# Dark Rover Ant

*Brachymyrmex patagonicus*

Dark rover ants are known for their extremely high-speed, erratic movement, which gives them their 'rover' name.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Formicidae › Brachymyrmex
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Disturbed soils, gardens, potted plants, and structural voids in buildings.
- **Diet:** Primarily nectar and honeydew from sap-sucking insects; also scavenges for household sweets.
- **Range:** North America, South America
- **Size:** 1.5 to 2.0 mm in length.
- **Lifespan:** Workers live 3-6 months; queens can live over a year.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use and competition from larger invasive ant species like the Argentine ant.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. They do not sting and their bite is too small to be felt. If found indoors, they are a nuisance rather than a threat; simply seal entry points and clean sugary spills to discourage them.

## About

Brachymyrmex patagonicus is a species of ant in the family Formicidae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/678522d6-12a3-49b4-977c-d2b6d8b35f93
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/356419
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachymyrmex_patagonicus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/15112310/medium.jpg (Jesse Rorabaugh, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.