Watching and Photographing Myrmecocystus mimicus (Honeypot Ant)

_Myrmecocystus_ _mimicus_ worker peers out of the nest entrance

Another ant that I found on yesterday’s trip to Farmington was Myrmecocystus mimicus. These are a type of “Honeypot Ant”.

They were much easier to photograph than the Pogonomyrmex, since Myrmecocystus can’t sting, and are not very aggressive. I think they had only started to emerge as I watched them, since they had not yet accumulated mounds of dirt outside their nest entrances.

_Myrmecocystus_ _mimicus_ worker carrying a clump of sand out of her nest

The top layer of soil was dry, but it was moist an inch or so down. If you look closely at some of the photos, you can see little droplets of moisture on the ants.

_Myrmecocystus_ _mimicus_ worker carrying grains of sand out of the nest

Looking down on a _Myrmecocystus_ _mimicus_ worker

I really enjoyed watching these ants on a fine Spring morning, their sleepy industriousness as they cleared the debris away from their nest entrances.