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Ants in your house or yard: January 2012 Archives

Ant Identification (K. Brown, Florida)

By AntAsk on January 25, 2012 5:55 AM
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Hey,

I was just wondering if you knew what type of ants these critters are? I live in Florida if that helps.

K. Brown

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Hello,

These appear to be ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), a notorious so-called "tramp" species that is well-established in Florida. The species epithet melanocephalum literally means "brown head", owing to its distinctive bicoloration. Here is a previous post that addresses the role of ghost ants as pests in the home and also provides links to a number of articles that can tell you more about the appearance and ecology of this species.

Thanks,

Alexandra Westrich & the AntAsk Team