Males soon die and females seek a suitable nesting site. After dropping her wings, the queen ant digs a burrow and produces a few eggs. Larvae are white and legless, shaped like a crookneck squash with a small distinct head. Pupation occurs within a cocoon. Worker ants produced by the queen ant begin caring for other developing ants, enlarge the nest and forage for food.
Mouthparts are for chewing.
Red harvester ant foragers collect seeds and store them in their nests. In addition to seeds, dead insects are also collected for food. Nests occur in open areas. Often there is no vegetation within a 3 to 6 feet circular around the central opening of their colony and along foraging trails radiating from the colony. Heavy infestations in agriculture may reduce yield but colonies are usually widely separated.