The Mesquite Gridler (Oncideres rhodsticta) may only be 13mm long but, it has a big role in shaping the landscape. It does this by regulating the growth of the mesquite shrub, ensuring there offspring have a plentiful supply of food. They chew girdles around the older stems of the shrub which forces the shrub to regrow stems the following year. 150 years ago the North Chihuahaun desert was completely covered in grassland, today dunes and mesquite shrubs cover much of the landscape.
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The Harvester Ant collects seeds to increase seed dispersal and protection and also to provide nutrients that increase seedling survival of the desert plants. Ants also provide soil aeration through the creation of galleries and chambers mixing deep and upper layers of soil. Harvester Ants forage in hot dry conditions lose water but, they regain it by metabolizing fats in the seeds they eat. It depends in the day to day weather how much they forage.
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Dung Beetles are beetles that feed on feces. It can bury dung 250 times heavier than itself. Many dung beetles also known as rollers, roll dung into round balls which are used as a source of food or breeding chambers. They belong to the Scarabaeoidea species. By burying and consuming dung they improve the soil structure and protect the livestock from flies. The dung beetles are the only known non-human animal to navigate and orient themselves using the Milky Way.
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The Desert Termite lives in desert plants and in dead cactus. They are known as swarmers and soldiers. The swarmers are about 3/8" long including their wings and are yellowish brown and in the wings they have two hardened veins in the front portion. The head of the soldier termite is rectangular shaped and it is twice as big as the swarmer termite. The desert termite is less dependent of moisture and decay. It attacks dry sound wood. They mostly swarm at night from July-September usually after rainfall.
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