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ACE > Ants > Flashcards

Ants Flashcards

1
Q

There are an estimated 700 species of ants in the U.S. with only about ______ considered to be pests

A

25

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2
Q

All pest ant species in North America are

A

eusocial - live in colonies and have highly-developed social order

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3
Q

Two different castes of ant colonies

A

workers and reproductives

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4
Q

Most species of ants have only one

A

egg-laying female reproductive (queen) - some species may have more than one

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5
Q

Care for the eggs, forage for food, and defend the ant colony

A

workers

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6
Q

All worker ants are

A

female

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7
Q

The only males in an ant colony are

A

pre-reproductive (not yet mated)

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8
Q

Only pre-reproductive ants have wings and are referred to as

A

alates

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9
Q

Easier to identify in ant species

A

workers

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10
Q

Looks like an ant, but is actually a wingless wasp

A

velvet ant

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11
Q

Some male ant swarmers lack what one characteristic of a female, however the constricted waist distinguish this ant from a termite swarmer

A

elbowed antennae

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12
Q

Unlike termites, male ants do not

A

remain with the queen when she starts her new colony (mating typically marks the end of the male ant’s life)

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13
Q

These ants do not swarm at all

A

Pharoah ants

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14
Q

Ant colonies which can have more than 50,000 ants in a single nest

A

fire ants

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15
Q

How do forager ants find food?

A

They follow structural guidelines and use mostly random seeking patterns to find food

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16
Q

When ant food source is gone

A

the ants stop releasing the pheromone and the trail scent fades quickly

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17
Q

As more ants follow a food trail

A

the pheromone trail scent gets stronger

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18
Q

What benefit do ants get from sap-feeding insects on outdoor plants?

A

Ants get a free, long-term stationary food source (honeydew)

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19
Q

How do scale insects benefit from ants?

A

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

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20
Q

Removing honeydew-producing insects will do what for ant control?

A

Remove one of the ants’ food sources

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21
Q

Signs of honeydew-producing insects

A

shiny, sticky leaves followed by black, sooty mold deposits

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22
Q

Two parts of ant antennae

A

scape (connected to the head) and funiculus

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23
Q

Ants have a __________ antennae

A

geniculate

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24
Q

Termite antennae are

A

bead-like (moniliform)

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25
Q

Third body region of an ant

A

gaster

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26
Q

Ant waist

A

pedicel

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27
Q

All ant pedicels have either one or two segments called

A

nodes or petioles

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28
Q

Circular, cone-like, anal orifice at the tip of the gaster that is surrounded by a ring of hairs

A

acidopore

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29
Q

Ants with two nodes are in the subfamily

A

Myrmicinae

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30
Q

Ants with one node and an acidopore are in the subfamily

A

Formicinae

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31
Q

Ants with one node and have a slit-like anal opening and no ring of hairs are in the subfamily

A

Dolichoderinae

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32
Q

Used by many species to spray formic acid at their enemies

A

acidopore

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33
Q

Medium to large ants that usually nest in wood or above-ground cavities, including attics and wall voids

A

carpenter ants

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34
Q

Medium to large ants that prefer nesting in the ground of open fields and may build large mound nests - common around homes but rarely found indoors

A

field ants

35
Q

Ants with distinct ocelli on head

A

field ants

36
Q

Small ants that can be difficult to control. Their name comes from fast, jerky, and erratic running behavior

A

crazy ants

37
Q

Medium sized ant with a single, flat node is hidden and difficult to see

A

odorous house ant

38
Q

Medium-sized ant, physically very similar to the odorous house ant

A

argentine ant

39
Q

Large colonies of these medium sized ants make them difficult to control

A

argentine ant

40
Q

Small ants with dark heads and thoraxes, but white pedicels, gasters, legs, and antennae

A

ghost ants

41
Q

Small to medium sized ant that is similar in appearance to odorous house ants, but are black with yellow feet

A

white-footed ant

42
Q

Very small, yellow-brown ants that do not sting

A

pharaoh ants

43
Q

A common indoor nester that will also forage outdoors in warmer weather

A

pharaoh ants

44
Q

Do not swarm, but instead form new nests by budding

A

pharaoh ants

45
Q

Very small outdoor nesting ants that may enter building

A

little black ants

46
Q

Painful sting, this ant makes small mounds in soil and also nests within dead wood

A

little black ants

47
Q

Medium sized, outdoor ants that primarily nest in dead, moist wood, but will also nest in structural wall voids

A

acrobat ants

48
Q

Small to large mounds, this ant responds aggressively when nest is disturbed

A

red imported fire ant

49
Q

Medium sized, slow moving ants sometimes mistaken for fire ants

A

pavement ants

50
Q

One of the most common ant pests of structures, this ant may also nest outdoors in soil

A

pavement ants

51
Q

Nests in soil, often next to structures this ant is easily mistaken for a fire ant

A

big-headed ant

52
Q

Psammophore under head that is used to help carry soil or seeds

A

harvester ant

53
Q

Not especially agressive, this ant has a painful sting and is an occasional pest of lawns or playgrounds

A

harvester ant

54
Q

Ant mandibles _______ used for chewing/eating food.

55
Q

Head, thorax, and abdomen or

A

Head, alitrunk, and gaster

56
Q

Two nodes or

A

petiole & post-petiole

57
Q

Three immature life stages of an ant are referred to as

58
Q

Monogyne ant colonies have

59
Q

Polygyne ant colonies have

A

more than one queen (these are budding ants!)

60
Q

Queens mate

A

one time - store sperm in spermatheca and can lay eggs for a lifetime

61
Q

Who is the “stomach” of the colony?

A

4th stage larvae –> they can ingest solids

62
Q

Why can’t workers ingest solid food?

A

Narrow waist can’t accommodate solids

63
Q

Food preferences may change

A

seasonally and/or for a balanced diet

64
Q

Monodomous ants have

65
Q

Placing attractive foods to let foraging ants find it and recruit others during inspection and identification efforts:

A

pre-baiting

66
Q

Top three most common chemical methods for ant control

A

1 - barrier treatment - extra focus on entry points
2 - baits applied to foraging trails
3 - nest treatments - fast acting

67
Q

Downsides to using baits

A

competition to other food & slower acting

68
Q

Nest treatments are

A

ideal but not always practical

69
Q

Do carpenter ants swarm or bud?

70
Q

Largest pest ant in U.S.

A

carpenter - smooth galleries

71
Q

One prominent triangular node

72
Q

One node (petiole)

A

carpenter
odorous house
argentine
crazy
ghost
white-footed
field

73
Q

Two nodes (petiole & post-petiole)

A

red imported
pavement
pharaoh
little black
acrobat
big-headed
harvester

74
Q

Are night-time foragers

75
Q

Odorous house ant swarm or bud?

76
Q

One node hidden from above by gaster

A

odorous house

77
Q

Construct shallow nests in soil under debris

A

odorous house

78
Q

Argentine ants bud or swarm?

A

primarily bud

79
Q

Enormous/super colony species

A

Argentine, crazy, big-headed, white-footed, odorous, pharaoh

80
Q

Aggressively territorial against different colonies

81
Q

Scape is longer than head

A

Tawny crazy ant

82
Q

Poor trail followers

83
Q

Gaster with a distinct construction or groove between 1st & 2nd segments.

A

Asian needle ant

ACE (16 decks)

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