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| 3 mm ant on counter |
Last month we started to notice a couple of these small black ants exploring our kitchen countertop in Springfield. Out in nature at the creek we are very tolerant of even this wildlife but this was too much. We put a few drops of Terro out where they seemed to come in through a window sill. After a week of taking it home to feed the family, they disappeared. We sent some photographs to James Trager who provided us an education.
"Those are "odorous house ants" - Tapinoma sessile (Remember to pronounce every vowel in Latin names. ) A very abundant, ecologically catholic (including a wide variety of things; all-embracing), and widely distributed North American "species". A recent genetic study indicates it has in fact four different geographical-genetic populations that are likely distinct species, but so nearly identical in appearance and habits that no one has yet discerned how to separate them by eye.
They come into my house around now, too, one of the few native ants that remains abundant post invasion of my yard by the Asian pavement ant - Tetramorium tsushimae. In recent years, a colony has daily occupied my mailbox then retreated to the grass below in the evening, during the time of year when daytime air temperatures are higher than those of the soil below, and vice versa at night. " - James Trager
We too have opened the mailbox to find a huge swarm of T. sessile reading our junk mail. Nests can contain multiple queens and thousands of workers. For their tiny size they are very rapid, especially when disturbed. The "odorous" title comes from a smell released from their abdominal glands which has been likened to that of rotten coconut.
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| T. sessile from Antwiki CC |
Antwiki.org ("Every Ant Tells a Story - And Scientists Explain Their Stories Here") is always a great place to start finding information on ants. They have a huge article on our odorous visitor. Here is the opening chapter.
"This species is extremely adaptable, nesting in a wide range of sites and being found in numerous habitats. Nests in open soil, under stones and logs or in dead wood, under loose bark, in cavities of plants or in plant galls, under leaves and rubbish piles and even bird nests. The site of the nest is changed often. Nests are populous with size varying with age (from 2,000-10,000 workers) and contain multiple queens. Brood is found in nests from April until September. Reproductives are found in nests from May until October, flights occur in June and July. This species forages singly from trails and are active during both day and night. They tend Homoptera and feed on dead insects or the juices of decaying fruits and vegetables. It is strongly attracted to sweet substances. It is a common house-infesting ant. " Antwiki
This just shows just how adaptable species like odorous ants, wood rats and recluse spiders can be, learning how to live on society if not in it.
