harvester ant

noun

1. any of several red or black ants, especially of the genus Pogonomyrmex, of the southwestern U.S., that feed on and store the seeds of grasses.

Word History and Origins

Origin of harvester ant¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Most species of harvester ant live in subterranean burrows that sit beneath mounds of dirt.

From New York Times

Given these size constraints, harvester ant hills are hot spots for what scientists call microvertebrate fossils, which are animal fossils too small to see without a microscope.

From New York Times

For over a century, scientists like Dr. Hopkins have scraped sediment off the sides of harvester ant hills in search of these fossils, making it easier to find large numbers of fossilized mammal teeth without spending hours in the field sifting through sand and dirt.

From New York Times

The beaver relative, Costepeiromys attasorus, was named in honor of the harvester ant species who discovered it.

From New York Times

The anxious peasant was as frenetic and hardworking as a harvester ant in the summer, sweating to plant olive trees whose oil would be pressed by his children and grandchildren, putting off until the winter or the following year the eating of the food he craved today.

From Literature