Variable Big-headed Ant

Pheidole bicarinata · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Variable Big-headed Ant
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY-SA

The big-headed ant lives in many different habitats. It is found across the United States, from the central plains to the east coast and the Gulf region. These ants eat other insects, gather seeds such as Kentucky bluegrass and dandelion, and sip nectar from extrafloral nectaries.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

They occur in a wide range of habitats.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

They prey on insects, collect seeds (e.g., Poa pratensis, Taraxacum officinale, Oenothera biennis), and feed on nectar from extrafloral nectaries.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Colonies grow quickly when kept in captivity. The species has four larval instars.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, Arizona, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee.

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

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Variable Big-headed Ant photo 3
Photo: Cole Shoemaker, CC BY
Variable Big-headed Ant photo 4
Photo: Gordon C. Snelling, CC BY
Variable Big-headed Ant photo 5
Photo: Carrie Seltzer, CC BY
Variable Big-headed Ant photo 6
Photo: Zihao Wang, CC BY

Questions people ask

What does the big-headed ant eat?

It eats other insects, gathers seeds such as Kentucky bluegrass and dandelion, and drinks nectar from extrafloral nectaries.

Source: Wikipedia

Where is this ant found in the United States?

It occurs from Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Utah and Nevada eastward to New Jersey and Florida.

Source: Wikipedia

How many larval stages does it have?

The species goes through four larval instars.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Formicidae)

Eastern Black Carpenter AntEastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your homeRed Imported Fire AntRed Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan stingAmerican Winter AntAmerican Winter AntPrenolepis imparisArgentine AntArgentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerousImmigrant Pavement AntImmigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan stingOdorous House AntOdorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your home

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheidole_bicarinata

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.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.