes a queen, 3+ workers, eggs, larvae and pupae.

Diet

In the wild, they harvest seeds almost entirely.  They love seeds, including dandelion, chia, and blue grass. They also enjoy a weekly treat of pre-killed insect protein like crickets, dubia roaches, or meal worms. Like all ants, they need drinking water and sweets such as honey water, and apples.

Sting

They have a powerful sting but tend to be poor climbers. Just make sure to smear a layer of fluon at the top of the outworld so the few that have managed to crawl to the top cannot escape. They can’t sting through rubber exam gloves so you might consider wearing them while cleaning the outworld.

Housing

Test tube

Colony Size

Every colony comes with a Queen, workers, and in-progress brood.

Live Arrival Guarantee

Please see our Refunds and Live Arrival Policy for requirements in order to be eligible for a replacement or refund.

States we are permitted to ship to:

AZ, CA, KS, NM, TX, OK

Local pickup in Tempe, AZ