Bug FAQNovomessor cockerelli
Novomessor cockerelli · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Source: Wikipedia
It lives in upland desert plains of the Southwest US and Mexico, building large underground colonies with multiple entrances. Workers forage daily for seeds, plant material and dead insects, and the colony has a single queen.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Two distinctive spines on the propodeum help identify it.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
It cannot sting but will bite aggressively with a strong bite.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Colonies are large, underground, often with several entrances, on open ground or beside rocks.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Workers collect seeds, plant material and dead insects, with about half the diet made up of insect corpses.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Nuptial flights occur in July at dusk in the Chihuahuan Desert. Each colony contains a single queen.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Nuptial flights are observed in July at dusk in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada.
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
When do they have nuptial flights?
Nuptial flights happen in July at dusk in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this ant apart from similar species?
Look for the two spines on the propodeum and the distinctive head shape.
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/Novomessor_cockerelli
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 2026-10-22.