Key characters of ants of importance to Hawaii land managers

Anoplolepis longipes (Jerdon) [long-legged ant]

• Color: reddish
  
• Size: 1/4"
  
• Nodes One (node=segment between thorax and abdomen)
  
• Other characters: long legs and antennae; slim body
  
• Behavior: individuals are fast-moving
  
• Colonies: are large (>200 workers, multiple queens) and interconnected
  
• Nest: in rock piles and rock walls
  
• Habitat: found in dry, moist, and wet areas below 3000 ft. elevation
  
• Foraging behavior: workers forage by spreading over foraging area, rarely form trails except up trees or over narrow passages

Camponotus variegatus (Fr. Smith) [carpenter ant]

• Color: reddish to light brown
  
• Size: 1/2"; some workers with larger heads than others
  
• Nodes: one
  
• Other characters: largest ant species found in the Hawaiian Islands
  
• Behavior:
  
• Colonies: often small (20 to 200 individuals, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in wood, under logs, or under or in any undisturbed, dry covering
  
• Habitat: found throughout the Hawaiian Islands in most habitats
  
• Foraging behavior: workers forage singly, never form trails unless moving young

Cardiocondyla venustula Wheeler

• Color: brown to black
  
• Size: 1/8"; all one size
  
• Nodes: two
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior:
  
• Colonies: often small (20 to 200 individuals, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: under rocks and debris
  
• Habitat: found from 0 to 10,000 ft. elevation in dry, moist, and wet climates
  
• Foraging behavior: single foragers, don't form trails

Hypoponera opaciceps (Mayr)

• Color: black
  
• Size: 1/8"
  
• Nodes: one
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior: fairly slow movers,
  
• Colonies: small (<50 workers, one queen)
  
• Nest: in soil, decaying wood, under stones
  
• Habitat: most commonly in moist to wet areas above 2,000 ft. elevation
  
• Foraging behavior: single foragers, no trails

Linepithema humile (Mayr) [Argentine ant]

• Color: brown
  
• Size: 1/8"
  
• Nodes: one
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior:
  
• Colonies: large (>100 workers, multiple queens), interconnected to other colonies
  
• Nest: under stones
  
• Habitat: found from 0 to 10,000 feet, more commonly above 3,500 feet in dry or moist habitats
  
• Foraging behavior: single foragers but also form trails to food and between nests

Monomorium floricola (Jerdon)

• Color: bicolored, head and abdomen dark brown, thorax lighter brown to yellow
  
• Size: 1/16"
  
• Nodes: two
  
• Other characters: very small and thin
  
• Behavior: will sting
  
• Colonies: large (>100 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in twigs and branches and under bark of trees and shrubs
  
• Habitat: dry and moist areas below 3,000 feet
  
• Foraging behavior: form trails along ground and in trees

Ochetellus glaber (Mayr) [glaber ant]

• Color: black
  
• Size: 1/8"
  
• Nodes: one
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior: will bite; feeds on honeydew from aphids and mealybugs
  
• Colonies: large (>100 workers, multiple queens), interconnected
  
• Nest: in soil, under logs and rocks
  
• Habitat: dryer areas below 3,000 feet
  
• Foraging behavior: workers form trails

Paratrechina bourbonica (Forel) [crazy ant]

Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) [crazy ant]

• Color: black for P. bourbonica, black with purple irridescence for P. longicornis
  
• Size: 1/8"
  
• Nodes: one
  
• Other characters: long legs and antennae for Paratrechina longicornis; more robust for Paratrechina bourbonica
  
• Behavior: fast runner, especially when disturbed; feeds on honeydew
  
• Colonies: large (>200 workers, one queen)
  
• Nest: in soil under stones and debris
  
• Habitat: dry areas below 3,000 ft. elevation
  
• Foraging behavior: forms trails

Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) [big-headed ant]

• Color: brown
  
• Size: 1/8"; some workers with large heads
  
• Nodes: two
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior:
  
• Colonies: large (>200 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in soil, sometime with donut of dirt around hole
  
• Habitat: found in dry and moist areas below 3,000 ft. elevation
  
• Foraging behavior: workers forage by spreading over foraging area but will forms trails up trees and to food sources

Plagiolepis alluaudi Forel [little yellow ant]

• Color: yellow
  
• Size: 1/16"
  
• Nodes: one
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior: tends insects for honeydew
  
• Colonies: large (>50 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in trees
  
• Habitat: dry and moist areas below 3,000 feet
  
• Foraging behavior: forms trails

Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) [fire ant]

• Color: red
  
• Size: 1/8"; workers range in size from less than 1/8" to about 1/4"; some with large heads
  
• Nodes: two
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior: will sting aggressively; tends insects for honeydew
  
• Colonies: large (>200, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in soil often with piles of dirt around entrance
  
• Habitat: dry areas below 1,000 feet, in leeward areas of islands
  
• Foraging behavior: workers forage by spreading over foraging area, will form trails

Solenopsis papuana Emery

• Color: black
  
• Size: 1/16", all workers of same size
  
• Nodes: two
  
• Other characters: antennae with 2 segmented club
  
• Behavior:
  
• Colonies: large (>1000 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in soil under rocks, most often associated with rotting wood in or near soil
  
• Habitat: found mainly in moist and wet forested areas between 1,000 and 3,500 feet
  
• Foraging behavior: form trails but workers also forage by spreading over foraging area

Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) [tiny yellow house ant]

• Color: bicolored, black head with yellow abdomen and thorax
  
• Size: 1/16"; all workers of same size
  
• Nodes: one but appears as none
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior: very fast mover
  
• Colonies: large (>200 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: under rocks
  
• Habitat: found in dry and moist areas below 2000 ft. elevation
  
• Foraging behavior: forms trails

Technomyrmex albipes (Fr. Smith)

• Color: brown to black with white feet (not easily seen)
  
• Size: 1/8"
  
• Nodes: one but may appear as none
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior: tend insects for honeydew
  
• Colonies: small or large (>200 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in trees
  
• Habitat: found in dry, moist, and wet areas below 5,000 feet
  
• Foraging behavior: form trails

Tetramorium simillimum (Fr. Smith)

• Color: brown; sometimes abdomen appears dark brown and head and thorax are light brown
  
• Size: 1/8"
  
• Nodes: two
  
• Other characters:
  
• Behavior:
  
• Colonies: large (>100 workers, multiple queens)
  
• Nest: in soil
  
• Habitat: found most commonly in dry lowland areas
  
• Foraging behavior: forms trails

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Technical details in the main text of this page are based on information provided by Neil Riemer (Hawaii Department of Agriculture). This page was created on 17 Feb. 2006 by LF, and was last updated on 16 April 2007 by PT.