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Iridomyrmex anceps

Oecophylla smaragdina F

Description:

Black ant workers measure approximately 1.6 millimeters long. Queens are approximately twice this size. While they are typically black in color, some individuals may be brown. Their antennae are twelve-segmented with three-segmented clubs. Black ants are small like pharaoh ants, though pharaoh ants are red, yellow or amber in color. These jet-black ants are social creatures, living like other ants in colonies of queens, males, larvae and infertile female workers. Black ant nests are common in dry areas and sandy soil. Black ants feed on sugary items, seeds, nectars, black flies, green flies and small insects and animals, both living and dead. The black ant also feeds on ripe fruits with thin protective skins, such as strawberries, and they can be a problem for gardeners. Black ants are capable of stinging, but their stings are usually mild. When a queen black ant leads her colony into a house, their infestations can become problematic. However, most black ants found indoors are worker ants foraging for food to bring back to their colonies. In order to keep black ants outdoors, homeowners should ensure that kitchens and other food surfaces are free from sugary foods, crumbs and other sweet substances.

Habitat:

Black ants are common all over Europe and in some areas of Asia and North America. Nuptial flights of black ants, which include thousands of winged males and females, occur during the autumn months in North America and in July and August in Europe. In some of these areas, black ants are treated as pests.

Notes:

I meet black ants while it walking on Ixora trees

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Tamm
Spotted by
Tamm

กรุงเทพมหานคร, Thailand

Spotted on Mar 13, 2012
Submitted on Mar 13, 2012

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