Longevity of Harvester Ant Colonies in Southern Idaho

Abstract

Harvester ant colonies (Pogo~omy~ex owyke~ Cole) in southern Idaho were monitored periodically for 9 years. Mortality rates indicate that established colonies live 1430 years 6 = 17). Mounds were commonly reactivated after the death of an old colony; consequently, some may be utilized for many decades. Clearings with active mounds showed almost no change after 9 years of observations while those without nctive mounds were rapidly filled by annual herbs and then gradually by perennial shrubs. Harvester ants are clearly 8 very persistent component of cold desert shrub communities. but needing improvement (Burley District, BLM). we mltially mapped P. owyheei mounds at 3 small plots (0.25 ha) and 1 large plot (2.72 ha, Fig. 1) in 1977. Mounds and clearings 0 : : Main iPlot 0. 4.:. j o ; .

Past, Present, and Future Old Growth in Frequent-fire Conifer Forests of the Western United States

“…There also can be old-growth ant colonies, as another example. Harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex owyheei) colonies can live for 30 years, with the mounds potentially reactivated by future colonies so that an individual ant mound can persist for centuries (Porter and Jorgensen 1988).…”

Extraordinary starvation resistance in Temnothorax rugatulus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) colonies: Demography and adaptive behavior

“…Quantitative data on colony mortality are lacking for most species (Kaspari and Vargo, 1995) but some notable exceptions have revealed a large inter-specific variability from one year in Harpegnathos saltator (Liebig and Poethke, 2004) to about 17 years in Pogonomyrmex owyheei (Porter and Jorgensen, 1988). Apart from comparisons of mortality between young and older colonies (Gordon, 1991) no studies address intraspecific variability in colony mortality.…”

Reclaiming Lost Territory: the Response of Owyhee Harvester Ants to Forager Intrusions by Neighboring Colonies

“…Their large, conical nests often dot the landscape and typically range in density from 10-80 colonies/ha (MacMahon et al 2000). Individual colonies may survive for more than 20 years (Porter and Jorgensen 1988;MacMahon et al 2000) as long as the founding queen survives and continues to lay eggs (Gordon 1991). In temperate climates harvester ants forage diurnally from spring to autumn whenever surface temperatures are sufficiently warm.…”

“…Pogonomyrmex salinus is the northernmost member of the genus, and occurs from southwestern Canada through Idaho, Washington, Oregon, northeastern California, Nevada, and western portions of Utah, Montana, and Wyoming (Cole 1968;Tabor 1998). Population densities as high as 164 colonies per hectare have been recorded (Blom et al 1991), although lower densities are more typical (Porter and Jorgensen 1988;Blom et al 1991;Robertson 2015).…”