Hobbies And Interests
Egg
Harvester ants begin life as an egg, usually less than half a millimeter in length. These eggs are white or clear, and elliptically shaped. Unfertilized eggs will hatch male ants, while fertilized ones will result in female ants. Female ants mature to become soldiers, workers or queens of new nests, while males are used only for breeding.
Larva
The harvester ant larvae emerge from the eggs still white, but without legs. Larvae have bodies shaped like an elongated squash, and comparatively tiny, distinct heads. Despite this, larvae have no eyes and eat only the regurgitated food of other ants. Larvae molt several times as they grow, and spend this entire stage inside the colony.
Pupa
The pupa stage begins when a larvae spins a silk-like cocoon. Inside this paper-like covering, the larvae metamorphoses into an adult. This cocoon is spun against a solid surface, often against an inside wall of the ant hill. The ant does not emerge from this cocoon until reaching full adult form.
Adult
Adult harvester ants are usually between five and six millimeters in length, and can be reddish-brown, yellow or black, depending upon the species. Wingless females serve as soldiers and workers, although the workers are much larger. Winged females leave the colony to start another, while all males are born with wings for use in mating. From start to finish, the harvester ant life cycle spans between six to 10 weeks.