Common Ant Species

Appearance

• Shiny and black.
• 2.5 - 3mm long.

Lifecycle

• Larva hatches out of the egg as a white grub which is narrower towards the head. They are fed by the adults.
• The larva pupates and appears creamy-white, looking similar to an adult. Sometimes they have a protective silk cocoon around them.
• The adult emerges with the three defined body sections: head, thorax and abdomen.
• The length of time between the egg stage and ants emerging as adults can take 6 weeks or more; it depends on a variety of factors such as the species of ant, the temperature and the availability of food.
• Fertilised eggs become female, unfertilised become males.

Habits

• These ants are regarded as a nuisance and scavenge in kitchens, garbage and also dog excrement, therefore potentially spreading diseases such as salmonella.
• 'Common Ants' include the intensely black 'Black House Ants', and they are attracted to sweets.
• The light yellowish brown 'Coastal Brown Ant' prefers to feed on meat products and grease.
• The most effective control measure is to find the colony and treat it.

Appearance

• Length: 1/16 to 1/8 inch
• Color: brown or black

Lifecycle

• The time to adult phase of development is 34-38 days. 
• These ants typically live for several years.

Habits

• Odorous house ants eat most household foods, especially sugary food, e.g. sweets and fruits. They also eat pet food.
• They are attracted to moisture. In hot, dry environments nests can be found in house plants and even lids of toilets.
• These ants produce a coconut smell when crushed.
• Colonies range in size from 100-10,000.

Appearance

• Dark brown or blackish.
• 3mm long.
• 6 legs.
• 2 spines on the back.
• 2 nodes on petiole.
• Grooves on head and thorax.
• Thorax uneven with 1 pair of spines.
• 12-segmented antennae with 3-segmented club.
• Winged ants are often mistaken for termites.

Lifecycle

• Visible spring and summer.
• Have been known to emerge any time of the year in heated structures.

Habits

• Feeding - eat almost anything that humans eat, and also pet food.
• Visibility - seen entering houses looking for food, most often at night. May move through pipes and electrical wires.
• Nesting - in lawns or under stones, wood, or boards. Mounds built along sidewalks, baseboards, and near foundations in clusters.
• Colonies found near water.

Appearance

• Orange in color
• Strong legs and Large mandibles
• Approx 5mm-25mm in length.

Lifecycle

• A colony can contain up to a million ants, thus these are very invasive ants which can be hard to eradicate.
• Nearly half a colony is made up of fertile females so reproductive capabilities are huge. These are winged and larger than wingless females.
• Winged males mate once before they die, wingless males are capable of multiple mating.
• Adult workers are wingless females and are the ones seen looking for food.

Habits

• They bite and not sting.
• Although colonies are vast in numbers, they tend to spread out into satellite colonies which nest in different locations.
• Ideal nesting locations outside include trees - in trunks or galleries that might have once been created by termites, under loose bark or plant debris, nearer the home in attics, under roof shingles, in wall voids, along fences and in outdoor furniture. Indoors they can be found in the kitchen area near bins or where food is stored or prepared.
• These ants are attracted to sweet substances - plant nectars, flowers and sweet human food substances. Also attracted to aphids and mealy bugs which secrete honeydew.
• Most likely to be seen foraging for food in large numbers, most likely at night if temperatures are high.

Appearance

• Queens 5/8" long. 
• Workers 1/8"-1/4" long. 
• Coppery–brown on the head and body, with a darker abdomen. 
• Solenopsis has a very distinctive two–segment antennal club, which is most visible in the front view of the female reproductive ant.

Lifecycle

• After swarming from the nest and mating, the queen searches for a suitable spot to lay her eggs. Once found, she can lay up to 125 eggs in late Spring. 
• Larvae hatch within 8 to 10 days, and the pupal stage lasts for 9 to 16 days. 
• Larvae feed on secretions from the queen’s salivary glands and broken down wing muscles until the first worker ants emerge. After this first batch of larvae moult into workers the queen’s role returns to egg laying – she can lay up to 1500 per day. Worker ants continue with larval care, nest building and food foraging. 
• Fertile males are produced later in the season.

Habits

• Foraging workers diet consists of dead animals, including insects, earthworms, and vertebrates. Workers also collect honeydew and forage for sweet food, proteins, and fats. 
• Swarming characteristics – mating between queens and fertile males takes place on the wing mid to late Summer. Males perish after mating. 
• Nest locations can be a mound of up to 40 cm or next to objects found on the ground, e.g. logs. 
• If aggravated, these react aggressively and can inflict a painful sting, resulting in a pustule some 48 hours later. 
• These ants are a major agricultural and urban pest, destroying crops and invading residential areas both outdoors and indoors.