Ants Flashcards
There are an estimated 700 species of ants in the U.S. with only about ______ considered to be pests
25
All pest ant species in North America are
eusocial - live in colonies and have highly-developed social order
Two different castes of ant colonies
workers and reproductives
Most species of ants have only one
egg-laying female reproductive (queen) - some species may have more than one
Care for the eggs, forage for food, and defend the ant colony
workers
All worker ants are
female
The only males in an ant colony are
pre-reproductive (not yet mated)
Only pre-reproductive ants have wings and are referred to as
alates
Easier to identify in ant species
workers
Looks like an ant, but is actually a wingless wasp
velvet ant
Some male ant swarmers lack what one characteristic of a female, however the constricted waist distinguish this ant from a termite swarmer
elbowed antennae
Unlike termites, male ants do not
remain with the queen when she starts her new colony (mating typically marks the end of the male ant’s life)
These ants do not swarm at all
Pharoah ants
Ant colonies which can have more than 50,000 ants in a single nest
fire ants
How do forager ants find food?
They follow structural guidelines and use mostly random seeking patterns to find food
When ant food source is gone
the ants stop releasing the pheromone and the trail scent fades quickly
As more ants follow a food trail
the pheromone trail scent gets stronger
What benefit do ants get from sap-feeding insects on outdoor plants?
Ants get a free, long-term stationary food source (honeydew)
How do scale insects benefit from ants?
Scale insects benefits from ant grooming (removes honeydew and mold growth from their bodies) and ants drive off predators, like lady beetles and parasitic wasps
Removing honeydew-producing insects will do what for ant control?
Remove one of the ants’ food sources
Signs of honeydew-producing insects
shiny, sticky leaves followed by black, sooty mold deposits
Two parts of ant antennae
scape (connected to the head) and funiculus
Ants have a __________ antennae
geniculate
Termite antennae are
bead-like (moniliform)
Third body region of an ant
gaster
Ant waist
pedicel
All ant pedicels have either one or two segments called
nodes or petioles
Circular, cone-like, anal orifice at the tip of the gaster that is surrounded by a ring of hairs
acidopore
Ants with two nodes are in the subfamily
Myrmicinae
Ants with one node and an acidopore are in the subfamily
Formicinae
Ants with one node and have a slit-like anal opening and no ring of hairs are in the subfamily
Dolichoderinae
Used by many species to spray formic acid at their enemies
acidopore
Medium to large ants that usually nest in wood or above-ground cavities, including attics and wall voids
carpenter ants