Bug FAQPheidole rhea
Pheidole rhea · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Source: Wikipedia
It builds large, aggressive colonies that eat seeds and insects. Workers have big heads and mandibles for fighting and cracking seeds, and their bites are non-painful but can irritate.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Major and supermajor workers have oversized heads and mandibles used for fighting and cracking seeds.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Workers cannot sting.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In Arizona they are found on grassy hills and in the lower parts of canyons.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, New Mexico.
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
Where are they found?
They are common on grassy hills and slopes in the southwestern US and northwest Mexico.
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/Pheidole_rhea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.