Are Harvester Ants near you? Learn more about Harvester Ants and how you can contribute to science by looking for them in unexpected places! 🔎Take part in real science for Harvester Hunt on Halloween weekend! Ant scientists (myrmecologists) Terry McGlynn and Nadia Naji will banish skepticism about these so-called creepy-crawlies and show us more about the amazing world of LA’s native Harvester Ant. 🐜We’ll learn how to find and identify them and why YOUR photos of Harvester Ants are an important part of the Harvester Hunt project. Join us for this unique community science opportunity for everyone! 🔸Register for free and receive a zoom link in your e-mail to this event. 🐜More information at HarvesterHunt.org Native to California, harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) are currently facing a number of threats. Besides habitat loss resulting from urban development, harvester ant populations are also struggling due to a nonnative invasive competitor: the Argentine ant. But, who cares? L.A. has plenty of ants, right? Biodiversity is incredibly important for ecosystem success (even in a concrete jungle). Several other species of insects, plus frogs, birds, and lizards rely on harvester ants for food; in fact, about 60-90% of the coast horned lizard’s diet is comprised of harvester ants. Supporting harvester ant populations means supporting a wide variety of other species that depend on them, such as: Willow flycatchers, Arroyo toads, Common green darners and Coast horned lizards.