Elongate Twig Ant

Description:

A female worker of P. gracilis on the trunk of a S. palmetto. P. gracilis is interested in that they don't dig their own nests. They inhabit the burrows of twigs dug out by other insects, mostly beetles. Very few ants inhabit a nest and they mostly function as solitary hunters which is interesting for ants species. This is not a very popular ant there. They're fairly aggressive and quick to sting and their sting is very painful and they can sting multiple times in seconds. Everyone I know describes them as wasp like ants, which is funny cause ants and wasps are both Hymenopterans, with ants evolving from early wasps and diversifying around the Early Cretaceous.

Habitat:

Native to Mexico. But are invasive in Florida and Hawaii and have naturalized in other parts of Central and South America.