Ants of the Navajo Reservation

A Field Guide to the Ants of the Navajo Reservation

Contributors

• Gary Alpert
• Beverly Maxwell
• David Lubertazzi
• Stefan Cover
• Marek Borowiec
• Naomi Pierce
• Arnold Clifford

The Navajo Reservation covers more than 27,000 square miles, making it larger than 10 of the 50 states within the United States. Navajo land is located between the mountains of Colorado and Utah and the low deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. This region includes a diverse range of habitats from high mountains at more than 10,000 feet, down into deep canyons, numerous mesas, tributaries of the Colorado River and lower elevation semi-arid deserts. The Navajo Ant Project is dedicated to the discovery of the ant biodiversity on this fascinating land and to integrating traditional Navajo cultural values with the modern scientific method.

Ya'at'eeh (Hello).The Navajo Ant Project's goal is to integrate traditional Navajo cultural values with the modern scientific method as it explores the ant biodiversity on the Navajo Reservation.

The Navajo Ant Project is the first comprehensive scientific field study of the distribution and abundance of ants on Navajo Nation land. Harvard University collaborators are contributing expertise in teaching, ant identification, field work, insect photography and experimental design. They are collaborating with Navajo students and Navajo teaching staff to conduct and publish research on the biodiversity of ants. Special habitat areas of interest have been selected as field sites for the study of ant diversity. Different elevations, soil types and plant communities have been chosen to maximize the potential to collect a diverse number of ants. The Navajo ant research team will use the latest in Global Information System (GIS) technology and field collecting techniques to study the role of native ants in the ecology and conservation of biodiversity.

We hope to motivate and encourage Navajo people to study and appreciate the diversity on their lands and to protect and to cherish these resources for future generations. List of ant species found on the Navajo Reservation (24 genera and 100 species).

To everyone who is interested in Navajo ants.

Ants and Navajo culture

Ants are an important symbol in Navajo culture and tradition.

Basic ant biology | Behavior

Life history, cycle, ant categories (sting, bite), foraging (seeds, raid)

Photographing and Collecting Ants

Equipment. Where to start where to go and what characters to see, polymorpholoy. Photography to see upclose.

Geography and Habitat

Sandy, woodland, elevation, nest craters, mesas, Grand Canyon, Plants.

Identifying ants

Using a key (genera, species), Important traits.

Subfamily Diversity

Sortable table

Subfamily	genera	species
Dolichoderinae	4	6
Ecitoninae	1	2
Formicinae	6	47
Myrmicinae	12	49
Ponerinae	1	1
Totals	24	105

Sortable table

Genus	#-species	#-subspecies	#-morphospecies	total-#-species	Subfamily	Taxonomic Status
Dorymyrmex	2		2	4	Dolichoderinae	fair
Forelius	1			1	Dolichoderinae	fair
Liometopum	2			2	Dolichoderinae	good
Tapinoma	1			1	Dolichoderinae	poor
Neivamyrmex	2			2	Ecitoninae	good
Brachymyrmex	1			1	Formicinae	poor
Camponotus	8			8	Formicinae	fair
Formica	19			19	Formicinae	fair
Lasius	12			12	Formicinae	good
Myrmecocystus	6			6	Formicinae	good
Polyergus	1			1	Formicinae	good
Aphaenogaster	2			2	Myrmicinae	poor
Crematogaster	4			4	Myrmicinae	poor
Formicoxenus	1			1	Myrmicinae	good
Leptothorax	3			3	Myrmicinae	fair
Veromessor	2			2	Myrmicinae	fair
Monomorium	1		1	2	Myrmicinae	fair
Myrmica	5			5	Myrmicinae	poor
Pheidole	9			9	Myrmicinae	poor
Pogonomyrmex	6			6	Myrmicinae	good
Solenopsis	3			3	Myrmicinae	fair
Stenamma	3			3	Myrmicinae	fair
Temnothorax	6			6	Myrmicinae	good
Hypoponera	1			1	Ponerinae	good

Key to Ant Genera of the Navajo Reservation

Use this illustrated key to the twenty-four ant genera known from the Navajo Reservation. At each genus page you will find a separate key to species.

