Bug FAQMaricopa Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex maricopa · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Source: Wikipedia
The Maricopa harvester ant is common in Arizona and several neighboring U.S. states and Mexican states. It builds sand mound nests that may include rocks, gravel, and cemented caps. It helps decompose dead insects by dragging them underground, enriching the soil. If it bites, the ant attaches with its mandibles and repeatedly stings, delivering a venom that causes intense pain for four to eight hours.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Pogonomyrmex maricopa, the Maricopa harvester ant, is a common harvester ant in Arizona and also occurs in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and parts of northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
When they bite, they latch on with their mandibles and pivot to sting repeatedly, injecting venom that causes intense pain lasting four to eight hours.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Their nests are sand mounds that often incorporate rocks and gravel, and they build cemented caps on the mounds in fine sand dune areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, California, Nevada, Colorado, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How painful is a sting from a Maricopa harvester ant?
The sting is intensely painful and can last from four to eight hours.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Maricopa harvester ants eat?
They collect dead insects and drag the carcasses underground, helping decompose them and enrich the soil.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are Maricopa harvester ants found?
They are common in Arizona and also occur in several neighboring U.S. states and northern Mexican states.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Formicidae)
Eastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your home
Red Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan sting
American Winter AntPrenolepis imparis
Argentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerous
Immigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan sting
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogonomyrmex_maricopa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.