This document provides information on common types of ants: - The acrobat ant gets its name from how it raises its abdomen over its head and thorax when disturbed. It infests foam insulation and structures, preferring moisture-softened wood. - Carpenter ants hollow out galleries in moist wood for nests, which can cause structural damage. They do not sting but can have painful bites and emit a strong acidic odor. - The odorous house ant is named for its strong, rotten coconut-like odor. It constructs nests near moisture sources and prefers sweets but also eats greasy foods. - Pavement ants are named because their nests are commonly located in pavement cracks. They nest

1. Common Types of Ants

2. ACROBAT ANT (CREMATOGASTER)
• The name derived from how it raises its abdomen over its head
and thorax when disturbed
• Workers are the same size, ¹⁄16” – ¹⁄8” (2.5 – 4 mm) long, light
brown to black in color, have 11-segmented antennae with a
three-segmented club and a thorax with one pair of dorsal
spines
• Infests foam insulation and structures, preferring moisture-
softened wood
• Nests in moderate to large colonies, with swarmers active from
mid-June to late September
• Can sting, bite and emit a repulsive odor

3. ACROBAT ANT(CREMATOGASTER)

4. CARPENTER ANT (CAMPONOTUS)
• It hollows out galleries in moist wood for nests, which can cause
structural damage
• Workers range in size from ¹⁄8” – ¹⁄2” (3.5 – 13 mm) long; are
black with combinations of red and black, have 12-segmented
antennae with no club, evenly rounded profile on upper side and
no stinger
• Colonies usually have one queen; can have satellite nests
separate from main colony with no queen
• Swarmers appear from May to August in the East and from
February to June in the West
• Do not sting, but can have painful bites and emit a strong acidic
odor when disturbed

5. CARPENTER ANT (CAMPONOTUS)

6. ODOROUS HOUSE ANT
(TAPINOMA SESSILE)
• It named for strong, rotten coconut-like odor it produces when
crushed
• Workers are the same size and ¹⁄16” – ⅛” (2.4 – 3.3 mm) long,
brown to black in color, have 12-segmented antennae with no
club; no stinger
• Major structure-invading species; constructs nests near
moisture sources such as voids near hot water pipes and
around sinks
• Prefers sweets but eats greasy foods such as meats and
cheeses
• Colonies have multiple queens; ants from different colonies are
friendly and move along trails

7. ODOROUS HOUSE ANT
(TAPINOMA SESSILE)

8. PAVEMENT ANT
(TETRAMORIUM CAESPITUM)
• named because nests are commonly located in pavement
cracks
• Workers are the same size, ¹⁄16” – ⅛” (2.5 – 3 mm) long, light
brown to black with paler legs and antennae and a head and
thorax that are furrowed/grooved with parallel lines; has 12-
segmented antennae, with a three-segmented club, unevenly
rounded profile and a thorax containing a pair of small spines
• Nests inside walls, insulation and under floors and slabs near
heat sources during winter
• Swarmers appear outside in June and July but can emerge
anytime inside; workers bite and sting only when provoked

9. PAVEMENT ANT
(TETRAMORIUM CAESPITUM)

10. PHARAOH ANT
(MONOMORIUM PHARAONIS)
• named for Linneaus’ mistaken belief that this ant was one of
Egypt’s plagues during the time of the pharaohs
• Workers are the same size, ¹⁄16” (1.5 mm) long with a pale,
yellowish to reddish body and darker abdomen, an unevenly
rounded profile, stinger and 12-segmented antennae with a
three-segmented club
• Nests inside warm, humid areas near food and water sources;
common in commercial buildings; of concern in hospitals where
they will enter patient wounds, IV bottles and tubes; can carry
more than a dozen pathogenic bacteria
• Nests are difficult to find as they tend to be hidden in wall voids
and behind baseboards

11. PHARAOH ANT
(MONOMORIUM PHARAONIS)

12. THIEF ANT (SOLENOPSIS MOLESTA)
• Workers are the same size, ¹⁄16” (1.3 mm) long, pale yellowish
to dark brown, have 10-segmented antennae with a two-
segmented club, an unevenly rounded profile and miniscule
stinger
• Nests near other ant species and robs them of food; forages in
trails and prefers high-protein foods and sweets
• Nests inside in small crevices, woodwork and masonry;
commonly enters structures during hot weather
• May carry disease, as it is known to feed on dead animals

13. THIEF ANT (SOLENOPSIS MOLESTA)