Aphaenogaster

• Aphaenogaster huachucana Creighton, 1934

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• Aphaenogaster uinta

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Brachymyrmex

• Brachymyrmex depilis

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Camponotus

• Camponotus hyatti

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• Camponotus laevissimus

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• Camponotus modoc

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• Camponotus ocreatus

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• Camponotus sansabeanus

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  Soldier

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  Worker

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• Camponotus sayi

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• Camponotus vicinus

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Crematogaster

• Crematogaster depilis

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• Crematogaster larreae

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• Crematogaster navajoa

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Dorymyrmex

• Dorymyrmex bicolor

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• Dorymyrmex insanus

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• Dorymyrmex species 1

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• Dorymyrmex species 2

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Forelius

• Forelius mccooki

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• Forelius pruinosus

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Formica

• Formica altipetens
• Formica argentea

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• Formica aserva

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• Formica densiventris

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• Formica fusca

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• Formica gnava

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• Formica gynocrates

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• Formica hewitti

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• Formica lasioides

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• Formica neogagates

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• Formica neorufibarbis

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• Formica obtusopilosa

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• Formica pallidefulva

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• Formica pergandei

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• Formica perpilosa

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• Formica podzolica

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• Formica propinqua

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• Formica ravida

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• Formica xerophila

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Formicoxenus

• Formicoxenus hirticornis

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Hypoponera

• Hypoponera opacior

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Lasius

See Key to Lasius species of the Navajo Reservation

• Lasius americanus

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• Lasius coloradensis

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• Lasius crypticus

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• Lasius fallax

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• Lasius humilis

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• Lasius latipes

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• Lasius niger

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• Lasius pallitarsis

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• Lasius sitiens

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• Lasius subumbratus

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• Lasius umbratus

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• Lasius xerophilus

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Leptothorax

See Leptothorax of the Navajo Reservation

• Leptothorax crassipilis

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• Leptothorax muscorum

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• Leptothorax species 1

Worker

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Queen

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Liometopum

• Liometopum apiculatum

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• Liometopum luctuosum

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Monomorium

• Monomorium cyaneum

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• Monomorium species 1 (social parasite)

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• Monomorium species 2 (nr. cyaneum, brown)

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Myrmecocystus

• Myrmecocystus flaviceps

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• Myrmecocystus mendax

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• Myrmecocystus mexicanus

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• Myrmecocystus mimicus

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• Myrmecocystus romainei

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• Myrmecocystus testaceus

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Myrmica

• Myrmica brevispinosa

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• Myrmica detritinodis

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• Myrmica monticola

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• Myrmica nearctica

• Myrmica rugiventris

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• Myrmica tahoensis

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• Myrmica species 1

Neivamyrmex

• Neivamyrmex nyensis

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• Neivamyrmex opacithorax

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Pheidole

• Pheidole bicarinata

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  Soldier

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  Male

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• Pheidole ceres

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  Soldier

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  Worker

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• Pheidole clydei

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• Pheidole hyatti

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  Soldier

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  Minor

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• Pheidole micula

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  Soldier

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  Minor

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  Queen

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  Male

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• Pheidole pilifera

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  Soldier

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• Pheidole senex

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• Pheidole soritis

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  Soldier

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  Minor

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Pogonomyrmex

• Pogonomyrmex californicus

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• Pogonomyrmex huachucanus

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• Pogonomyrmex imberbiculus

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  Worker

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  Queen

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• Pogonomyrmex maricopa

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• Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

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• Pogonomyrmex rugosus

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  Worker

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Polyergus

• Polyergus mexicanus

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Solenopsis

• Solenopsis molesta

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• Solenopsis xyloni

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  Major

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  Worker

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Stenamma

• Stenamma californicum

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• Stenamma snellingi

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• Stenamma species 1 (near smithi)

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  Worker

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  Male

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  Queen

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Tapinoma

• Tapinoma sessile

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Temnothorax

• Temnothorax andrei

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• Temnothorax carinatus

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• Temnothorax neomexicanus

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• Temnothorax cf. neomexicanus

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• Temnothorax nevadensis

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• Temnothorax nitens

• Temnothorax rugatulus

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• Temnothorax silvestrii

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• Temnothorax tricarinatus

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• Temnothorax species 1 (near andrei)

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Veromessor

• Veromessor lobognathus

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• Veromessor smithi

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