Acrobat Ants
Acrobat ants include several species. Their name is descriptive of their habit of raising their abdomen over the thorax and head, especially when disturbed. Various species of this ant are found throughout the United States.
Argentine Ants
This species is native to Argentina and Brazil and was probably introduced at New Orleans via coffee ships from Brazil before 1891. Argentine ants are found in the southern states and in California, with some isolated infestations in Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington.
Bigheaded Ants
These ants get their name from the exceptionally large head of the major workers in relation to their body size. Various species are found throughout the United States including Hawaii. A few species serve as intermediate hosts of tapeworms which infect turkeys, chickens, and domestic fowl.
Carpenter Ants
The black carpenter ant is a native species. They get their name from their habit of hollowing out spaces in pieces of wood for nesting purposes which can result in structural damage. Carpenter ants are found throughout the United States.
Crazy Ants
This ant’s name comes from the worker’s habit of running haphazardly about a room or building in search of food. It is found throughout the United States, but is confined to the indoors in the northern states because it cannot survive the winter outdoors.
Field Ants
The name probably comes from their abundance in outdoor situations. This is the largest group of ants in the United States just north of Mexico. They comprise about one-sixth of our entire ant fauna. Some species are commonly called
Thatching ants because of their habit of constructing a mound or thatch of plant material which is most often grass. They are found throughout the United States.
Fire Ants
These ants get their name from their ability to inflict especially painful bites and stings. The southern fire ant is a native species and ranges from California to South Carolina to northern Florida. The red imported fire ant is from central Brazil and is found in the southeast from Virginia to Texas.
Ghost Ants
This ant gets its name from the fact that it is very hard to see because of its pale color and very tiny size. It is found primarily in central and southern Florida as well as Hawaii. In the northern states it is unable to survive except in greenhouses and in similarly heated situations.
Harvester Ants
These ants get their name from their behavior of collecting or harvesting seeds as their primary food source. They are of concern in urban settings because of their stings and their habit of removing all vegetation from around their nests causing large bare spots in lawns. Of the 22 species found in the United States, only the Florida harvester ant is found east of the Mississippi River.
Little Black Ants
This ant gets its name from its very small size and jet-black coloration. It is a native species and is found throughout the United States, especially in the eastern half of the country and in the southern half of California.
Odorous House Ants
The pungent, “rotten coconut” like odor is given off when this ant is crushed. It is a native species and is found throughout the United States.
Pharaoh Ants
These ants get their name from the conical or pyramidlike elevation of the top rear of their bodies. Pyramid ants are found throughout the U.S. but are more common in the southern half of the country.
Small Honey Ants
The false name of honey ant probably comes from the mistaken belief that they do not have a special honey cask which hang from ceilings and store honey, which can commonly be found in true honey ants. The small honey ant is found in the U.S. as well as Canada.
Thief Ants
These ants get their name from their habit of nesting very near or even in the nest of other ants, where they rob food and breed. Recent research indicates that this is most probably a group of species instead of just one species. This is a native species and is found throughout most of the United States.
Yellow Ants
The name yellow ant probably comes from their yellowish color and their nesting habit of living in high moisture areas. Yellow ants are found throughout the U.S. and the larger yellow ant is found from southern New England westward to Washington and southward to Florida and Mexico, but is more common in the eastern and midwestern states. Alliance Pest Services confines treatment to the larger yellow ant.