Ants Flashcards by Roni Showalter

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

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All pest ant species in North America are

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

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Two different castes of ant colonies

workers and reproductives

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Most species of ants have only one

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

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

workers

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All worker ants are

female

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The only males in an ant colony are

pre-reproductive (not yet mated)

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

alates

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Easier to identify in ant species

workers

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Looks like an ant, but is actually a wingless wasp

velvet ant

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

elbowed antennae

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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)

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These ants do not swarm at all

Pharoah ants

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

fire ants

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How do forager ants find food?

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

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When ant food source is gone

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

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As more ants follow a food trail

the pheromone trail scent gets stronger

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

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

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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

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

Remove one of the ants’ food sources

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Signs of honeydew-producing insects

shiny, sticky leaves followed by black, sooty mold deposits

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Two parts of ant antennae

scape (connected to the head) and funiculus

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Ants have a __________ antennae

geniculate

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Termite antennae are

bead-like (moniliform)

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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

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

field ants

Ants with distinct ocelli on head

field ants

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

crazy ants

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

odorous house ant

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

argentine ant

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

argentine ant

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

ghost ants

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

white-footed ant

Very small, yellow-brown ants that do not sting

pharaoh ants

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

pharaoh ants

Do not swarm, but instead form new nests by budding

pharaoh ants

Very small outdoor nesting ants that may enter building

little black ants

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

little black ants

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

acrobat ants

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

red imported fire ant

Medium sized, slow moving ants sometimes mistaken for fire ants

pavement ants

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

pavement ants

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

big-headed ant

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

harvester ant

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

harvester ant

Ant mandibles _______ used for chewing/eating food.

are not

Head, thorax, and abdomen or

Head, alitrunk, and gaster

Two nodes or

petiole & post-petiole

Three immature life stages of an ant are referred to as

brood

Monogyne ant colonies have

one queen

Polygyne ant colonies have

more than one queen (these are budding ants!)

Queens mate

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

Who is the "stomach" of the colony?

4th stage larvae --> they can ingest solids

Why can't workers ingest solid food?

Narrow waist can't accommodate solids

Food preferences may change

seasonally and/or for a balanced diet

Monodomous ants have

one nest

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

pre-baiting

Top three most common chemical methods for ant control

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

Downsides to using baits

competition to other food & slower acting

Nest treatments are

ideal but not always practical

Do carpenter ants swarm or bud?

swarm

Largest pest ant in U.S.

carpenter - smooth galleries

One prominent triangular node

carpenter

One node (petiole)

carpenter odorous house argentine crazy ghost white-footed field

Two nodes (petiole & post-petiole)

red imported pavement pharaoh little black acrobat big-headed harvester

Are night-time foragers

carpenter

Odorous house ant swarm or bud?

both

One node hidden from above by gaster

odorous house

Construct shallow nests in soil under debris

odorous house

Argentine ants bud or swarm?

primarily bud

Enormous/super colony species

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

Aggressively territorial against different colonies

argentine

Scape is longer than head

Tawny crazy ant

Poor trail followers

Crazy any

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

Asian needle ant

Ants Flashcards

(83 cards)