Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) are found worldwide. Mostly in desert or arid regions. These species forage over terrain when hunting for food sources. Researchers have also found that these, and other species, prefer to build habitat underground. We investigated choice preferences in a population of Pogonomyrmex barbatus from St. George. In one experiment, ants were given two types of food to choose from (natural food sources or human processed food). We measured the amount of each type of food we gave them and how much was eaten every other day. In the second experiment, ants will be put in a situation where they had to choose between two different habitat types (gel solution or sand). We will count how many ants choose each habitat and the differences in the tunnel structure. Data will be analyzed after 6 weeks.
