The World of the Harvester Ants (W L Moody, Jr, Natural History Series)

Harvester ants range the New World from Canada to Argentina and are generally noted for their large mounds and their fiery stings. Some early American naturalists believed that harvesters planted the seeds of their favorite grasses around their mounds and then "harvested" what they had sown -- a claim that, though mistaken, could easily be imagined to be true of these well-organized, highly social insects. This new volume explores all aspects of these creatures. The World of the Harvester Ants opens with the mythology and folklore surrounding the harvester ants of the southwestern United States and Mexico: the Aztecs believed that the red harvester brought corn to humankind, and Native Americans of the southwestern deserts invoked special rituals to placate the ants when their mounds were disturbed. The book continues with a complete description of the two genera of the harvester family, the Pogonomyrmex and the Ephebomyrmex. Sections of the book describe the ants' evolution, distribution, nest structure, habits, foods, predators and cohabitors, defenses, chemistry and communication, and sex life. Concluding discussions consider the ants' interaction with humans, including its perception as a pest and the history of pesticide use. Appendixes give the scientific and common names of each harvester ant species, explain how to identify harvesters without technical devices, and provide a complete key to all sixty species. The key is supplemented by illustrations and distribution maps for all the species. An extensive bibliography and a detailed index are included. Stephen Taber's fascinating and extensively illustrated book on harvester ants will serve as both a general guide tothese ants for the lay audience and a quick, accurate, and inclusive reference for scientists.