Virtual Tour

A Few Desert Insects

There are insects everywhere in the desert but only a few are visible. Some blend in so well with their surroundings that they are virtually invisible. Others hide during the hottest hours of the day and are seen only at night. Some, such as termites, spend their entire lives underground. Here are a few species you might encounter during the daylight hours.

Harvester Ants These large ants are active during the daylight hours as they search the desert for vegetation and plant seeds that they carry back to the nest for food. The anthill is unmistakable - usually quite a large pile of small excavated gravel surrounds the entrance as well as "garbage" thrown out from the colony. The ants discard seed hulls and other waste products around their front door. These ants grow to about a half inch in length and are capable of delivering both a painful bite and a sting. If you find an active colony, find somewhere else to sit!

Horse Lubber Grasshopper These large (3 inches or more in length) insects are commonly seen in late summer walking in the open desert and across highways. Unlike most of their grasshopper cousins, they make little effort to hide. They feed on a wide variety of plant material. HANDLE WITH CARE! While not dangerous, the insects will put up quite a struggle if picked up and the top surface of those strong back legs has a row of long, sharp spines. You could receive some nasty scratches.

Darkling Beetle Watch out! It's aimed, cocked and ready to fire. Sometimes called the stink bug, these inch long insects are capable of carrying out chemical warfare if they are molested. Normally, they peacefully wander the desert, day or night, searching for dead plant material to feed upon. However, if threatened they stand on their head and point their "canon" as a warning. If you ignore this warning and continue to tease this harmless insect, you are going to experience something rather unpleasant.